Thinking Big about China?

John Watkins (pictured), chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China, will discuss "Thinking Big About China" during an "Ideas in Indiana" luncheon sponsored by Sagamore Institute for Policy Research and co-hosted by Asian Programs of University of Indianapolis.

The event, to be held in the Museum of Master Au Ho-nien at UIndy, is scheduled for 6 May, with registration at 11 a.m. and the luncheon set for 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Watkins is Corporate Vice President of Cummins Inc. and President of Cummins East Asia, which employs more than 6,000 across China in 14 manufacturing plants, two R&D centers, and many sales and service centers.

Following the talk, a small group of leading researchers, businesspeople and policymakers will discuss what can “bring out the best” in Indiana businesses and universities that are engaged in China.

As John Clark of SIPR notes, "China's rise is seen by some as a threat and by others as an opportunity. It has the potential to bring out the best or the worst in both societies. The risks of China's rise are real---but less threatening than most think and the opportunities are far greater than most can envision. American stakeholders who want improvements in the trade and overall bi-lateral relationship will be better served by focusing more time, energy and resources on maximizing our opportunities through a solution-oriented, innovative and can-do winning attitude and approach---in the way President John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to think big and go after an audacious goal. To use a sports metaphor, we have to play offense as well as defense."

The Museum of Master Au Ho-nien is in the basement of the Schwitzer Student Center at UIndy, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis. Required reservations are due by 4 May; contact Susan Stinn, 317:472-2053.

Clark adds: "Indiana possesses many “hidden treasures” linking the state to China. Watkins' lunch talk and the discussion will take place in one of these little known assets, the museum of Master Au Ho-nien at the University of Indianapolis. Master Au is one of the greatest living traditional Chinese artists."

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"Das Rheingold" Opera Comes to Indy

"Das Rheingold" by Richard Wagner will be performed 15 and 17 May by the Indianapolis Opera in collaboration with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The Friday performance begins at 8 p.m., while the Sunday edition starts at 2 p.m.

This performance will be a semi-staged concert format in Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis. Performed in German, with easy-to-read English translations projected above the stage.

Tickets are available at the Clowes Hall box office (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.), call the Clowes Info Line, 317:940-6444, or contact Ticketmaster, 317:239-1000 or 317:239-5151.

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Indy's Mayor Postpones Visit to Brazil

According to Inside INdiana Business, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (left) is postponing his economic development trip to Brazil due to the current circumstances surrounding the Capital Improvement Board (CIB).

The posting says the postponement allows Ballard to "devote his full attention to preserving the downtown economy." The trip, focused on creating energy opportunities, was scheduled for next month.

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Windiana Performs at National Chinese Language Conference

Valparaiso University’s Confucius Institute is sponsoring a performance by Windiana concert band at the closing session of the National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) in Chicago on 2 May. Thousands of educators from across the United States are attending the conference – an annual meeting promoting Chinese language education and fostering global competence among U.S. students.

Led by Dr. Jeff Doebler, associate professor of music and director of bands at Valpo, Windiana will perform several arrangements of Chinese folk songs during the conference’s closing plenary session at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Chicago. During each of the past three summers, Dr. Doebler has led Windiana on tours of China that received national media attention.

NCLC is co-sponsored by the College Board, Asia Society and Confucius Institute Headquarters.

The Confucius Institute is a non-profit institute established and funded by the Chinese government to promote cultural, business, educational, artistic and government exchanges. Valpo’s Confucius Institute is working to develop exchanges between northern Indiana and the province of Zhejiang – which became Indiana’s sister province in 1989.

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"Sacred Spain" Exhibit at IMA

The first exhibition to examine the religious visual culture of 17th-century Spain and Latin America will open at the Indianapolis Museum of Art on 11 October.

"Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World" brings to life the challenges faced by visual artists such as El Greco, Francisco Zurbarán, Alonso Cano, Franciso Ribalta, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Juan de Valdes Leal, Juan Correa, Cristobal Villalpando and others, who were charged with the creative task of making religious imagery that was "useful, truthful and moving".

