September marked the 50th anniversary of international students at SIUC. In honor of that, International Students at SIUC, the International Student Council, SIUC and Special Programs and Center Events are sponsoring International Festival ’98. In past years this celebration of international culture was a week-long February observance, but it was expanded to honor the anniversary of the enrollment of SIUC’s first international student in 1947.

The International Festival is one of the most important events sponsored and performed by international students.

Ruth Saborio, a junior in finance from Honduras and vice president of ISC, said an entire month provides a better opportunity for international students to display their different cultures.

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We are having over 20 events in a month she said. We are going to be able to show a piece of the international diversity that we have on campus.

SIUC presently has 1,840 international students representing 102 countries, and the University traditionally has been well known for its ability to attract those students. At one time, SIUC’s international student population ranked eighth in the nation.

James Quisenberry was the director of the International Programs and Services from 1989 to 1995. He said the bulk of international students came to SIUC in the last 30 years, and he has watched the International Festival evolve as new cultures appeared on campus.

The International Festival became a major activity while I was here because students really wanted to show their cultures, he said.

Carla Coppi, assistant director of International Students and Scholars, said those cultures add variety to the campus.

Everywhere you look, you can see someone from a different country, she said. We are at an extremely diverse campus.

In numerous events throughout February, international students will give SIUC and the community a taste of their various cultures starting with A Taste of the World at 6 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave. Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern foods will spice the event, which also features entertainment from around the world.

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The Chinese New Year Celebration, 6 p.m. Sunday in Student Center Ballrooms C and D, will be filled with traditional Chinese celebrations of the New Year, including a Lion Dance and colorful costumes.

More than 400 community schoolchildren will visit campus Feb. 20 for International Exhibits, a cultural display of performances including a Japanese Tea Ceremony and the Japanese paper-folding art of origami. This event will be in the Student Center International Lounge.

To honor 50 years of international students at SIUC, the Student Recreation Center will open a Gallery of Flags Feb. 22. The gallery will feature a display of international flags provided by ISC.

The grand finale begins Feb. 27 with a large buffet in the Renaissance Room from 5 to 7 p.m. and an ISC-sponsored 50th Anniversary Reception in the Gallery Lounge from 7 to 8 p.m. These events will be followed by the International Cultural Show from 8 to 10 p.m. in Student Center Ballrooms A, B, C and D.