To celebrate Asian-American Heritage Month, Student Development Multicultural Programs and Services at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has put together a slate of informative and entertaining events that will appeal to people of all cultures.

"It's always good to share something that most people won't experience without leaving the country," said Yuki Nakayama, an intern for Student Development MPS and one of the planners.

Nakayama said since last year's events focused mostly on Eastern Asian culture, this year would have more emphasis on the diversity of Western Asia, including the Middle East.

As for the events, The Student Center Craft Shop is offering workshops on origami, bonsai and penjing, and sushi throughout the month.

Participants in the Origami class will learn the Japanese art of paper folding in four separate sessions. Beginners will learn how to make a fish, a crane, a balloon and a box; intermediate students will move on to making a lily, a bird, a star box and a throwing star; intermediate II will tackle a snail, a drinking bird and a rose; while the advanced students will make an umbrella.

During the sushi, students will make a sushi plate, cups and bowls during the first two weeks, then learn to make their own sushi the last week. All materials are included.

The miniature landscape techniques taught in the bonsai and penjing class are low-maintenance to provide a higher success rate for beginners. The first week will feature a lecture and shopping list, then potting, root trimming, re-potting, tree trimming and landscaping will be taught.

For additional information on these events, contact the Student Center Craft Shop at 453-3636.

There will be demonstrations on different types of martial arts, including Shinkendo, Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira and Aikido.

Wong Kar-Wai's film about two love-struck cops, "Chunking Express," will be screened.

Throughout the month, The International Student Council, The Japanese Table & Japanese Student Council, The Palestine Student Group, and "Shinkendo" will host an International Coffee Hour, which will feature drinks and snacks and is a good opportunity to meet international students and learn about their cultures.

One of the events Nakayama is most excited about is the "Asian Myth Busters" forum, which will be led by Dr. Alan Kim with SIUC Foreign Languages & Literature and panel of SIUC community members. The forum will address facts and myths of Asia and its people.

"It's important to know what's real and not real," Nakayama said. "It's important for us to straighten out what the real culture is."

The "Asian Religion and Philosophy" forum is an opportunity to delve deeper into the culture, with a discussion of research and information on Asian philosophy by faculty and students in the Philosophy Department. Open discussion is encouraged.

The Middle Eastern & Asian Cultural Fair is another cultural educational opportunity. It will feature a night of exotic cultures and languages, where attendees can learn how to write their name in another language, disseminate awareness of Eastern cultures, and make new friends.

And of course, there will be food. A sushi meal in the Student Center's Old Main Restaurant will boast Asian Cuisine and sushi in an all-you-can eat buffet, and provide the opportunity to observe sushi as it is hand-rolled.

The most looked-forward to event of the month might just be the third annual Iron Chef Competition. This event is a spin-off of the hit TV show, where SIUC students will be participating in a competitive cook-off to decide who will be Carbondale's next Iron Chef.

As part of a focus on Middle Eastern culture this year, there will be two specific events. The first is the "The Other Side of the Story" panel discussion, which focuses on the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, the West Bank and Gaza.

The film, "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land" will be shown, along with a discussion. "Peace" provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The month will end with the Asian American Heritage Month Closing Picnic at Campus Lake, and an Asian Fashion Show. The show will display traditional and contemporary fashions from all around Asia, providing an opportunity to see how it has influenced and continues to shape the fashion world.

For additional information on any of these events, contact Student Development Multicultural Programs, SIUC Student Center 3rd Floor or call 453-5714. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

brent.stewart@thesouthern.com

351-5074