The exhibition will feature 70 works — including paintings, polychrome sculpture, metalwork and books, many of which have never before been seen in the United States — that not only illustrate religious iconography and allegory, but also bring to light the significant role of the artist in 17th-century Spain. "Sacred Spain" will be on view through 3 January 2010.

A $1 million grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation to support the exhibition will allow the IMA to offer free general admission to "Sacred Spain".

A two-day symposium titled “Sacred and Profane in the Early Modern Hispanic World” will be held on 16 and 17 October, coinciding with the exhibit.

Symposium topics will include 1) The Irreligious, dealing with cultural production that rejected Catholic orthodoxy; 2) The Non-religious, in which the discourse of religion stands aside from cultural production; 3) Classical Myth and its engagement and/or distancing from Catholic culture; 4) Sacred Others: Jewish, Islamic and Pre-Columbian religious perspectives; 5) Empire and Religion, on the implication of religion into this expansive mindset; and 6) Text and the Sacred Image, investigating interrelationships among texts and the visual.

The first day will take place at the IMA, and the second day will take place at Indiana University Bloomington. The symposium, organized in conjunction with the Departments of Spanish and Portuguese and the History of Art at Indiana University, will bring together internationally recognized scholars from the fields of art history, literature, sociology, language and history.

There's more here.

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CTS Receives Contract From German Firm

Elkhart-based CTS Corp. says it has been contracted to produce accelerator pedals for a German car manufacturer, reports Inside INdiana Business.

The eight-year agreement could be worth up to $9 million. Deliveries are expected to start in early 2011 and be used in a new family car sold in Europe.

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Scowcroft to Speak at Notre Dame

Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, former U.S. national security advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, will present “The Foreign Policy Challenges Facing the Obama Administration” at 4 p.m. 27 April 27 in the auditorium of the Hesburgh Center at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Prior to the presentation, Gen. Scowcroft will sign copies of his latest book, America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy, which he co-authored with Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter.

Scowcroft’s presentation is part of Notre Dame’s International Security Program seminar series, which was established last year to provide a forum where leading scholars in national security studies from Notre Dame and elsewhere could come together to explore some of the most pressing issues in national security policy. The program is co-directed by Notre Dame political science faculty members Michael Desch, Kier Lieber, Daniel Lindley and Sebastian Rosato.

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Australian Ambassador to Speak at Notre Dame

Dennis Richardson, Australian ambassador to the United States, will discuss U.S.-Australia relations and highlight the country’s green initiatives during a lecture at 4:30 p.m. on 22 April in Room 161 of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend.

Appointed to his current position in 2005, Richardson formerly served in Australia’s Foreign Service, was the principal adviser to the prime minister, led the review of the Australian Intelligence Community, and served as deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and director general of security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Notre Dame’s Office of International Studies and Pi Sigma Alpha, the University’s political science honor society.

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Deputy Mayor of Paris Coming to Indianapolis

The deputy mayor in charge of local democracy in Paris, France, will visit Indianapolis next week, reports Inside INdiana Business.

In town 17-22 April, Hamou Bouakkaz will speak with local experts about the impact of new technologies on constituent services and explore programs to encourage diversity in the workplace.

A Gesture of Kinship: Photographs by Bruce Hucko

"A Gesture of Kinship" examines the photographic history of a group of Navajo people, documented by photographer Bruce Hucko. (The photo is from the exhibition.)

The exhibition features documentary photographs and insightful interviews with young Navajos coupled with additional photos and interviews with the same subjects 20 years later. Composites of these interactions offer a rarely-seen view of everyday life on the reservation, insights into what changes and what stays the same in the community, and a look at internal and external influences on a Navajo life.

Included with general admission to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the exhibit runs through 5 July.

The Eiteljorg is located in Indy's White River State Park at 500 West Washington Street, Indianapolis.

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Global Entrepreneurial Leadership Conference

More than 100 high school business students from throughout central Indiana are getting a taste of international business issues today (15 April) during an entrepreneurship conference at the University of Indianapolis.

