Idaho State University to hold Humanities Café celebrating diversity Sept. 15

Each year a different department in the College of Arts and Letters hosts the Humanities Café, a series of four or five events, centered on a particular theme. This year, the history department elected to host the café with a yearlong theme of diversity. The cafes will bring together artists, musicians, poets, authors, storytellers and dancers from a diverse range of ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Each event will offer a unique, explorative experience for the Pocatello community. At the first event, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from and converse with ISU history professor Zack Heern; Tirazeh Aslami, a graduate student in art; Azza Abugharsa, an ESL instructor at the Intensive English Institute at ISU and vice president of the Islamic Society of Southeastern Idaho and an Egyptian novelist; and  Noran Amin, ISU graduate student instructor.

Aslami will present her art that incorporates language and calligraphy and Heern will discuss Iranian literacy and print culture. Abugharsa and Amin will share their experiences living in the United States.

Kathleen Kole de Peralta, co-coordinator of the Humanities Café, sees this as an opportunity to build bridges between campus and the city of Pocatello.

 “Last year there were a number of unfortunate events that targeted and intimidated the community, especially the international student population on campus,” she said. “We want to take proactive measures to send the opposite message: celebrate the great things our diverse community has to offer.”

Appetizers will start at 5:30 p.m. and presentations will start at 6 p.m. A cash bar will be available.

Image info: One of the art works Tirazeh Aslami, a graduate student in art, will display at the Humanities Cafe.