The Center for International Education and the International Student Association at Loyola University New Orleans will celebrate the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, at the 10th annual International Student Scholarship Banquet on Friday, March 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Charles Room located in the Danna Student Center.

The scholarship banquet is an annual fundraiser for international students on F-1 visas who are ineligible for need-based, federal financial aid and most types of scholarships. Each year, the banquet highlights a country to showcase and celebrate its culture, food and crafts.

This year’s event, themed, “Iran, Middle East and Peace,” will feature speaker Behrooz Moazami, Ph.D., director of Loyola’s Middle East Peace Studies program. A native of Tehran, Moazami joined Loyola’s Department of History in 2007 after a life of political activism and academia. Raised in Iran, he has experienced the life of a revolutionary, living in exile in both France and the U.S.

The event will also feature Persian cuisine and culture, as well as traditional dancing performed by Loyola students. There will also be a DJ playing contemporary Persian music and a silent auction with items from around the world, including those donated by the local Iranian community in New Orleans.

Tickets are $30 for general admission, $20 for Loyola faculty and staff, and $15 for students. Tables of eight are available for $200. All proceeds benefit the International Student Scholarship Fund.

For more information, contact the Center for International Education at 504-864-7550 or by email atcie@loyno.edu or visit http://www.loyno.edu/cie/international-student-scholarship-banquet-2012.

source: http://www.loyno.edu / Loyola University New Orleans / Loyola Press Release / February 27th, 2012