Students and faculty bonded over Congolese culture and plantain chips at the last Chai Chat of the semester Tuesday.

Michel-Ange Manya, a senior sports management major and Global Learning ambassador, presented about his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Chat, which aimed to promote the home countries of WKU students for others to visit or study abroad in, invited participants to listen to facts about the country, as well as engage in conversation over snacks. 

To kick off the Chai Chat, Manya led a short presentation that shared information about the Congo. He highlighted aspects of Congolese culture, like the food, music, environment and nightlife. 

Manya said that he enjoyed sharing about his country, and hoped it inspired attendees to visit the country for themselves someday. 

After the presentation, Manya sat down amongst participants and talked about the country over mango juice, plantain chips and Bon Bon Bum lollipops. 

“I just enjoy seeing people having fun and talking and asking me more questions about my country,” Manya said. 

Mila Tan, a sophomore international affairs and Chinese major, said that she felt the Chai Chat creates a tight community of people wanting to learn about other cultures. 

“It’s like a breath of fresh air to see people embrace diversity and inclusion,” Tan said.

Participants engaged in various conversations even as the event was concluding, discussing their own cultures and study abroad experiences. 

“It’s beautiful to see people come together and create that community,” Tan said. “Most people that come to the Chai Chat have experience somewhere else, and so getting a little perspective into another person’s reality or another person’s background is really eye opening.”