Office of Multicultural Affairs to Host Unity Festival

The theme of this year's Unity Festival, a College-wide recognition of cultural awareness and diversity, will be "Celebrating Our Differences." The three-day festival, which will last from Thursday, September 26, to Saturday, September 28, is sponsored by the Offices of Multicultural Affairs, Residential Life, the Provost, and the Diversity Awareness Committee, in collaboration with the Office of International Programs.

The kickoff event will be held at noon on September 26 at the "free speech rock" outside the Campus Center. In addition to Student Government Association president Lisa Palmero reciting the "unity pledge," speakers will include Roger Richardson, assistant vice president for student affairs and campus life; Brian McAree, vice president for student affairs and campus life; and Jane Marie Law, the H. Stanley Krusen Professor of World Religions at Cornell University.

At 7:00 pm Law will speak on "The Cost of National Unity: Lessons for Now from Japanese History." The lecture, which will take place in the Emerson Suites, Phillips Hall, is also part of the yearlong "Religions, Ethnicities, Identities" lecture and discussion series. (See story on page 1.)

On Thursday and Friday ¡Lo que tú no sabes! (What you don't know), a national touring exhibit highlighting the accomplishments of Latino inventors, will be on display from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm in the Emerson Suites. The multimedia exhibit showcases more than 100 inventions, demonstrating the heritage of creative and technical genius by Latinos in fields such as science, aerospace, communications, medicine, and engineering.

Also on Friday a salsa group, the Caribe Jazz All-Stars, will perform. The event will last from 4:00 to 5:30 pm on the academic quad; rain location will be the Emerson Suites.

Saturday features the Unity Relays, held between 10:00 am and noon in Butterfield Stadium. Teams of students, faculty, and staff will gather to participate in a series of relay races. For registration information, call Stephanie Adams in the multicultural affairs office at 274-3381.

After the relays the Campus Center quad will be the site for educational booths, food, games, and entertainment centered on exploring and celebrating diversity. These events will run until 3:00 pm

For more information call multicultural affairs at 274-1692.