Highlights include live competitions before judging panels of UIndy faculty and students, with prizes including an iPod Touch. In the Global Ethics Competition, now in its third year, 15 entrants (individuals or pairs) will present five-minute PowerPoint responses to an international business case study. In the Entrepreneurship “Elevator Speech” Competition, now in its second year, four finalists will deliver brief business proposals, and then submit to 10-15 minutes of grilling from the judges.

Participating high schools include North Central, Perry Meridian, Pike, Whiteland Community, Columbus East and Knightstown. The day’s keynote speaker is Mark Cooper, director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Indiana Export Assistance Center. Later, the visiting teens can pose questions to a Global Leadership Panel of UIndy students from Asia, Africa and Europe.

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Study Finds Big Shifts in Indiana Immigrant Trends Since 1990

Today's Indiana immigrant likely is Mexican or Asian, under age 40, a blue-collar laborer and not as proficient in English as foreign-born people who came to the United States even 20 years ago, according to a Purdue University study.

"The immigrant population is young, it's growing and it is increasingly diverse," said Brigitte Waldorf, a Purdue agricultural economist and the study's lead researcher. "It used to be most Indiana immigrants were from Europe, but not anymore."

Purdue's study, "Immigrants in Indiana: Where They Live, Who They Are, and What They Do," provides a demographic snapshot of the state's foreign-born population. Findings are based on data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Censuses and the 2006 American Community Survey.

The study appears in the current edition of the Purdue Agricultural Economics Report, and can be downloaded here.

The research team, which included agricultural economics graduate students Uris Baldos, Tani Lee and Delphine Simon - each a first- or second-generation immigrant - found that Indiana's immigrant population jumped from 94,263 to 263,607 in the 16-year study period, and that foreign-born people made up about 4 percent of the state's population in 2006.

Researchers also found that Mexicans represented 46 percent and Asians more than 30 percent of Indiana's immigrant population in 2006, and that about 75 percent of the immigrant growth was concentrated in 10 Indiana counties.

The Hoosier state ranked No. 10 nationally in immigrant population growth between 2000 and 2006, said Waldorf, who hails from Germany. That's a dramatic shift from a few decades ago.

"Moving to Indiana is a new choice that immigrants are making. It didn't use to be that way," she said. "For a long while Indiana was at the bottom of the hierarchy of preferred destinations for immigrants."

Changes in immigration laws that encouraged more non-Europeans to come to America and greater job opportunities have attracted more foreign-born people to Indiana, Waldorf said.

"About three in 10 immigrants were employed in the manufacturing sector in 2006, with most of those working in industries related to motor vehicles, equipment and metal processing," she said. "Many immigrants also moved to rural counties and work in agriculture or meat processing plants. A good example is Daviess County, where there is a large immigrant community working for the Perdue Farms turkey processing plant."

Counties with sizeable urban areas and/or universities comprise the largest immigrant populations. The 10 counties with the highest percentage net increase in immigrant population between 1990 and 2000 included Tippecanoe, 8.2 percent; Elkhart, 7.1 percent; Monroe, 5.4 percent; Lake, 5.3 percent; Noble, 4.9 percent; Marion and St. Joseph, 4.6 percent each; Allen and Hamilton, 4 percent each; and Bartholomew, 3.8 percent.

Immigrants made up 71.2 percent of Lake County's total population growth from 1990 to 2000, the state's highest percentage, the study indicated.

Most Indiana immigrants are middle-aged or younger, with nearly 45 percent living in the United States five years or fewer in 2006. As such, many are still dealing with cultural and language challenges, Simon said.

"English proficiency is related to length of stay," Simon said. "In the 2006 data we saw an increase in new immigrants, compared with an older census where immigrants had been here for a longer time. In some cases the newer immigrants haven't totally adjusted to their new home."

The language barrier is the most important issue Indiana must address if the state's immigrant population continues rising, the study said. The study takes no position on the immigration issue itself.

"Language is the key, and every immigration country has recognized that," Waldorf said. "We have to make sure that immigrants can function in their new society, and the prevailing language in this society is English. It's advantageous for immigrants to learn English but it is also advantageous for all of us if everybody has a common language. It breeds understanding and cohesiveness."

"Education plays a big role," Baldos said.

Immigrants who successfully integrate into American society often pursue citizenship, which is beneficial to all, Lee said.

