By Ashley Bradley/ne news editor
This month, NE Campus’ International Festival and Spring Fest have combined to create one two-day festival.
The events on April 13 and 14 will include many art exhibits, educational lectures, entertainment presentations, information booths and free stuff.
“We decided last year we wanted to get the whole college involved,” said ESOL instructor and event organizer Modesta Tollison. “We wanted to be more educational and bring in global issues and issues that affect us. This year, the issue we are bringing to light is immigration.”
The main speaker, Dr. Juan Hernandez, will present The New American Pioneers — The Latino Agenda in 2010 at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Center Corner.
Hernandez plans to discuss many topics relating to Hispanics including their large presence in Texas, goals for the future and ways to move forward in society.
“We Hispanics need to take on the leaderships that we could, and the best way to do that is through education,” he said. “We will not be the blessing that we could be to this country if we don’t have an education. Sources tell us that we have the highest dropout level.”
Hernandez was born in Fort Worth and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico. He is currently working on a book that he hopes to have completed in May.
Also speaking on Tuesday is geology professor Claire Ossian. Egypt Ancient and Modern is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. in Center Corner.
“I’ll be focusing on the interactions between modern Egyptians and their ancient past,” Ossian said. “Modern Egypt has a number of challenges, not least of which is the Islamic ban on human and animal images. The culture of Egypt and of Islam has found ways to co-exist with these religious needs and with the need to conserve and protect world cultural relics.”
He also plans to show and discuss Egyptian religious scenes, modern superstitions and designs.
Tuesday will also have a series of events in Center Corner, including an opening ceremony Flamenco dance performance with dance professor Linda Quinn 9:30-10 a.m., History of U.S. Immigration with speaker and history assistant professor Ann Rye 10-11 a.m. and Sa’diyya, a history of belly dancing and performance at 8 p.m.
The next day’s events, all entertainment-themed, begin at 10 a.m. with a food tasting. Taste of Cultures of the World plans to have ESOL students bring food of their cultures to share with other students. Culture-themed posters and art pieces from these students will hang in Center Corner both days.
Beginning at noon Wednesday outside near the Chessboard, an international fashion show will be accompanied by free hot dogs furnished by student activities. Students can eat free food while watching other students, faculty and staff walking down a runway.
Booths will be set up to include vendors with free coffee and information about apartment complexes, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Woman’s University, the University of Phoenix, the Art Institute of Dallas and many campus clubs for interested students.
Health services plans on having a booth where students can win prizes.
“We were trying to pull questions from all the programs we’ve done,” said health services coordinator Pat Marling. “We’ll have prizes like stress balls, food, pens, ChapSticks and so forth.”
Games, including a dunking booth, will also be set up.
Also, Wednesday will feature an Irish soft-shoe dance solo by Quinn, an African drum circle with music instructor Warren Dewey, a Chinese lion and dragon dance and a salsa dance and mini-lesson all outside near the chessboard.
For more information or for a full schedule, look for fliers all around campus.
