Multicultural Festival Week features performing artists and speakers

SALISBURY, MD--- The Salisbury University Office of Multiethnic Student Services sponsors Multicultural Festival Week Monday-Friday, April 28-May 2, at the SU campus.

Activities begin 7 p.m. Monday, April 28, with Dr. Fariyal Ross-Sheriff's lecture, "The Role of Women in Exile and Repatriation" in Caruthers Hall Auditorium. Teaching at Howard University's School of Social Work for 27 years, Ross-Sheriff's work emphasizes women, children and the elderly.

Her training and research focus on displaced populations, including international refugees, immigrants, the homeless in the United States and disaster victims. She is director of the Ph.D. program in social work at Howard University and has worked for the past 15 years in the planning and repatriation of Afghan refugees under international, non-governmental organizations such as Focus Humanitarian Assistance.

Events continue noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, with a brown bag lunch in the Nanticoke Room of the Guerrieri University Center. Dr. Greg Cashman, author of What Causes War? An Introduction to Theories of International Conflict, presents the topic "Cause and Effect of War in a Multicultural World." Sodas, chips and cookies are provided.

Wednesday, April 30, brings language tables to the Bistro in the Commons. Students and visitors are invited to join specially designated tables at lunchtime for conversation in French, Spanish, German, Russian, Swahili, Korean, Urdu and Chinese. (If not on an SU meal plan, standard lunch admission applies.)

The SU Office of Cultural Affairs sponsors a concert for peace featuring the Jewish-Arab music group Atzilut at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Red Square. Rain location is the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri Center. A peace vigil, sponsored by the SU Conflict Resolution Club, follows.

Thursday, May 1, is Multicultural Festival Day, featuring samples of multicultural food and entertainment from noon-3 p.m. at SU's Devilbiss Hall mall area and Pergola. Rain location is the Guerrieri Center. Performers include the Caribbean steel drum band Steel Kings, the Andean modern and classical music group Mystic Warriors, Irish dancing, bagpipes and the SU Step Squad.

The percussive dance ensemble Step Afrika! USA performs at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri Center. The group's repertoire includes stepping, tap, modern, hip-hop, house and freestyle dancing, as well as South African dances such as Zulu and gumboot.

The Hands Around Campus event held in conjunction with past SU Multicultural Festival weeks will not take place this year.

Admission to all activities except the Wednesday lunch tables is free, and the public is cordially invited.

For more information, call Carol Wellinghoff at 410-548-4503 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.