Third Annual Multicultural Celebration Set for April 16

CONTACT: ELIZABETH WOODS, EXT. 2352

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/8/2002
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College will celebrate "the colors of the world" Tuesday, April 16, with food, fun and entertainment during its third annual Multicultural Celebration.

The free event will begin at 11 a.m. on the Student Center Mall area and will conclude at 2 p.m. There also will be an evening celebration on April 15 from 5 – 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend. In the event of rain, the celebration will be held in the cafeteria.

You'll be able to sample cuisines from a variety of different cultures including Asian, Mediterranean and African/Caribbean).

Entertainment will include:
Paula Heusinkveld & Jorge Medina, a married couple with Mexican-American roots, will be singing and playing Latin music
Wheeler Matthews, owner of Tropical Hammer in Seneca, will be playing the steel drum
TCTC Steppers, a step team comprised of five Tri-County students and LaShonda Davis, marketing assistant at the College
Sid Durham, a rhythm and blues saxophonist and admissions counselor at Tri-County
Niamah Abdullah will provide Yoga/Tai Chi/African Dance demonstrations
Preston Gravely, a bag piper from Anderson

"This is a celebration of the Tri-County Technical College community," said Elizabeth Woods, coordinator of Multicultural Student Services at the College. "We have a diverse student population, representing a variety of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. We create an opportunity for our campus family to come together with the community to share in the festivities and to learn about each other. The festival represents a recognition that although we come from different places and cultural backgrounds, we are deeply connected by our humanity," said Ms. Woods.

She and a multicultural committee of faculty, staff and students have been working together for several months to coordinate the celebration. "This celebration is an opportunity to promote and encourage tolerance for diversity at the College and the surrounding area which reflects our commitment to provide real-world educational experiences for our students who will be working and living in a global society," said Ms. Woods.

For more information, contact the Multicultural Student Services Office (Ext. 2352) at one of these numbers: Anderson County, 225-2250; Oconee
County -- 882-4412; Pickens County -- 859-7033; or Clemson/Anderson/Pendleton -- 646-8361. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech
disabled should call TDD/VOICE 1-800-735-2905.
-30-