"The longer immigrants stay, the more likely they are to become U.S. citizens," Lee said. "People need to realize that you can be an American citizen and also be an immigrant."

(source)

Two Lectures Upcoming on Germans and Jews

Professor Stephanie Schüler-Springorum of the Institute for the History of Germany Jewry, Hamburg, Germany, will present two lectures next week as part of the Paul Program for the Study of Germans and Jews.

The first, "German-Jewish Gender History: Where From, Where To, and Why?", will be held at 7:30 p.m. 22 April in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, Indiana University campus, Bloomington.

The second "From Revolution to Resistance: German-Jewish Communists in the 1920s and 1930s", begins at 7:30 p.m. 23 April in the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, 6501 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis.

Stephanie Schüler-Springorum is Director of the Institute for the History of German Jewry and Professor at the University of Hamburg. She is the author of many publications, including “Wir sind jung, die Welt ist offen . . .” (with K. Bergbauer); Die jüdische Minderheit in Königsberg/Pr. 1871-1945; Das Jüdische Hamburg (edited with A. Brämer, K. Heinsohn, I. Lorenz) (2006); and Deutsch-Jüdische Geschichte als Geschlechtergeschichte (edited with K. Heinsohn) (2006).

The Paul Program for the Study of Germans and Jews was established in 1986 by Dorit and Gerald Paul of Indianapolis to foster ongoing scholarly research into the complex interrelationships between German history and Jewish history. Printed copies of these Paul Lectures are available upon request by email.

The lectures are free and open to the public. For more information please contact the Borns Jewish Studies Program at IU, 812:855-0453.

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"Going Global" at Purdue University

C. Perry Yeatman (pictured) will be the keynote speaker for the Felker Leadership Series program on "Going Global" at Purdue University, West Lafayette. The series is sponsored by the College of Consumer and Family Sciences at Purdue.

The program, which begins with registration and coffee at 9 a.m. Friday (17 April) in Room 302 of the Stewart Center on the Purdue campus, continues through a 5:30 p.m. alumni awards dinner in the Buchanan Club of Ross-Ade Pavilion.

Yeatman is Senior Vice President for International Corporate Affairs and Global Issues Management at Kraft Foods Inc. She is the co-author of Get Ahead by Going Abroad: A Woman's Guide to Fast-Track Career Success.

Other speakers are Liping Cai, associate dean for diversity and international programs, CFS; Carolyn Curiel, chief of staff, office of the president of Purdue, and Emma Preuschl, silver medalist on the U.S. Rowing Team in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

For more information, contact CFS Development and Alumni Relations, 800:535-7303 or 765:494-7890.

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Taiwanese Cultural Troupe to Perform in Indy

Ro Han Mem" performs at 7 p.m. 5 May in Clowes Memorial Hall, Butler University, Indianapolis, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Indiana-Taiwan Sister State agreement, the 31st anniversary of the Indianapolis-Taipei Sister City relationship and Taiwanese Heritage Week.

The cultural troupe is presented by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Butler and the Taiwanese-American Association of Indianapolis.

Sponsors are the State of Indiana, the City of Indianapolis, Telamon Corporation and the Taipei Economic and Culture Office in Chicago.

Admission is free, but tickets are required -- pick them up in person at the Clowes Hall Box Office (limit: two per person). For more information, go online.

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Mandarin Immersion Program to Debut at International School of Indiana

The International School of Indiana will begin a Mandarin immersion program at the kindergarten level next fall that aligns with the International Baccalaureate standards.

The new program, the first of its kind in Indiana, will be a significant addition to the school’s existing Spanish and French immersion programs and will reinforce ISI’s longstanding commitment to engaging Indiana in the global economy.

With more than 1,000 written characters and currently the most widely spoken language in the world, Mandarin is considered the gateway to a better understanding of Chinese culture, society and global influence. ISI students enrolled in the immersion program will master both Mandarin and English languages under the guidance of native-speaking teachers.

The Mandarin immersion program at ISI will begin this fall at the kindergarten level and will be extended up through the school, a grade level at a time, eventually expanding into the middle and high school programs.

