UNCA to Host International Education Week

UNC Asheville’s International Studies Program will host a variety of programs for International Education Week from November 17-21. Activities include a play, a musical performance, panel discussions on careers in world affairs careers and displays by UNCA’s international students. Events are open to the public.

Cultural events include:

-- A reception and exhibition of international photos taken by UNCA students, faculty and staff will be held from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in UNCA’s Ramsey Library Glasshouse. Awards will be presented to the winners of each category. Photos will be exhibited in Ramsey Library’s Cafe Ramsey through the remainder of the month.

-- TheatreUNCA will stage "The Music Lesson" November 19-23 at UNCA’s Carol Belk Theatre. Curtain is 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Intended for family audiences with older children, this emotionally charged play explores the healing power of music, even when confronted with the horrors of war. It tells the tale of a middle-aged couple who escape the siege of Sarajevo to move to Pittsburgh to teach music. One understands the necessity of moving on into the future to survive, but the other wants a release from the past where one of her prize piano students was killed in the war. Tickets for all performances are $10 general admission, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students. Tickets may be ordered by phone by calling 828/232-2291 between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Tickets are also available at the box office 90 minutes before curtain and online.

-- An international campus-community potluck will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in UNCA’s Ramsey Library Glasshouse. The event is co-sponsored by UNCA’s International Studies Program and International Link. Guests should bring an international dish to share.

-- The critically acclaimed Sones de Mexico Ensemble will perform a concert of their rich and lively traditional Mexican music at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Sones de Mexico is a six-piece ensemble which specializes in "son," the cross-cultural heritage of mariachi music and dance. Featuring Mexican musical traditions, regional instruments and costumes, Sones de Mexico Ensemble creates an upbeat dance fiesta from the influences of the Mestizo, Native American, Spanish and African music of Mexico. Tickets for the Sones de Mexico concert are on sale now and are $18 general admission. Call 828/232-5000 to order your tickets by phone. Tickets may also be purchased with cash or check only at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville.

Panel discussions on careers in world affairs will be held in UNCA’s Laurel Forum, 139 Karpen Hall. These include:

-- The U.S. Foreign Service will be the focus of the first panel from 4-5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17. Panelists include Lewis Caroll, a recent UNCA graduate who is a new state department employee; Sarah-Ann Smith, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, who specialized in U.S.-China relations; and Alan Dean, a retired staff member of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

-- Col. Ned Cabaniss, a retired career Army intelligence office, who focused on the Soviet Union and its successor states, and Brian Pike, a Air Force Reserves intelligence analyst and UNCA student, will discuss military careers from noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.

-- International Non-Governmental Organizations will be discussed from 1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18. Speakers include Barbara Chisolm, president emeritus and former president of the World Affairs Council of America; Valerie Concha, former director of the New York City office of World Goodwill; and Pablo Stone, former director of the Heifer Project for Mexico and a former staff member of the Christian Church Mission, World Food Program, Organization of American States.

-- The Peace Corps will be the focus from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18. Panelists will be announced.

-- The final panel discussion will focus on international business. Speakers include Ralph Lambert, Citibank international banking and finance; Don Young, consultant for Crisis Management International Inc. of Atlanta; and Lilian Fischer, owner of Fischer Financial Architects of Asheville.

The "Welcome to My World" series of programs will feature displays and informal discussions with many of UNCA’s international students in UNCA’s Karpen Hall lobby. The displays will include products, currency, maps, pictures, artifacts and computer presentations from various cultures. Events include:

-- Students from Brazil, Colombia, Egypt and Finland will share stories of their cultures from 12:20-2:20 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.

-- From 12:20-2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, students from Argentina, Croatia, France, Panama and the Phillippines will share information about their home countries.

-- The final event will feature information presented by students from Curacao, Great Britain, Lebanon, New Zealand and Nicaragua from 12:20-2:20 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20.

A number of programs designed specifically for students will also be held, including presentations on international studies, internships and post-graduate education.

For more information about UNCA’s International Studies Program or International Studies Week, call Linda Cornett, director of UNCA’s International Studies Program, at 828/251-6974.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Linda Cornett, UNCA International Studies Program Director, 828/251-6974
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526