On Feb. 16, promises were kept by the implementation of serving international cuisine in Deacon Jones dining hall, in hopes of giving international students a taste of home.

The long awaited event was organized by dining hall Executive Chef, Julius Quimpio. He assured the whole international student body that he would make sure their local dishes would be served in the cafeteria every Saturday, on a rotating basis. The first Saturday belonged to the Nigerians.

About 67 percent of the students said they were excited at the thought of eating their own culture’s food at the cafeteria since it has never been done before. It was a pioneering experience for each and every one of them.

Quimpo expressed his delight at being able to satisfy the international students.

“It was stressful, real stressful, but I know it will be easier and better next time. I had to go to Georgia to get the ingredients but now I know a place at Chattanooga where I could get the ingredients,” said Quimpio. “(But) I am glad, it’s a part of my job to make them happy and it’s good they all liked it.”

Last Saturday, the dining hall will hosted cuisine for the Nepalese international students. However the following Saturday schedule hasn’t been announced.

Though the Nigerian students that were there to grace the occasion complained about the unpleasant tastes some of the served food had, overall they gave kudos to the chef.

In a post event survey, about 87 percent said they want more of such occasions while 10 percent disagreed and 3 percent of students were indifferent.

They all want Nigerian students to play active roles in the cooking processes next time and practically all of them agreed that it was a good experience.