LEWISTON, Idaho – A focus on international cultures, including dance and cuisine, will highlight Lewis-Clark State College’s Multicultural Week next week, Sept. 11-16.
LCSC’s Multicultural Week seeks to bring individuals of distinct beliefs and backgrounds together to celebrate cultural diversity and cultivate understanding throughout the campus and community. All events will be on the LCSC campus and are free and open to the public.
The annual event kicks off on Monday with the Discover Culture Series that features LCSC international students talking about the countries they come from. These discussions will be held at 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 143 of the Student Union Building. A second presentation with different students will be on Wednesday at 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 112 of Sacajawea Hall.
On Tuesday, the Native American Friendship Lunch will be at 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at Pi’amkinwaas, which is located at 1112 7th St. in Lewiston. The lunch features Native American cuisine. Pi’amkinwaas tours and information will be available. Later that day, Jaime Barajas, who worked with the College Assistance Migrant Program at both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, will give the keynote address on “The Road Not Paved: A First Generation Experience.” He will discuss growing up as a migrant seasonal farmworker in the Othello area. His talk is at 1:30-2:25 p.m. in Room 112 of Sacajawea Hall.
Dancing and cuisine highlight activities on Thursday. LCSC international students will demonstrate and teach dances from various countries at 3-4 p.m. in Room 15 of Reid Centennial Hall. The international food and cuisine potluck will have dishes from around the world and dinner will be held at 6-7:30 p.m. in the Williams Conference Center.
On Friday, there will be a soccer tournament at 2-5 p.m. on the library lawn. Sign up either as a team or as a single player in Room 23 of Reid Centennial Hall prior to the event.
The week concludes on Saturday with the documentary “Good Neighbors: Legacy of the American Chinese in Lewiston, Idaho.” The documentary was produced by LCSC Humanities professor Patricia Keith and she will be on hand for a question and answer session following the showing. The event is at 3-5:30 p.m. in the Teleconference Communications Classroom inside the LCSC Library.
LCSC’s Multicultural Week is sponsored by the college’s Anthropology Club, Humanities Division, International Programs, Native American/Minority Student Services, Social Science Division, and Spanish Club.
For more information on Multicultural Week, contact Kerensa Allison, LCSC associate professor of anthropology, at either [email protected] or 208-792-2348.