Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has begun hosting a monthly cultural cafe in Tomlinson Library, with each session focused on a different country and culture.

Visiting Professor of Business Management Mary Gretchen Chaves gave a presentation on her home country, the Philippines, at the Cultural Cafe event on Wednesday, Sept. 25. 

Originally teaching at the Cebu campus of the University of the Philippines, Chaves talked about the historical relationship between the United States and the Philippines while detailing various aspects of Filipino culture. 

As a full audience of CMU students, staff, and visitors alike all ate a traditional Filipino meal of rice, potatoes, and other seasoned vegetables during the presentation, Chaves displayed multiple visual aides such as a Filipino graduation rope and gave a brief explanation of the history behind her own outfit, a shirt modeled after a traditional Filipino dress. 

“I’m just very willing to share some inputs that might open eyes of people about our relationship between the Philippines and the US,” Chaves said. She teaches courses focused on business analysis at CMU.

In addition to Chaves’s presentation, Professor of Computer Information Systems Dr. Johnny Snyder also talked about his experience as a visiting professor at the University of the Philippines, where he taught business at the Cebu campus along with Chaves. 

“I just think, especially in a business department, having multinational corporations and global cooperation and trade agreements up and down North America, it’s important [to hear] a little bit about other parts of the world and other cultures,” Snyder said. 

The Philippines Cultural Cafe was the first cultural cafe held at Mesa. CMU will hold a new event, each focused on a different country and culture, every month in the Tomlinson Library. The next Cultural Cafe will be held on Oct. 23.