Coffee brews interest in Columbian culture

The smell of coffee brewing overwhelmed the William Pitt Union Ballroom on Friday, thanks to… The smell of coffee brewing overwhelmed the William Pitt Union Ballroom on Friday, thanks to the Colombian Coffee House, which was part of Student Government Board’s Diversity Week.

People of all ages and nationalities passed the afternoon sipping coffee and snacking on traditional Colombian dishes provided by Colombia in Pittsburgh.

Treats such as arepa, a tortilla-like food made with cheese, which is a typical breakfast of Colombians, and bananas with coffee sauce were served to more than 150 people who attended the event. Plates of cheese and guayaba, a form of guava, sat on all tables as appetizers.

Both children and adults crowded into one end of the Ballroom, playing juego de rana. This game is reminiscent of ring toss but involves aiming a small metal ring at a frog’s open mouth for points. Not many people were able to achieve this goal, but one man, who played this game in his father’s store as a child, accomplished the task, which resulted in cheers from the crowd.

Juan Carlos Rivera, a member of Colombia in Pittsburgh, described the game as one that people of all ages can enjoy in Colombia and said that it can be found in corner stores where “you just go and have a beer and play.”

Visitors to the event were also treated to a constant slide show highlighting the history of Colombia, as well as dance lessons. Rivera explained why the steps taught to the crowd were basic.

“You don’t move too much because you don’t have too much space,” he said. “And you don’t want to get tired.”

Monica Montoya, a jewelry maker who learned the art of making traditional jewelry during her childhood in Colombia, brought some of her pieces to sell to coffee fans in attendance. Nearly all the materials used in her necklaces came from Colombia. Montoya said that it is customary for young girls to learn how to make jewelry in her country.

The Office of International Services organized the event.

According to Jamie Rayman, assistant director for programming, the office sponsors two international coffee houses a semester. Knowing that Diversity Week was approaching, she made a special effort to have the Colombian Coffee House fall during the celebration.

When organizing the coffee houses, Rayman usually tries to partner with student groups. Since Colombia in Pittsburgh is a relatively new organization, composed mainly of students from Carnegie Mellon University, she chose Colombia as the next country to celebrate.