TCU’s Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services is set to launch its annual program celebrating diversity at TCU.

“CommUNITY Week” is a weeklong festival of events highlighting diversity. The program has occurred annually since it started in 2010. 

“CommUNITY Week has been around for a while now,” said Leslie Chanthaphasouk, coordinator of IIS. “It’s a large celebration that gives student organizations a chance to come together and address diversity on campus.”

CommUNITY Week is a festival that is run by IIS, but the core events of the week are put on by student organizations. 

“There are three student organizations that are doing something, and they’re all apart of IIS,” said Chanthaphasouk. “These organizations have had their events planned long before this; it became this thing where we coincided the events with CommUNITY Week.”

CommUNITY Week is not a platform just for IIS organizations. If organizations are interested in participating next year, they must have events that meet certain criteria.

“We don’t want to be like ‘Just because you’re an IIS organization and you have an event that week, that’s going to be apart of CommUNITY Week’,” said Chanthaphasouk. “Does it go with the theme of celebrating diversity? Does it seek to educate people about diverse issues, or does it seek to engage people from different backgrounds?”

The lineup for CommUNITY Week is as follows: 

1. “Cultural Cuisine”

Cultural Cuisine is provided on the last Friday of every month by Cultural, Community, and International Services. This event brings ethnic or international cuisine to TCU. 

“The purpose is to introduce students to different types of cuisine and to also build community within these walls,” said Chanthaphasouk.’’

2. “Amazing Vietnam 2015: Alluvia”

The Vietnamese Student Association is ready to awe Horned Frogs this year with their second installation of “Amazing Vietnam.” At the event, VSA will give guests a three course Vietnamese meal and provide entertainment through cultural performances, such as dances and skits. 

“I want people coming out of the show knowing more about Vietnamese culture,” said Huy Le, president of VSA and senior finance and supply chain management double major. 

“Amazing Vietnam 2015: Alluvia” is sold out, according to VSA’s Facebook page, showing the popularity that VSA has received. 

The event is scheduled for March 27 at 7 p.m. in the Brown-Lupton University Union Ballroom. 

3. “Experience India”

Students for Asian Indian Cultural Awareness continue their student-ran event that highlights the culture of South Asian countries by performing music, skits and dances and serving cultural foods. 

“SAICA is probably on their 15th or 16th Experience India event; they’ve been around for a long time,” said Chanthaphasouk. 

The event is scheduled for March 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the BLUU Auditorium. 

4. “Unity Fest”

TCU’s Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services will host their second diversity festival during the week. Students can expect educational booths covering diversity, various types of food to choose from and music from different parts of the world. 

“This year we will have seven educational booths sponsored by different departments and student organizations that talk about diversity,” said Chanthaphasouk. “It’s a way to learn about diversity in an interactive way.”

This event will be on March 30 at 5 p.m. in the Campus Commons. 

5. “1st Annual Cesar Chavez Celebration”

IIS, TCU Latino/a Studies, TCU Department of History and the Tarrant County Cesar Chavez Celebration Committee will host the “1st Annual Cesar Chavez Celebration.” A speaker will discuss the Chicano movement during the 1960s in Texas.

“We talk about the Civil Rights Movement through an African American lens, but simultaneously there was a Chicano movement, an Asian American movement and a Native movement that we will discuss,” said Chanthaphasouk.

This event is scheduled for April 1 at 6 p.m. in the BLUU Ballroom. 

6. “Luau: Living It Up, Hawaiian Style”

Hui O Hawai’i will host a luau to close out CommUNITY Week. This event will include authentic Hawaiian meals, music performances and dance performances.

“It’s a pretty cool event,” said Chanthaphasouk. “It’s a very different vibe, Hawaiian students are trying to bring Hawaiian culture in the most authentic way possible.”

This event is scheduled for April 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the BLUU Ballroom.

“All of the events have their own character,” said Chanthaphasouk. “So go support your fellow Horned Frog, go get amazing food and go see performances and different talents from your peers.”