International Street Fest to celebrate, educate

Augustana’s Office of International Student Life is hosting the International Street Fest on Feb. 2-3. The annual event is designed to celebrate the diversity of cultural backgrounds in the Augustana community and educate the campus about issues facing the college's international students.

“With so much discussion and concern about issues related to immigration, this year’s Street Fest is expected to draw an especially big, supportive crowd,” said Dr. Pareena Lawrence, provost.

“We’re encouraging the campus community – students, staff, faculty and administrators – to come to this year’s events in solidarity to our international students and as a way to represent the college’s values of diversity and inclusion,” she said.

On Feb. 2,  “Folklore and More” will be presented by The Reading/Writing Center from 4-6 p.m. Also, on Feb. 2, international game night will begin in the Brew by the Slough at 7 p.m.

On Feb. 3, starting at 4:30 p.m., The Gerber Center dining hall will be filled with a rich variety of international foods, and at 6:30 p.m., students will put on a fashion show of traditional clothing from around the world.

As part of these events, the Office of Campus Ministries has led an effort to update and share a statement of solidarity with international students, immigrants, refugees, those who are Muslim and other religious minorities.  

In December 2015, hundreds of Augustana students, faculty, staff and administrators signed the first statement of solidarity and friendship, creating poster-size statements that were delivered to Islamic centers of worship in the Quad Cities area.

The newly updated statement reads:

"As an Augustana College community that includes people of many different religious and non-religious identities, ethnicities and national backgrounds, we the undersigned stand in support, solidarity, and friendship with all members of our community; on our campus, in the Quad Cities, in the United States, and in the world. 

"We are especially mindful of international students, refugees, immigrants, and those who are of Muslim faith or represent other minority faith traditions. We reject calls for discrimination, separation, hateful speech and violence based on religious belief or nationality."

As articulated in The Five Faith Commitments of Augustana College.

"Augustana commits to making our campus and the wider world a more livable place for all persons by loving and serving the neighbor and by acting against injustice and intolerance. We are thus compelled to be a part of an interfaith movement because of our unique heritage, identity, and core values as a college rooted in the Lutheran expression of the Christian faith."