During the second full week of April, Mississippi Valley State will begin hosting several activities for its 2015 International Week. The week’s activities are meant to highlight the international diversity of the campus, exposing members of the university and the greater community to cultures and ideas that they may not be familiar with.
“We hope that International Week will encourage people to think more broadly about the world in which we live,” said Dr. Kathie Golden, associate vice president of academic affairs at Mississippi Valley State.
On Thursday, April 16, the MVSU Office of International Programs will stage the Parade of Flags. The office’s nearly 200 flags will be displayed prominently by flag bearers marching from Sutton Administration Building to H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. Following the parade, a university-wide convocation will take place in the auditorium. The flags will serve as the backdrop for the convocation.
The guest speaker for the convocation will be the Honorable Hillman T. Frazier, State Senator for Mississippi’s 27th district. Senator Frazier was born in Jackson, Mississippi and is a graduate of Jackson State University and George Washington University’s National Law Center. In 2001 he was selected to participate in the “Governing in the Global Age Seminar” at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. He also studied as a Fannie Mae Foundation Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2001.
In addition to many other legislative accomplishments, Frazier authored the bill that made Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday an official state holiday in Mississippi.
Frazier has been the recipient of many awards, including the “Global Understanding and Cultural Advocate” award by the Mississippi World Trade Center in 2014, the “Purple Peace Prize” by the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2014, the “2013 Legislator of the Year” award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and many others.
Along with the convocation, several other activities will take place during International Week. On Tuesday, April 14, Ronny Garcia, academic director at the Instituto de Cultura y Lengua Costarricense in Alajuela, Costa Rica will conduct a study abroad information session in the Science and Technology Auditorium. During the session, Garcia will discuss language immersion programs and ways in which community service can be integrated into study abroad programs. Students can earn community service hours while volunteering in Costa Rica. For example, several students from the natural sciences and environmental health department, who are scheduled to study abroad in Costa Rica, will be studying biology and taking Spanish, and are planning to conduct water testing for communities and tourist sites around the small Central American country.
On Wednesday, April 15, at 6:00 p.m., International Programs will host a world religions symposium at Lois Aron Meditation Chapel. Students and faculty who identify with faiths practiced by members of the MVSU community will share information on the principals of various religions, including Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, various Protestant Christian faiths, and other religious beliefs.
On Friday, April 17, the University will hold its Cultural Display Competition and International Banquet in the Lackey building. Public and private school students from the Delta region will attend, creating cultural displays assessed by a panel of judges. At the banquet, attendees can partake of international cuisine while students and faculty perform skits, musical numbers, and other forms of entertainment. Tickets for the International Banquet are $10.00. The proceeds are used to support the Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures and the Study Abroad programming.
Those interested in participating in the Parade of Flags or purchasing tickets for the International Banquet should contact Cristina Radulescu, international student advisor, at (662) 254-3092. She can also be reached via email at cr_mvsu@yahoo.com
For more information, contact Dr. Kathie Golden, associate vice president of academic affairs and director of international programs, at ksgolden@mvsu.edu.