Turkish coffee and Tibetan soccer monks. Landmines and Latin America. Bon appetit and Brazilian photographs. The International Student Council offers a chance to travel around the world in much less than 80 days, without even leaving Penn State.
The 27th annual International Festival runs from tomorrow through Feb. 18, featuring a slew of events in the eight-day period.
The Festival debuts with the "International Coffeehouse," a forum for musical and cultural performances from nine international student organizations at Penn State.
These will include dances, plays and songs from a multitude of cultures. In keeping with the theme, Turkish coffee will be served at the event.
Admission is free; the event takes place at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the HUB-Robeson Center's Heritage Hall.
"The event follows the lines of a European coffeehouse," said Naveen Krishnamurthy (graduate-environmental engineering), vice-president of the International Student Council.
"La Festa di San Valentino" is a gourmet Italian dinner to benefit the International Hospitality Council. Hosted by Guy and Grace Pilato, it is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at the lodge at Tussey Mountain. More information for would-be winers-and-diners is available at (814) 863-3927.
As part of the International Speaker Series Presentation, Thomas King, professor emeritus of animal sciences, and Jeffrey Schiano, associate professor of electrical engineering, will give a lecture and presentation titled "The Effort to Ban and Remove Landmines."
The speech is at noon Monday in 222 Boucke.
Film makes its presence felt through the screening of The Cup, a Bhutanese movie by Khyentse Norbu.
Recently released, it is a story of Buddhist monks in a Tibetan monastery-in-exile who are obsessed with soccer and wish to set up a satellite dish and television to catch the finals of World Cup '98 between Brazil and France. The movie, which is in Bhutanese with English subtitles, will be screened at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in 110 Wartik.
David Myers, associate professor of political science, will comment on the effects of the new government on the international scene in a lecture titled "The Bush Administration's Policy Towards Latin America." The presentation is scheduled for noon Thursday at the Memorial Lounge in Eisenhower Chapel.
The Spanish Club and the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese will present "A Photographic and Musical Journey Through Brazil (Rio and Bahia)." The presentation will be hosted by Javier Escudero, associate professor of Spanish, and will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. next Friday at 158 Willard.
The Festival concludes with the International Fair, which will feature food, crafts and cultural displays from around the world, representing Penn State's diversity. Running from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the HUB-Robeson Center's Alumni Hall, it will coincide with the International Children's Fair, which runs from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in 126 White Building. The Children's Fair will display children's games and activities from various countries. Admission for both events is free.
"The festival is basically supposed to showcase the presence of international cultures at Penn State," Krishnamurthy said.
The International Students and Scholars Unit of the University Office of International Programs and the International Student Council are sponsoring the weeklong festival.
