February 12, 2009
International Festival on tap at SIUC
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Ever dreamed of dancing a jig in Ireland or sipping vichyssoise in a sidewalk café near the Eiffel Tower?
It’s possible to experience locales far and near at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s 2009 International Festival. Running Monday, Feb. 16, through Friday, Feb. 20, the fest offers a taste of countries around the globe.
International cuisine, movies, panel discussions, ethnic music, a reception, a cultural show, an eclectic food fair and even a performance of the amazing Chinese dragon dance are among the highlights of this year’s fest. As host site for the numerous activities, the Student Center becomes your ticket to travel the world without leaving Carbondale.
The event schedule for the 2009 SIUC International Festival includes:
Monday, Feb. 16
• Opening Ceremony and Dragon Dance, 11 a.m., Ballroom D. University and city proclamations and welcomes will kick off the festivities. International dancers from the St. Louis area will then perform the Dragon Dance, a traditional Chinese dance commonly part of Chinese festivals. The dance team carries the image of the Chinese dragon, a symbol for good luck in that Asian culture, as they depict the creature’s movements.
• French buffet, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Old Main Restaurant. Soups - French onion and vichyssoise - start things off followed by beef bourguignon, chicken coq au vin, ratatouille, brussels sprouts with pecan buerre noisette, spring onion duchesse and chocolate or lemon torte for dessert.
• Movie, “Just Follow Law,” 8-10 p.m. Student Center Auditorium. It’s a satirical comedy from Singapore.
Tuesday, Feb. 17
• German buffet, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Old Main Restaurant. Soups of the day are erwtensoep, better known as split pea, and beef and barley. Entrees include wiener rostbraten (a strip steak cutlet smothered with balsamic onions) and sausage with kraut, juniper and fennel. The menu also features country stone ground mustard spatzel, braised red cabbage with apple and caraway, gurken salad (pickled cucumber salad) and black forest and German chocolate cake.
• “Global Forefront: Panel Discussion,” 6-7:30 p.m., Ballroom C. The International Student Council hosts this current issues panel.
• Movie, “Mumbai Meri Jaan,” 8-10 p.m., Student Center Auditorium. This picture illustrates the impact of multiple bombings along the railway system in Mumbai, India in July 2006. The terrorist attack killed more than 200 and wounded more than 700.
Wednesday, Feb. 18
• Food Fair, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Student Center Ballrooms A, B, C, D. Here’s your chance to sample treats from all over the world. Students from twelve countries will offer up samples of their favorite dishes. Food Fair tickets go on sale for 50 cents each earlier in the week in the north escalator area on the Student Center’s first floor, but you can get them at the door that day, too. Prices for most dishes are two to four tickets per serving. This culinary menagerie is a perennial favorite at SIUC.
• “Inspirational Myth Busters: Dispelling International Stereotypes,” 6-7:30 p.m., Student Center Ballroom A. It’s a panel discussion about international stereotypes and everyone is welcome to attend.
Thursday, Feb. 19
• “Noon Tunes” features The Dorians, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Roman Room. The Dorians are a popular Irish band. In keeping with the theme of the day, The Market Place offers Irish cuisine including cheddar ale and potato leek soups, beef and stout stew, roast chicken and hard cider, roasted tomatoes, forest mushroom ragout, pea and parsley champ and rhubarb bread pudding with hard sauce from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20
• International Buffet, 5-7 p.m., Renaissance Room. The menu includes Belfast sausage rolls, Mediterranean dip with pita chips, Italian parsley pesto with crostini, Burmese tomato salad, vegetable salad, crunchy cucumber Asian salad, West African chicken soup, smetanová polévka s brambory (cream soup with potatoes), Ethiopian beef and peppers, Jamaican jerk chicken, fresh vegetable curry, tortilla Espanola, curry fried rice, soda bread and focaccia, Russian cream, Hong Kong style egg tarts and creamy Irish rice pudding. Tickets are $10.50 in advance or $11.75 at the door for SIUC students, senior citizens and children age 5 and older. It’s $11.50 in advance or $11.75 at the door for the general public. Kids younger than 5 eat free. You can get tickets in advance at the Central Ticket Office on the second floor of the Student Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling 618/453-3478.
• International Programs and Services Reception, 6-7 p.m., John W. Corker Lounge.
• International Cultural Show, 7-9 p.m., Ballrooms B, C, D. This lavish gala showcases the many talents of SIUC’s international students. The Polynesian Fire Dancers from Chicago are a special addition to the program this year.
The International Student Council and SIUC Student Center Special Programs and Center Events are coordinators of the weeklong celebration. International Festival ’09 sponsors include the offices of the chancellor, provost, vice-chancellor of Student Affairs and vice chancellor of research and graduate dean along with the colleges of liberal arts, science and engineering. In addition, Old National Bank of Carbondale, International Students and Scholars, Student Center Dining and Undergraduate Student Government also sponsored the event.
For more information about International Festival ’09, look online at www.siucstudentcenter.org or call 618/453-1142.