As Black History Month nears its conclusion, the College has continued its celebration of the wide range of cultures, ethnicities and identities here at Epsom. The important month has become a focal point for our efforts around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and is an important opportunity to reflect on the experiences, stories, and histories of members of our community from the global black diaspora.
On Wednesday it was a pleasure to welcome Pastor Kevin Boakye to Epsom, to preach at our Black History Month service. He spoke engagingly about how we all have a duty of care for each other and that, at times, this might come at a cost to us, with time, energy and money.
Canon Andrew Haviland, Senior Chaplain at Epsom College, said:
“While being kind is at the heart of all we do here at the College it was good to be reminded that there is a cost to do things properly and well. The reading chosen by Pastor Kevin was the Greatest Commandment from Matthew Chapter 22 and the hymn was Great Is Thy Faithfulness. We look forward to inviting Kevin back to Epsom in the near future.”
A focus on international cuisine has spiced things up in the Dining Hall this week in a menu that celebrates cuisines from all over the globe, designed by Epsom’s talented Executive Head Chef, Andrew Trowell.
Highlights included Moroccan lamb kebabs; jerk chicken, fried plantain and rice and peas from Jamaica and lamb, sweet potato and yam curry from Nigeria.
It was all delicious and the variety meant there was something for everyone. Thank you to our catering team for allowing us to experience cuisines from different nations.
“One of the best weeks we have had in terms of cuisine. It has really brought together different cultures and allowed us to explore them through taste.” Liviu Stanciu (Upper Sixth, Holman)
“It was nice to taste food from cultures that I haven’t tried before. I particularly enjoyed the Bibingka, the rice cake from the Philippines“ Amy Henwood (Lower Sixth, White)
“It was interesting to explore a wide range of foods from different cultures. Getting a taste of it really allows me to take a deeper dive into learning the differences across the globe.” Christy Lau Tsz Ting (Upper Sixth, Wilson)
Jacqueline Austin, Head of EDI at Epsom College, said:
“The ‘Come and Taste’ initiative was launched as a simple way to invite all cultures to sit at the table and have conversations about, for the most part, a newly shared experience of another culture during Black History Month. The feedback from all of the College community has been excellent and Chef Andrew and his team are extremely gratified that their efforts were so gratefully received.”
We welcome suggestions from the Epsom College community on other celebrations they would like to see highlighted throughout the year to continue building on the community’s sense of belonging. Please contact Jacqueline Austin if you have anything you would like to put forward.
