Merrimack College faculty, staff and students came together at the third annual Breaking Bread on Thursday, Feb. 20, to celebrate the different strings that weave the Warrior community together.
The student-organized event aims to foster discussions around culture and tradition on campus. During the three-course meal of globally inspired cuisine, moderators proposed questions at the start of each course, and guests were encouraged to discuss their answers with their table mates.
“We want people to discuss their own personal backgrounds and things that are unique to them in comparison to their peers,” said Jandeliz Hernandez ’25, the lead organizer for the event. “We have questions surrounding people’s identities and any misconceptions they wish they could dispel. Some of our last questions have to deal with what happens next – how can we as a community be more supportive of one another.”
Prepping for the event was hectic, Hernandez said, but it was also a wonderful experience.
“I’m majoring in marketing and minoring in public relations,” she continued. “I want to go into event planning in the future. I feel like I found my little niche in event planning with Breaking Bread. It has definitely solidified my career decision.”
As the nearly 170 guests entered the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher, they were greeted by a printed quote from artist and former religious sister, Coreeta Kent.
“When I hear bread breaking I see something else,” it read. “It seems almost as though God never meant us to do anything else. So beautiful a sound the crust breaks up like manna and falls all over everything, and then we eat; bread gets inside humans.”
“That quote really emphasizes the importance of community, which is what Breaking Bread is about – faculty, staff and students all coming together and having great conversations,” Hernandez explained.
Merrimack College President Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D, was the first to address the crowd at the event.
“My hope is after our time together, you will leave having added more to your understanding, appreciation and acceptance of your fellow Warriors,” he said. “And that you will be encouraged to engage in self-reflection and identify ways to strengthen your connection with others.”
Anthony Beras ’27, a business administration major with concentrations in accounting and management, followed with the keynote address.
“We all come from different backgrounds and have diverse perspectives,” he said. “That is what makes us unique and nothing can take that away from us; and in the time that we find ourselves in, it is crucial to always remember this.”
Dinner featured feta pies from Greece, Hasselback potatoes and meatballs from Sweden, curry chicken, rice and beans and tiramisu.
Sarah Dionne, interim dean of students, said she’s attended all three Breaking Bread events.
“I love to have these intentional and meaningful conversations with people that I sometimes haven’t met,” she explained. “And the food is really good.”
Meanwhile, Rosie Lima ’25, majoring in criminology and minoring in Spanish, was attending her first Breaking Bread.
“I wanted to come because I was looking to gain some new experiences,” she explained. “The questions have been very deep. They’ve brought out certain things that make me reflect on how proud I am to be who I am.”
