Spicy aromas hovered in the Campus Christian Center as Bob Marley music played in the background.
The center held a potluck named Flavors of the World for people to bring unique recipes from different cultures and share them with others. Some recipes were inspired by Indian spices and flavors, while others were light Japanese dishes or Italian pastas.
Peer minister Mikayla Sievers said the event is similar to the Caribbean Night celebration. She said the center is a medium for students to meet new friends and share their own culture.
“We hosted a Caribbean night in September and many people attended,” Sievers said. “We decided to host a global potluck to expand to other cultures as well.”
The organization’s environment was covered in shades of reds and oranges, like the food, and included a random layout of couches.
“When I first walked in here I was like, ‘Man, this has got a vintage flair,’” said Lyndsey Lynch, a University of Idaho music major. “It’s like my grandparents’ living room — it’s so comfy.”
Lynch said she sometimes goes to the center to meditate and attend weekly events. She said the Lutheran Campus Ministry hosts a Bible study on Wednesdays, and Methodist Ministry gathers Thursdays in the center’s basement.
“This is my second time here,” said freshman Jacob Brown. “It’s quite friendly.”
UI Department of Agriculture lab assistant Ashton Sipes said he enjoys the atmosphere and the engaging topics held every Tuesday night about mystery occurrences. He said peer minister Grayson Cole chooses and researches the topics that delve into supernatural and conspiracy theories.
“I’m just trying to provide an opportunity for people that don’t have a circle of friends comfortable talking about that, to give them a meeting to come talk about,” Cole said.
Cole said the center’s crew likes to banter back and forth over theories of their own about any topic he researches. He said the topics are to open people up to different perspectives and ideas.
Cole said he became involved in the center through Friday night lounge events, and then he began volunteering for a couple of their projects.
Sievers said she joined the center in fall 2013 and oversees the organization’s public relations through ASUI, projects, social media and event promotions. She said she joined the center because it’s an inclusive group.
“I was raised in a church that was not (open minded),” Sievers said. “They were anti-LGBT, they did not like interracial relationships. It was a very strict church.”
Past experiences, like religious discrimination, shape who we are, Sievers said, and can teach people to be cautious. But, she said individuals can’t judge a whole church based on one experience.
“So, when I found this place, people here appreciated me for who I was, I felt like I could be myself,” Sievers said.
Catherine Keenan can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Ckeeneye