Whether listening to Cuban music, watching a Spanish film or looking at Andean textiles, many Loyola students got a chance to enjoy a taste of other cultures during the past couple of days as part of the annual International Week.Tthe week was designed to bring to light the various cultures represented at Loyola.Te International Students Association, International Student Affairs and several other university departments and programs and financed through the Student Government Association sponsored the event. “The goal of International Week is promoting cultural awareness,” said Marielyn Hogarth, president of the International Students Association. “We hope to get all the students involved, because then they can become more accepting of different cultures.” Organizers said they hope the event is thought-provoking.”We try to peak people’s interest about the rest of the world,” said Debbie Danna, director of International Student Affairs. Organizers tried to get a balance of different cultures, music, entertainment and food.The schedule included a showing of the Spanish movie Abre Los Ojos in the Residential Quad, a night of Cuban music by the band Los Vecinos in the Underground, a Country Expo in the Danna Center Lounge with exhibits of countries represented at Loyola and a show of Andean textiles at the Danna Center Gallery.One of the highlights of International Week was the scheduled appearance of Stephen Steinberg, retired producer-writer of Nightline and freelance writer. As a former producer and lecturer in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Steinberg was to talk about the differences between how the media in Eastern Europe cover turmoil in their own countries compared with foreign correspondents. Parts of the International Week celebration were also held in conjunction with the Bolivian Studies Association’s conference. As a result, the week was also scheduled to feature Bolivian music from Rumisonko and a panel of readings by Bolivian writers including Edmundo Paz-Soldan, winner of the prestigious Juan Rulfo International Prize.Officials associated with the Bolivian Studies Association’s conference were pleased to be a part of International Week.”It is a great opportunity for Bolivia to be focused on, because Bolivia is virtually ignored in the news and in anthology,” said Josefa Salmon, associate professor of modern foreign languages and literature.The exhibit of Andean textiles is open through March 16 from noon- to 4 p.m. in the Danna Center Gallery. The International Scholarship Banquet, featuring various international dishes and music by Rumisonko will take place Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m. in the St. Charles Room. Tickets are $10, and proceeds go toward the International Student Scholarship Fund. International Week will conclude Tuesday, March 19 in the St. Charles Room during the window with LINGO-RAMA, a festival of students reading poetry and singing music in different languages, including French, Spanish, German and Japanese.

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