In Tajikistan, the main language has Persian roots, and tajik means “crown.” That crown, sun-yellow and haloed by stars, adorns the Tajikistan flag—which, on Sunday night, was one of 133 flags embellishing an outer wall of Fayerweather Hall.
Goodbye, somber brick facade. Hello to the spectacle of colors, music, games and great food that is City Streets, the College’s internationally themed spring celebration. It coincides with one of the Admitted Student Open House days, which enlarges and animates the crowd even more.
These flags represent the homes and heritages of most current Amherst students, and this year Tajikistan and Croatia were new to the mix. As festival-goers dined on everything from falafel to samosas to crepes—at food tents devoted to the cuisine of six continents—this writer and photographer wandered about, asking folks about their favorite flags and foods.
Meanwhile, we kept an eye on the long lines at the tents, hoping we’d get some wild mushroom empanadas before they ran out. Not to mention the locally sourced ice cream (from Maple Valley Creamery in Hadley, and the salted caramel went fast).
The night offered a feast for the eyes and ears as well as the palate. There were fire dancers and a very busy balloon creature maker. There was an inflated bouncy slide and a cornhole pitch, where beanbags sailed aloft. Strings of twinkling lights set off the pewter, might-rain-any-minute sky.
And the same-old Valentine Quad walkways? They were named with signs from city streets around the world: Ngong Road, Puerta del Sol, Rue Chabot and more. And while we took in the visuals, we could also hear the bass and bright notes of all kinds of world music, the playlist chosen by Francis Choi ’19.
Lianbi Ji ’21, who is from the Chinese city of Suzhou, is a big fan of City Streets: “It’s just wonderful, and it’s one of the few occasions when all at the College can get together.” When she went to her first City Streets a couple of years ago as an admitted student, she added, “seeing my flag made me feel so welcome.”
Check out the following photos to see and hear from a lot more people having a great time.