Students at the University of Maine eagerly lined up for the Friends and Family Feast at the Memorial Union on Nov. 21. The event was organized by the Student Heritage Alliance Council (SHAC), with volunteers arriving as early as 3 p.m. to assist in decorating, rearranging and transforming the North Pod into an atmospheric seasonal experience that features a uniquely diverse spin on the Thanksgiving celebration.
SHAC, which acts as a culmination of all of UMaine’s multicultural clubs, was previously dormant since 2017 but reinstated in 2023, and has been going strong since. SHAC President Jon Guzman not only has helped by organizing the Feast for the past two years, but also helped majorly in reviving the previously inactive council.
“We were all trying to aim towards the same mission of wanting to make community at a university that, frankly, is a predominantly white university. Our community pockets are small, and we want more multicultural events,” says Guzman.
The event was also made possible through a donation by the Alton ‘38 and Adelaide Hamm Campus Activity Fund, as well as through catering from seven ethnically-diverse restaurants in the Bangor-Orono area. Collaborating with UMaine’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion and UMaine’s Student Life, SHAC and volunteers from student government served a diverse selection of dishes and drinks for students and faculty completely free of charge. On top of providing free food, the event served as a proper send off experience for students and faculty, with a majority heading home for a much-needed Thanksgiving break.
Substituting more standard Thanksgiving dishes like turkey and stuffing, the Friends and Family Feast event provided many culturally distinct options. Over 400 students and faculty filled their plates with the lo mein, spring rolls and za’tar roasted vegetables, coupled with beverages such as coconut water, guava and mango juice and desserts including baklava and ube cookies.
SHAC chair member Tiffany Ha expressed the importance of bringing people together for the event, not only to bring more awareness to SHAC and its members, but also for friends and family to bond over cultural expression.
“It’s really easy to celebrate culture with food, and that’s how you get people to appreciate it more, and everyone can just share like their favorite as well. It really brings everyone together” says Ha.
A variety of students offered a hand in serving and catering food to community members, with many of them being new volunteers for the Feast. First-year student Zeke Delorme overheard about the volunteer position while at student government meetings and jumped at the opportunity.
“You get to be a little part of everyone’s day, even for the five seconds you pour rice onto their plate,” Delorme remarks.
Several of the chair members at SHAC are currently in their senior year at UMaine, with graduation approaching around the corner. SHAC Vice President Ashley Wilson hopes that these multicultural events will help give new students on campus an avenue for involvement, as well helping carry on the torch left by SHAC members.
“We have a few volunteers who are continuously coming to these big events who are really helpful, even as young as freshmen or sophomores. It’s just trying to get them motivated to want that same experience for other students like we did,” Wilson states.
The importance of events such as the Friends and Family Feast to remain as a permanent tradition at UMaine is paramount in building a strong community, allowing members of multicultural organizations, including SHAC, to give thanks to their campus and community members. While gazing at the long line of community members ready to feast, Guzman gave his thanks to the people, clubs and organizations for making the event possible. SHAC also aims to organize more multicultural events in the following semester.
“It makes me hopeful for the future of UMaine, and the future of multicultural and multi-ethnic diversity here and the growth of what our programs can be,” says Guzman.
