International Festival

This past Friday, Reading Area Community College held its annual International Festival at the Schmidt Training and Technology Center. The festival is sponsored by the colleges’ International club and has been an honored event for almost a decade. The event was open to all students and faculty. Community members were also invited.

Melisa Kabilizya, President of the International club headed of the Food Committee. She and other members recruited over ten local restaurants and caterers to supply a variety of ethnic foods for this event. Partakers of the festival were charged a small fee and given a plate, drink, and utensils. The food was arranged buffet style. Patrons were able to choose which foods they wanted and were allowed to fill their plates with as much food as they could hold. Once people had their food, they sat in the dining hall which was beautifully ornamented with national flags and cultural regalia. The ambiance was arranged by Mandy Schneider, vice president of the International club, and the decorating committee. Earth Rhythms of West Reading opened the show with a large drum circle. Students and faculty alike participated and enjoyed the instruments and instruction provided by Mark Seaman of Earth Rhythms. RACC students went on to perform an array of entertainment representing Italy, Viet Nam, Tanzania, Canada, Egypt, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Jamaica, Germany, Kenya, India, and Zambia. Song and dance filled the air as folks enjoyed their food. Jesselle Rodriguez, head of the entertainment committee, hosted the event. The festival was a huge success with a few hundred people turning out for this day of cultural celebration. The International Club at RACC has upcoming events throughout the year. On October 22nd they will be hosting a Hispanic festival and on November 19th a European festival. In the spring they will also have an African, Asian, and Caribbean festival. For more information call Jill Melones at # 610-372-4721 ext. 5259

World Renown Artist Comes to Goggle Works

Brazilian artist, Jonas Dos Santos, is the features artist now at Goggle Works Center for the Arts. Jonas is a visual activist, using art as a venue for ecological education. For over thirty years, he has incorporated the application of recycled materials in a variety of genres such as performances, installations, murals, paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Jonas uses material traditionally discarded by most people. He has been known to use mattress stuffing, cardboard, computer parts, and a wide variety of societal waste to create the most beautiful and unusual pieces of art. Pictured here is Jonas holding a pair of old shoes refurbished with everyday cardboard to make a stunning pair of fashionable high-heels.

Jonas explained that his artwork is part of a tradition which began forty years ago, which is just now being appreciated for its value in our struggle to sustain an ecologically balanced world. “We cannot continue to be a throwaway society, we must utilize everything. Art is a perfect avenue for ecological intervention,” states Jonas.

Jonas went on to say that art is also a venue to get people together. “It is a means by which to take down barriers.” Jonas views his work and interactions with communities as a way to build relationships and “demystify cultural misconceptions.”

Jonas is an ‘artist in residency’, which means he will be living and working collaboratively with local residents in our community. He and his work are available to the public from now until October 12th at Google Works Art Center located at 201 Washington Street in Reading. He will be hosting an afterschool program and presenting free demonstrations for the duration of his stay. For more information contact Shannon Slattery at 610-374-4600.

Peace Begins at Home

A wish for world peace is a wish for local peace as well.

Today at the Pat Garrett Ampitheater in Strausstown a Peace Pole was planted as a testament to desired world peace.

A Peace Pole is hand-crafted and displays the message, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in several different languages. There are more than 200,000 Peace Poles in 180 countries all over the world. A Peace Pole in our community links us with people all over the world who have planted their Poles in the same spirit of peace.