International Education Week, a series of events with the purpose of heightening cultural awareness, will kick off Monday with a series of events hosted by the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and other various campus organizations.Shaz Akram, program coordinator of the Diversity Center, said this year’s International Education Week’s events will be bigger and better than last year.
“We’re more organized this year and we have more exhibitions,” she said. “Hopefully our events next year will be even bigger.”
The money from T-shirt sales will be locked into an account, which will only be used for next year’s festivities, she said.
“We want to generate funds to have continuous sufficient years, rather than being dependent,” Akram said.
The aim of International Education Week is to help people realize the cultural richness and diversity that occurs all around them, she said.
“Look at the mindset of entering freshmen. How much diversity have they seen in their everyday school life?” Akram said. “These events give them doorways to see and explore the diversity that we have here at MSU and to help educate them with the exchange of cultures.”
Vanessa Nicholson, SA international student affairs director, said the events during International Education Week are a great chance for students to develop a new taste for international culture.
“I just hope that they get an appreciation for individual cultures,” said Nicholson, a general business administration major. “We [the SA] will be out in force during the carnival setting up displays, selling T-shirts and helping to provide information for everyone who attends.”
An exhibition of costumes, masks and jewelry will be displayed at the John Grisham Room of the Mitchell Memorial Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.
Elvira Gayfullina, a Russian exchange student, will present a 30-minute introduction to Russia at 4 p.m. in the John Grisham Room.
Monday’s events will conclude with Global Dance Moves from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Taylor Auditorium in McCool Hall. The program will be dedicated to illustrating the history and execution of dances from around the world.
Carnival de Mundo will be held Tuesday on the Drill Field from 1 to 6 p.m. Students are invited to see exhibits from around the world and taste samples of international cuisine. An area will be provided for performers to entertain throughout the day and students will also be able to receive free henna body art.
A showing of the movie “Crude Impact” will be held Wednesday in Taylor Auditorium in McCool Hall starting at 6 p.m. Following the movie, a panel discussion on the world’s reliance on crude oil and its impact on the environment will be conducted by a group of MSU graduate students.
Sophomore foreign languages major Colin Catchings said the topic of crude oil is important, especially because of the recent price hike.
“Even though there’s not a lot we can do immediately to fix things, I think it’s beneficial for us to understand why this is going on and how it impacts everyone,” Catchings said.
The Lyceum Series will present the musical “Gypsy” Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Lee Hall Auditorium.
On Friday, “Spanish Fly,” a movie that chronicles a female reporter’s struggles to write a book on male machismo in Spain, will be shown in the Rogers auditorium in McCool from 7 to 9 p.m.
People should not just focus on learning about the happier aspects of different cultures, Catchings said.
Turkey Trot Across the Globe will close out International Education Week on Saturday. The trot, a five-kilometer run, will start at 8 a.m. at the Sanderson Center.
While the carnival’s food and exhibitions will be the big draw, Akram said she would like to see these events ignite students’ curiosity toward other areas of foreign culture.
“When we typically talk about culture, we talk about the food, music and other lighter topics, but it’s more than that,” she said. “You have to tie in the academics and ideas associated with cultures. We’re talking about internationalizing the campus, just like other colleges have. We need to expand our students’ base of knowledge of other cultures. These events can help make people more interested in wanting to learn.