In addition to the new Mandarin program, ISI is introducing new IB programs throughout the pre-elementary classes and grades 1-10, which align with the already successful IB Diploma program in grades 11 and 12.

Additionally, the school has substantially increased the time its high school students devote to the sciences. ISI students now easily fulfill the science requirements of the Indiana High School Honors Diploma at the conclusion of their sophomore year, paving the way for advanced science studies for junior and senior students in the IB Diploma program.

Parents interested in the Mandarin program for their children should call the ISI admissions office, 317:923-1951 Ext 369. For general information, visit the ISI website. ISI is currently enrolling students at most grade levels for August 2009, and welcomes applications from all prospective students, regardless of their previous language background.

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FIFA World Cup in Indiana in 2018 or 2022?

The USA Bid Committee mailed letters last week to public officials and stadium operators in metropolitan markets across the United States in an initial step toward preparing a formal bid to play host to the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

In all, 70 stadiums in more than 50 metropolitan markets are under consideration, ranging in market size from New York City, where the new Meadowlands Stadium will open in 2010 in nearby East Rutherford, N.J., to college town markets such as Lincoln, Neb., and Fayetteville, Ark.

Two Indiana venues on the list are the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and the stadium at the University of Notre Dame at South Bend.

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Japanese Auto Supplier to Locate in Franklin

Inside INdiana Business reports that Franklin, in Johnson County, has been announced as the new home for Premium Composite Technology North America, a Japanese-owned manufacturer of plastic parts for vehicles.

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U.S.-China Business Cooperation Conference

Indiana University and several of its research centers and schools in business, law and international studies are coming together to host an ambitious conference on U.S.-China business cooperation that is designed to assist entrepreneurs and promote the prosperity of both countries.

More than 50 speakers from China and the United States are participating in the free conference, "U.S.-China Business Cooperation in the 21st Century: Opportunities and Challenges for Entrepreneurs."

The first day of the program will take place 15 April in downtown Indianapolis; the conference will then move to the IU Bloomington campus for 16 and April.

Presenters will include Michael Barbalas, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China; IU President Michael A. McRobbie; Vincent Mo, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of SouFun Holdings Ltd.; Daniel Wright, senior vice president of Stonebridge International and former managing director of U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue; and Ling Lanfang, chairman of the board of the Silk Road Group, a diversified, 2,000-employee company based in Zhejiang Province.

Also participating will be Stephen Akard, director of international development for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.; Stephen Sterrett, chief financial officer of Simon Property Group; and scholars from IU's Kelley School of Business, Maurer School of Law, College of Arts and Sciences; Zhejiang University, the Thunderbird School of Global Management; Arizona State University and Peking University. The mayors of Indianapolis and Columbus, Ind., will offer their perspectives on economic development, as will other participants from Cummins Corp., Eli Lilly & Co., NICO Corp. and Baker & Daniels.

There is no cost to attend the conference, but registration is required. Complete information is available online. This program is part of the Initiative in Entrepreneurship and U.S.-China Business Cooperation, undertaken by IU's Research Center for Chinese Politics & Business.

The second day, which will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, will tackle entrepreneurship issues. Panels will discuss regional entrepreneurship patterns, business innovation in China, challenges presented by the issues of globalization and protectionism and the legal and political environment.

On the third day, the Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic in the IU Maurer School of Law and Kelley School of Business will present a morning-long workshop about legal services available to startups in both countries. For some, there also will be a tour of leading companies in central Indiana. In the afternoon, Vincent Mo, leader of China's largest online real estate market resource and an IU economics alumnus, will give a presentation and meet with students and others interested in China.

The conference's primary organizers are the Research Center for Chinese Politics & Business and the IU Office of the President. They are being supported by the IU Center for International Business Education and Research in the Kelley School, the College of Arts and Sciences, the IU Maurer School of Law and the offices of the vice president for international affairs and for engagement.

UPDATE (14 April 2009):
Indiana University announced that Huang Ping, consul general for the People's Republic of China in Chicago, will visit Indianapolis to participate in the conference. Also, China's deputy consul general in Chicago, Maoming Chu, will join more than 50 other speakers from the two countries at the conference.

