2011 I-Week Highlights
What is the Middle East?

Photo Contest

Any photo taken outside the United States by a JMU community member is acceptable. If you've ever traveled or lived outside the United States, and you've had a camera, you could turn those beautiful pictures into award-winning photos! But you have to work FAST - the DEADLINE is September 14, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Click here for the rules and additional information.

PRISM Gallery Exhibit

Middle East Exhibit and International Photo Contest Winners

The PRISM Gallery is graciously hosting an exhibit featuring artifacts and artwork from the Middle East during the fall semester. In addition, the winning photos from the international photo contest will be displayed, and a slide show featuring all submissions will run. So come on over to the Prism Gallery to learn something about the Middle East, then browse all the incredible photos taken by you and your JMU community around the world.

The PRISM Gallery is located in the lower level of the Festival Conference & Student Center and is open during normal building hours.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Opening Festivities: International Bazaar
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Commons

Come and celebrate with the JMU community as we begin this year's International Week The International Bazaar is a free event which will feature many vendors, music, a slide show presentation, and displays from the Middle East. Come expand your knowledge and perception of The Middle East by attending this unique bazaar.

And don't forget to bring a bit of money - this will be a great place to pick up gifts for your friends and family, or splurge on something for yourself!  A number of international vendors will be present with a wide variety of items. 

Middle Eastern Music
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Commons

Dr. Anne Rasmussen, who directs the William and Mary Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, will lead a group of performers who specialize in the Arab, Turkish, Persian, Armenian, and Greek traditions that comprise the music of the Middle East. They will perform turath, or "tradition," music on instruments such as the qanun (75-stringed zither), 'ud (11-stringed lute), darabukka, tabla and daff (drums), and the riqq (tambourine).

What is the Middle East?
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Taylor 405

Unlike continents, the Middle East is not easily identifiable; not from a geographic, political, cultural or religious perspective.  Even so, not a day passes when “The Middle East” is not mentioned in the news. Our JMU Middle East faculty panelists will share and discuss their own viewpoints on just “What is the Middle East?” 

From Fez to Isfahan: Fashion, Food, and Music throughout the Middle East
7:00 p.m.
Transitions (Warren Hall)

Join us Monday evening for our I-Week Culture Show. During this event, students, faculty and staff will be treated to a night of fashion, food, and music. Come and try some traditional Middle Eastern delicacies from Lebanon and Iran, see native fashion from Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, and listen to music that represents Iraq and the Middle Eastern Region.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Study Abroad Fair
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Festival Grand Ballroom

Interested in going abroad? Come and learn about different study abroad programs, international internships and scholarships available to you. JMU semester and short-term program directors and representatives will be available to share their experience and to answer your questions. In addition, you will also have the opportunity to speak and learn about programs from other universities and providers.

Women's Wisdom: Middle Eastern Women Speak
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
ISAT NTelos Room

A panel discussion of mature women from the community who identify as being from the Middle East will share their stories of life, family and womanhood as they highlight wisdom of living from their perspective. Every story has meaning and can contribute to all our knowledge and foster understanding!

"Lessons Learned in Iraq and Afghanistan: the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East." by Keynote Speaker: Dr. Eric Davis
7:00 p.m.
HHS 2301

Dr. Eric M. Davis is a Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University and past director of the University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies.  Dr. Davis has conducted extensive research on various issues in the Middle East, relating to religion, political power, historical contexts, and oil wealth.  In addition to authoring numerous books and publications about the region, he is an active contributor to his blog, entitled, "The New Middle East."

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Middle Eastern Cooking Class with Tassie
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Commons

Stop by on your lunch hour to watch a demonstration (and maybe get a sample!) of Middle Eastern Cooking.  Stay for five minutes, or stay for an hour.  Enjoy the sights and sounds and flavors of the Middle East.

The Middle East Through Our Eyes
4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Taylor Hall 405

This student panel, hosted Jawan Shir will provide insight into the lives and people of the Middle East. The panel will feature students from several countries in the Middle East and other individuals who have traveled or studied abroad in those countries. This is a way to learn more about the region from people with first-hand knowledge.

Public Debate: American youth have much to learn from the youth of the Middle East and North Africa
6:30 p.m.
Wilson Auditorium

Film: Reel Bad Arabs
7:00 p.m.
Miller Auditorium

This documentary is part of Middle Eastern Film Series

This groundbreaking documentary dissects a slanderous aspect of cinematic history that has run virtually unchallenged from the earliest days of silent film to today’s biggest Hollywood blockbusters.  Featuring acclaimed author Dr. Jack Shaheen, the film explores a long line of degrading images of Arabs—from Bedouin bandits and submissive maidens to sinister sheikhs and gun-wielding “terrorists” – along the way offering devastating insights into the origin of these stereotypic images, their development at key points in US history, and why they matter so much today.

Shaheen shows how the persistence of these images over time has served to naturalize prejudicial attitudes toward Arabs and Arab culture, in the process reinforcing a narrow view of individual Arabs and the effects of specific US domestic and international policies on their lives.  By inspiring critical thinking about the social, political, and basic human consequences of leaving these Hollywood caricatures unexamined, the film challenges viewers to recognize the urgent need for counter-narratives that do justice to the diversity and humanity of Arab people and the reality and richness of Arab history and culture.  ©2007 MEDIA EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Sacred Spaces
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Taylor 405

The broader region now termed the Middle East has been the cradle of human civilization, as it is often called, serving from antiquity until today as the home to major religious monuments and sacred tradition.  These are the religious faiths of antiquity, as well as those still practiced today, including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism.  This illustrated talk by Dr. Danielle Widmann Abraham, Department of Religion, and Dr. Sarah Brooks, School of Art, Design and Art History, will highlight sacred landscapes and traditions of the Middle East, offering an introduction to the regions’ art, architecture, and religious heritage.  

Speed Friending
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Taylor 405

Here's your chance to meet and speak with students from around the world! Using a speed dating-style framework, domestic and international students will have quick, compact, timed conversations to get to know each other. This exciting activity will be followed by a calmer mixer, allowing students a chance to continue their conversations. All students will have the opportunity to sign up for a Conversation Partner program following the event, as well as find out more information about the English Conversation Cafés that will begin in October. Please come out for an exciting evening!

A Musical Event: The Middle East!
8:00 p.m.
Concert Hall of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts

We welcome you to join us on this exploration of chamber music, choral works and songs written or inspired by Middle Eastern composers, including a world premiere jazz piece by Chuck Dotas. This performance is presented by the Staunton Music Festival in cooperation with the Office of International Programs and faculty from JMU's School of Music.