An International Series event, spotlighting Pakistan, will be held Wednesday, Jan. 19, from 12-1 p.m. in the Building 8 stage area.
Rukhi Jan, an academic advisor, and a native of Pakistan, will be the presenter.
Everything, including the buffet-style Pakistani food, is free, and anyone can attend, Carbonaro said. The food and music are both chosen to help “set the mood” for the presentation.
Carbonaro said he has worked with Jan before and liked her presentation. It was helpful that she’d done it before and that people around campus know her.
“Rukhi has colleagues who recognize her name,” he said. “That’s important because the name means a lot. People know Rukhi.”
Everything in the presentation and the overall event is tailored towards Pakistan. The food, music, presenter and the posters designed for the event are all designed to highlight Pakistan.
According to ESL Coordinator Paul Carbonaro, the event will feature music, Pakistani food and about a 30-minute presentation by Jan, who said she wants to enlighten people to the differences of the South Asian nation.
“I just got back from Pakistan,” Jan said in an e-mail. “I hope to give a brief history of the country, discuss the current situation and highlight some of the customs and people of Pakistan.”
Also, Jan said that Sinclair alumnus Shuam Ahmed, who recently returned from Pakistan, will discuss “his arranged marriage process.”
“You can never learn enough about the world,” Carbonaro said. “People have everything to gain.”
Pakistan was in the news recently after the death of the governor of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest provinces. According to www.newsweek.com, “Salmaan Taseer, governor of Punjab, was shot at close range by a newly assigned bodyguard.”
Jan said she is aware people might have stereotypes about her country, and she hopes the event can help people make a better judgment about Pakistan.
“Communication and correct information is one way to fight the negative image,” Jan said.
Pakistan is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and, as Carbonaro noted, is not in the Middle East, but rather in South Asia.
Carbonaro said he doesn’t tell Jan or any other presenter how to plan their presentations.
“The presenters have lots of freedom,” Carbonaro said. “I tend to trust that they’ll give a presentation they would enjoy.”