The university also announced that the first day of the conference will be available for live viewing on the internet, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Huang Ping will be part of an opening panel that also will include Yang Wei, president of Zhejiang University; Gregory Ballard, mayor of Indianapolis; Michael McRobbie, IU's president; Mat Orrego, president and chief executive officer of Cornerstone Information Systems; Barbara Flynn, director of the Center for International Business Education and Research in IU's Kelley School of Business; and Scott Kennedy, director of the Research Center for Chinese Politics and Business and conference organizer.

Huang has been the consul general of the People's Republic of China in Chicago since 2007. He previously served in several top positions in the Chinese government: deputy director general of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2004-2007); vice mayor of Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province (2002-2004); counselor and consul general of the Chinese Embassy to Canada (1999-2002); division chief, Consular Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1990-1997); and attaché and then third secretary of the Chinese Embassy to the U.S. (1988-1990). Born in 1963 in Anhui Province, Huang Ping graduated from East China Normal University. Before assuming his current position as deputy consul general in Chicago, Maoming Chu was councilor for press affairs at the Chinese Embassy to the U.S. He also has worked at the Department of Press Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Embassy to Barbados and the Chinese Embassy to St. Lucia.

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Bloomington Company Buys British Columbian Firm

Bloomington-based Author Solutions (ASI) has announced the acquisition of the publishing assets of Trafford Publishing of Victoria, British Columbia.

Since its founding, Trafford has helped more than 15,000 authors from more than 120 countries publish and bring to market nearly 20,000 new titles.

Author Solutions is a leader in indie book publishing, said to be the fastest-growing segment of book publishing.

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Indiana's Future Through Multiculturalism

A "world cafe" style workshop is planned from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 22 April to consider "Indiana's Future through Multiculturalism".

On the agenda are discussions of strategies for successful integration into a new life in Indiana and strategies for creating and sustaining welcoming, thriving Hoosier communities for people from all over the globe.

The "Cultures at the Crossroads" workshop will take place in the Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center, 7453 North Keystone Avenue, Indianapolis.

The workshop is sponsored by the Indiana Humanities Council and the Indiana Multiethnic Committee along with the Sagamore Institute, Indiana Historical Society, Central Indiana Community Foundation and the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend.

Cost is $20; registration deadline is 10 April. For information, contact Catherine O'Connor, 800:675-8897 or 317:638-1500, ext. 116.

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Nationalities Council Mourns Victims

Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of those killed and injured in the shooting at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, NY, yesterday.

Apparently Jiverly Wong (Voong), an immigrant from Vietnam, targeted his fellow immigrants in an as-yet unexplained attack on the organization that assists immigrants and refugees with immigration and personal counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification, interpreters, and translators. Like the Nationalities Council of Indiana, the association also seeks to fosters cross cultural understanding for the entire community.

April in Paris Dinner to be 26 April

The 19th annual April in Paris dinner sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College of Central Indiana will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. 26 April in The Fountains Banquet and Conference Center, 502 East Carmel Drive, Carmel.

Enjoy a seven-course gourmet meal and wine airing planned, prepared and served by students from Ivy Tech's Hospitality Administration Program. There'll also be a silent and a live aution. Proceeds will benefit Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana student scholarships.

Individual tickets are $125; sponsorship possibilities include buying a table for eight ($1250). For tickets and more information, click here, or contact Brenda Blakley, 317:916-7829.


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Indiana Okinawa Kenjinkai Marks 15 Years

The Indiana Okinawa Kenjinkai celebrates its 15th anniversary on Saturday (4 April).

A dinner begins at 1 p.m. in the Indianapolis Marriott Hotel East, with a performance of traditional Okinawan music and dance set for 2 p.m. For more information, email Naoko Clark.

インデイアナ沖縄県人会 15周年記念祭

ご家族、お友達をお誘いの上ご参加下さい．

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International Film Festival

Indy's International Film Festival is scheduled for 15-25 July.

The mission of the Indianapolis International Film Festival is to present films that inform, enlighten, and educate the community by providing a vivid reflection of the rich cultural diversity of Indianapolis and the world beyond our doors.