Gannon University this week is observing both Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and International Education Week.

As part of Hunger and Homelessness Week, Gannon students will be able to donate to Oxfam America the cost of one of their meals. Oxfam works internationally to find solutions to poverty and injustice.

Students also will be able to attend the annual Global Banquet, to begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 in the Yehl Room. The banquet is designed to help students learn more about issues like world hunger and international trade and will include a poverty simulation.

In addition, George Watson, a formerly homeless Erie man, will speak to the students during the banquet. Watson will share his experiences of living on the streets and how he kept a positive attitude amidst the despair and hopelessness of living on the streets. He is currently the day manager at the Upper Room, a shelter located at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 1024 Peach St.

The Global Banquet is also part of International Education Week.

Other highlights of the week include the annual Box City, to be held Thursday, Nov. 19. Students, faculty, and staff will take up temporary residence in A.J.'s Way and collect change from passers-by from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Money collected from the Box City will be donated to local agencies: Emmaus Ministries, International Institute, the Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Sisters of St. Joseph Thanksgiving Fund. This year, Gannon University will host the Sisters of St. Joseph's 21st annual Thanksgiving Dinner, which previously took place at the Marketplace Grill.

The Box City is also part of International Education Week.

Thursday also will include a lecture, "A Holocaust Survivor Remembers," given by Dr. Gideon Frieder and facilitated by Dr. Jeff Bloodworth. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Yehl Room.

Frieder is a professor in the department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In addition, he is a survivor volunteer with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, also located in Washington, D.C.

Another event being observed as part of both Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and International Education Week is Friday's Culture Fair. The Fair will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on the first floor of the Waldron Center and will include a number of events, presentations, and displays:

• A U.S. Passport application table, global artifact displays, Mehndi (henna) tattoos and demonstrations on Sari wrapping, information on study abroad, and a raffle for international books, CDs, and DVDs.
• Information also will be available on fair trade and buying fair trade items. Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries promote economic sustainability.
• Dr. Carlos Mamani will present "Across Indianities and Pachamamas: A Personal View from a Native Son." Dr. Dorothy Kalanzi will offer Kiganda/Congolese dance lessons.
• Attendees will be able to sample various international foods. Several Erie residents will demonstrate Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form combining elements of martial arts, music, and dance.

Gannon on Tuesday, Nov. 17 will welcome seniors from Central Tech and Strong Vincent high schools for the University's annual Diversity Day. Diversity Day is designed to help local minority high school students who might not see college as a viable option better determine if it is right for them. Nearly 20 students are registered to participate. During their visit, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the students will have several opportunities to meet and talk with current Gannon University students, faculty, and administrators.

Several Gannon faculty members will give lectures for the CETL International Series, which is a part of International Education Week. The lectures will be held in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in the Palumbo Center. Two more are scheduled as follows: Thursday, Nov. 19, 3-4 p.m.: "Poetry and Translation -- A Journey of Discovery," to be presented by Dr. Martha Kosir, assistant professor, foreign languages. Friday, Nov. 20, 9-10 a.m.: "Debriefing on IEEE/UN Foundation's Humanitarian Technology Challenge in Africa," by Dr. Wook Won Lee, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering.

Gannon faculty and staff are asked to put on their aprons this week and dust off their cookbooks for the annual "Pie for All," to be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19 in the Waldron Center. The Gannon University Social Work Club is asking the Gannon Community for donations of pie. Pies can be dropped off in the Waldron Center between 10:15-10:30 a.m. Personal pie pans should be labeled and picked up by 1 p.m. Slices of pie can be purchased for $1 a slice, or $10 for a whole pie. All monies raised will support the 31st annual Social Work Club Christmas Dinner and Wellness Fair, which will be held Saturday, Dec. 5. The Dinner and Wellness Fair help make the holidays a little brighter for those who otherwise might not have much to celebrate.

The University's offices of Health and Counseling Services and Public Safety will show off their new digs during an Open House, to be held from 3-4:30 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 20. The offices now are located in the lower level of Harborview, 210 West 6th. This is an opportunity for the Gannon Community to see the new and relocated spaces for these offices. The Open House will begin with a blessing by Rev. George Strohmeyer, University Chaplain, and a ribbon cutting. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to share in this event.

Gannon University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will host a fundraiser for a Gannon coach and alumnus whose husband recently died. The fundraiser, a Talent Show to be performed by Gannon's student-athletes, will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 in the Hammermill Center. The event is open to the general public. Admission is $2 per person and donations will be collected during the event. All proceeds will benefit Sandy Zirkle-Trocki (shown at right), a 1997 Gannon graduate. Her husband, John Trocki, died in August. Zirkle-Trocki is currently an assistant coach for the Gannon men's and women's cross country teams and is the strength and conditioning coach for the women's lacrosse team. "As student-athletes, we wanted to do something to help raise money and show our support for Sandy and her girls," said Rosie Cooper, SAAC representative and a member of the women's cross country team.