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Show 8 Signpost-Tuesday, May 15, 1984 X . v l 4 1 4 The Best of All Worlds International Students Banquet 3 - h 1 I Carmelo Ortiz, ISA President, Bolivia if,; - r . 4 - S,, -4" Gina Luque, ISA Vice President, Panama Y" i . J, 1,' ' v - 'UK"' From left: (front row) Luis Gomez-Arevalillo, Venezuela; Carmelo Ortiz; Tony Spanos, International Studelt Sarah Schmidt, Cultural Coordinator; (back row) Oscar Ortiz, Bolivia; Pletzen, South Africa. Where can a would-be gourmet indulge his culinary fantasies chocolate mousse, murgi and baqlava all at one sitting for a measly five dollars? Where else but at the annual International Students Banquet, scheduled for Saturday, May I9th, 6-8:30 p.m. in the Union Building Ballroom. You, your family and friends are heartily invited to be a part a this deliciously unique cultural experience. Eighteen international dishes from such countries as South Africa, Pakistan, Bolivia and France will be offered. (And for those wishing to try their hands at international cooking, recipes will be provided, free of charge.) Greek and Thai dancing as well as middle east organ music will seal this mood of adventure in far away places. Oh and don't forget to examine the array of handmade international crafts which will be on display throughout the evening. All in all the evening promises to be a richly cultural, highly eductional experience. The banquet, sponsored by the International Students Association in conjunction with the International Students Office, serves to "promote cross-cultural understanding and international goodwill," said Carmelo Ortiz, president of ISA. Ortiz, who is from Bolivia, ia junior majoring in automotive engineering. Because the event is well-attended by the community at large, it lends added prestige to the college as well as to participating students. The banquet marks the culmination of a year's worth of events and activities, designed to aid the international student in an often difficult integration into American culture. Tony Spanos, International Student Advisor, views the banquet as an invaluable learning experience for Americans and international students alike. And this is the principal philosophy underlying the banquet. "Americans like to eat, especially foreign cuisine," said Spanos. At the banquet, they are exposed to different cultures, representing different ideologies political and social. This is extremely beneficial, for "people no longer stand back and view us at a distance, wondering whether we even speak English," said Imtiaz A. Chaudhry, ISA's secretary who is a prettied senior from Pakistan. International students often require the aid of an expert in cultural relations to arrange opportunities for them to ease their way into American life. WSC's expert is Sarah Schmidt, Cultural Coordinator at the International Students Office. Through her, the Speakers' Bureau and the Host Family program have been implemented. The Speakers' Bureau provides international students with the opportunity to speak or present programs about their countries to civic, school and church organizations. In the Host Family program, families from the surrounding community invite international students into their homes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. This helps the students overcome the pronounced lonliness felt when they are away from their families during special times of the year. "The banquet," said Spanos, "involves the international student in many aspects of American culture." Not only does the student get to meet and talk with many Americans, but he must learn to deal with American businesses as well. In preparation for the event, international students personally visit local businesses to order food and negotiate prices. Last year's banquet, said Spanos, was "the most successful" thus far. Community response was so good that they actually ran out of food. Preparation for the banquet begins, surprisingly, a year in advance. Immediately following last year's banquet, a debriefing session was held to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the event. "It becomes more refined every year," said Spanos. Advanced planning is a big help, yet there are always some areas which cannot be controlled. "Cooking for 500 people is obviously much different than cooking for four," said Schmidt. Figuring out |