DATE: March 24, 2008

CONTACT: Louis Bregger, (864) 656-7625)
blouis@clemson.edu

WRITER: Angela Nixon, (864) 656-0382
anixon@clemson.edu


International Awareness Week to feature visit from Buddhist monks

CLEMSON – Three Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, N.Y., will visit Clemson University as part of International Awareness Week March 31 to April 6.

A monk creates a sand mandala during last year's International Awareness Week The monks will construct a sand mandala in the lobby of the R.M. Cooper Library April 1-4. A mandala is a circular design, usually composed of dyed sand particles, that is a visual representation of the Buddhist path from its beginnings to complete enlightenment. Buddhists believe that the mandala is a deity’s divine environment. The construction of a mandala is a sacred ceremony for Buddhists, and these ceremonies have been made available for public viewing only in recent years.

The mandala construction will begin with a prayer ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 1. Construction will continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the library each day until Friday, April 4. The mandala will be deconstructed that day in a special ceremony at noon. It will be dismantled and put into the stream behind the Strom Thurmond Institute in a ceremony that symbolizes the transience of life and the ideal of nonattachment to the material world.

A monk talks about the making of a mandala at last year's event. Throughout the construction of the mandala, the monks will be available to answer questions during break periods. Students will be able to try their own hand at this ancient practice in an area where they can make small mandalas.

The monks also will speak on “The Significance of the Mandala and its Practice in Our Daily Lives” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at the Strom Thurmond Institute. The lecture and the mandala construction are free and open to the public.

The capstone of International Awareness Week is the annual International Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 6, on Bowman Field. The festival will showcase Clemson’s international students with food samples, crafts, music, fashions and more. Admission to the festival is free and food samples may be purchased with tickets that cost 50 cents each.

Other events during International Awareness Week are:

  • Study Abroad Photo Contest, March 31-April 6, R.M. Cooper Library. Photos taken by Clemson students who have studied abroad. Free.
  • International lunch offerings, 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21-April 4, Schilletter and Harcombe dining halls. Dining services will offer international food during lunch all week, including Italian, Vietnamese, German, Indian, Polish, Korean, Thai and Chinese. $6.39 per meal.
  • Language and International Trade Conference, March 31-April 1, Madren Center. Representatives from international companies will speak about their companies and qualities they look for in applicants in a panel discussion at 3 p.m. March 31. Keynote speaker Michael Maibach, president and CEO of the European-American Business Council, will talk on “Trans-Atlantic Mega-Trends in an Age of Globalization” at 11 a.m. April 1. Free.
  • International Children’s Talent Show, 6:30 p.m. March 31, Clemson Arts Center. Children of international families in Clemson will perform their special talents. Free.
  • African film “Moolaade,” 4 p.m., April 1, Daniel Hall auditorium. Free.
  • Chinese film “The Knot,” 7 p.m., March 31, Strom Thurmond Institute. Free.
  • Globalization Seminar “Quebec in the World,” 7 p.m., April 1, Sirrine Hall room 364. Speaker Ginette Chenard, delegate of the Quebec Government Office in Atlanta. Free.
  • International Picnic in the Park, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., April 2, Jaycee Park in downtown Clemson. Free.
  • Peace Corps Globe Talk, 4 p.m., April 2, Daniel Hall room 413. Caleb Judy, Peace Corps recruiter for South Carolina, will speak about the role of the Peace Corps and how Clemson is involved. Free.
  • Irish film “Once,” 8 p.m., April 2, Catherine Smith Plaza in downtown Clemson. (rain location: McKissick Theatre in Hendrix Student Center). Free.
  • Presentation on “Tigers in India,” 3:30 p.m., April 3, McKissick Theatre. Clemson students who visited India to study tigers will present information about the fate of the endangered species as well as talk about other wildlife and the culture in India. Free.
  • World Music Fest, 9 p.m., April 3, Hendrix Student Center multi-use room. Students from around the world will perform and discuss their culture’s music. Free.
  • World of Dances, 6 p.m., April 4, Tillman Hall auditorium. A performance of dances from around the world, featuring Clemson students. $5 for students, $10 for all others. Indian food available for $5.
  • ONEArt exhibit, 7-11 p.m., April 4 and 2-8 p.m. April 5, DCF Building in downtown Clemson. Art show and sale to raise money and awareness for Kiva, a program that makes loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Sponsored by the ONE Campaign. Free.
  • Surabhi concert featuring Indian percussion and winds, 5 p.m., April 5, Tillman Hall auditorium. This concert will focus on two different styles of Indian music – northern and southern – with performances by two flutists and two percussion players. $3 for students, $5 for others.

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