A World of Wonder at International Week 2010

Rider University will celebrate the diverse cultures and backgrounds that contribute to its rich fabric during International Week 2010, observed this year from Monday, November 8, through Friday, November 12, on the Lawrenceville campus. This year’s International Week festivities will benefit from a number of globally focused cultural and academic programs that were already on the drawing board for the fall semester, according to Dave Keenan, director of Campus Life and Recreation Programs, and that it was a matter of uniting them under one umbrella.

“Everything really came together this year in terms of events,” said Keenan. “We just looked at what some of the clubs and organizations around campus were already doing and found that students and faculty are already very involved, globally. We really didn’t have to conceive much of the programming; it was already there.”

The week’s keynote address will be presented by Christopher Heaney, who will discuss his travels in Peru, research in Cuzco and Lima, and his book Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real-Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu. The address will hold special relevance to students participating in the interdisciplinary course, Nature’s Business, who will travel to Peru in January after a semester of studying the country’s resources and current issues.

“The idea of Nature’s Business is to see countries and societies from both a business and a science point of view,” said Dr. Jonathan Husch, chair of the Department of Geological, Environmental & Marine Sciences, and one of three instructors for the course. “We want to present our students a look at cultures from varied perspectives – science, business, history, sociology, legal issues – and show they’re all connected.”

Husch added that by talking to Heaney, an expert in the area, involved students will absorb a unique viewpoint they couldn’t get anywhere else. “We want to give Rider students as many different experiences as possible,” he said.

International Week will turn festive with the French Cabaret Night, presented by the Department of Foreign Languages, on Wednesday, November 10, at 4:30 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge. The Poquelin Players will perform songs in both English and French about Paris, featuring favorite songs by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Stephen Sondheim, and others. Dr. Richard Olds Swain, associate professor of Fine Arts and head of the troupe, promises a night of light entertainment showcasing the many moods of Paris.

Other events include a chance to sample recipes from around the world over the course of the week in Daly Dining Hall, a photo contest presented by the Center for International Education, a Talent and Fashion Show featuring international students from Rider, and The Dhol Xperience: Music Styles from Around the World, in Daly’s.

Though the events are varied, Keenan believes they are tied neatly together by a common goal. “We want to show our students and faculty that as a university, we are truly committed to diversity and community,” he explained. “Hopefully, people who never really thought about things outside of our community will realize that they can go out and get involved in global issues.”

The complete schedule for the week will include:

Monday, November 8

International Residential Community Open House

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Gee Residence Hall Lounge

International Film Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

7:30 p.m., Gee Residence Hall Lounge

Documentary The Talking Project
7:30 p.m., Sweigart Auditorium

International Pub Night
9 p.m. to 2 a.m., BLC Pub

Tuesday, November 9

The Dhol Xperience: Music Styles from Around the World
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Daly Dining Hall

Center for International Education Photo Contest
5:30 p.m., Daly Dining Hall

Hot Topic Series: Lauren Eder to Speak on Micro Credit Financing in Developing Countries
7:30 p.m., Gee Hall Lounge

Wednesday, November 10

French Cabaret Night
4:30 p.m., BLC Fireside Lounge

International Talent and Fashion Show

7:30 p.m., Sweigart Auditorium

Brown Water Coffee House: International Music and Culture
10p.m. to 11:30 p.m., BLC Pub

Thursday, November 11

Art Exhibit Opening

The Holocaust: Massacre of the Innocents By Grace Graupe-Pillard
11:30 a.m. to 7p.m., Rider University Art Gallery, BLC

Stress Relief From Around the World
11:30 a.m. to 1p.m., SRC Lobby

Keynote Address: Christopher Heaney to Speak
Hiram Bingham, His Exploration in Peru, and Present Conflict between Yale and Peru
7p.m., Sweigart Auditorium

Friday, November 12

Art Exhibit By Grace Graupe-Pillard The Holocaust: Massacre of the Innocents
11:30 a.m. to 7p.m., Rider University Art Gallery, BLC

International Wine Tasting
4:30 p.m., BLC Room 245