International Education Week kicks off Nov. 8
By Stella Katsipoutis-Varkanis
It’s that time of year again: International Education Week will take place Nov. 8-13. Organized and hosted by the International Students Association (ISA), this weeklong series of events is a celebration of diversity, devoted to engaging with international issues and fostering cultural exchange.
From sushi-making to salsa dancing, students will have the opportunity to take part in an array of interactive activities that not only are fun and educational but also will allow them to immerse themselves in cultures from around the world.
“About 10% or so of our student population is international, and they come from totally different backgrounds. And since they’ve come to the U.S. and learned all sorts of things about American culture, it’s important that you get to know where your peers are from,” says Tara Taggart ’23, co-vice president of ISA. “And it’s also just a really great learning opportunity. How often do you get to hear someone perform the steel drums or get to make your own sushi?”
ISA&Chill: Origami
Monday at 8:30 p.m.
In preparation for National Origami Day on Nov. 11, learn about the history of the art form and make three different types of origami yourself. Follow along as helpers teach three different origami shapes, ranging from beginner to intermediate to advanced difficulty. Take your origami and new knowledge with you and proudly display your handmade art!
Sushithon
Tuesday at 4:30 pm
International Education Week’s staple event is back! Learn the history of the popular food, and get the chance to make your own and take it to go. Chefs will lead you along each step of the sushi-making process, guiding you through how to lay down the rice on nori, fill it with salmon and vegetables, roll it up, and cut into the maki sushi you can take to go and eat. Vegetarian and pescatarian options will be available.
Movie Screening: Beasts of No Nation
Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Follows the journey of a young boy, Agu, who is forced to join a group of soldiers in a fictional West African country. While Agu fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and at first, he is torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination. Depicts the mechanics of war and does not shy away from explicit, visceral detail, and paints a complex, difficult picture of Agu as a child soldier. The film screening will be followed by a discussion led by Christopher Lee, associate professor of history and acting chair of Africana studies. The event is sponsored by Grossman House for Global Perspectives.
Dance Lesson With Salsa and SASA
Nov. 10 at 5 p.m.
Learn some new dance moves with the Salsa Club and South Asian Student Association! Each group will be teaching a short dance lesson aimed at beginners. Come learn a few new moves taught by your own peers.
ISA Xposed: The Crisis in Ethiopia
Nov. 11 in the afternoon, time TBD
This talk aims to examine the reality of the ongoing crisis in Tigray, a regional state in Ethiopia involved in its civil war, and the role that the Ethiopian government under Abiy Ahmed, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and Eritrea each have played in this issue. This seminar features David Shinn, former ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso for the U.S. State Department; Samuel Getachew, an Ethiopian journalist based in Addis Ababa; and Martin Plaut, an independent South African journalist. This talk will be moderated by David Stifel, Charles A. Dana Professor and head of economics, via a Zoom webinar, and there will be a live showing in OCGE (new Oeschle) 107.
Steel Drums Performance
Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Damoi Morgan ’25 will speak on the history of steel drums and then play them.
Sustainability in Europe
Nov. 12 at 12:15 p.m.
Nara Almeida, visiting professor of civil and environmental engineering, will give a brown bag talk on sustainability in Europe, specifically relating to her journal on cold engineering and her class Green Buildings. Lunch will be provided, and the first 20 people to sign up will receive a free gift bag of reusable items.
LGBTQ+ Around the World
Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.
Tommy Lee, assistant director for gender and sexuality programs, will give a talk on LGBTQ+ history and progress, especially focusing on queer people of color. Lee has experience in Botswana, Mozambique, and Guyana. After the talk, student-made trifolds will be on display, allowing guests to see more information on various countries’ activist work and differences in LGBTQ+ progress.
Jeopardy
Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.
Play in an international-themed game of Jeopardy for the chance to win Mojo gift cards! In groups of four, winners will each get a $15 gift card. Runners-up each get a $5 gift card.
When Worlds Collide
Nov. 13 at 10 p.m.
At International Education Week’s annual dance, fly out to a galactic-themed collision of the worlds! Come to listen to music from all over the world, take pictures in the photo booth, and of course, dance. Dress code is semiformal.
International Education Week has been made possible thanks to the efforts of the following:
- International Education Week Committee: Ali Sultan Sikander ’23, Jorge Yoshiyama Lee ’24, Virginia Parparcén ’25, Wenjia Li ’25, and Yumna Hussain ’25
- ISA board members: Celeste Fieberg ’22, president; Yazdan Basir ’23, co-vice president; Tara Taggart ’23, co-vice president; Sidharth Chaggar ’23, events chair; Tanushree Sow Mondal ’24, secretary; CeCe Kwenah ’24, global affairs chair; Sabrina Gonzalez ’23, PR chair; Katelin Seber ’23; and Sidath Chandrasena ’25
- Janine Care Block ’94, assistant director of intercultural development and international student advising
- Co-sponsors: Grossman House for Global Perspectives, McKelvy House, Refugee Action, Association of Black Collegians, South Asian Student Association, Salsa Club, Lafayette African and Caribbean Students Association, Hispanic Society of Lafayette, Asian Cultural Association, Le Cercle Français, Chinese Student Association, Queer People of Color, Asian Studies Program, International Affairs Program, Mu Sigma Upsilon, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Office of Intercultural Development, International Student Advising