CSU aims to provide an environment where students from across the United States and abroad can come together and learn without being discriminated against. Students of different backgrounds study side by side in class, but often don’t get the opportunity to learn about each other and many of the cultural identities represented at CSU.

The Global Awareness and International Affairs Club works to expand on cross-cultural interactions and take it outside the classroom. With their April 13 event, The Media and Misconceptions of Islam, students will get the opportunity to learn about a growing issue surrounding the views of Muslims, interact with other students and enjoy  free food. 

The event will feature guest speaker Elmurad E. Kasym, a native of Kyrgyzstan, who came to the United States in August 2010. He received a bachelor’s degree in English and German prior to pursuing his master’s degree in international security at the University of Denver. He is currently leading PhD research on the topic of Islamophobia. 

The event will feature a presentation by Kasym, followed by a question and answer session. Students will then have the opportunity to continue the conversation through roundtable discussions over Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean food.

The roundtable discussion will be a larger-scale version of the club’s bi-weekly “culture cafe,” which allows students from a variety of cultures to come together and converse over snacks.

The Global Awareness International Affairs Club works to promote understanding and community building through their activities and events.

“That’s what this is all about — helping international students learn about American culture and helping Americans learn about (international) cultures,” club president Andrew Marca said.

For Marca, it’s important to create a space where people can learn about other cultures before making assumptions, and the event helps target that goal.

“It’s all about learning about Islam to help make them feel comfortable in our country that is built off immigrants,” Marca said.

The Media and Misconceptions of Islam event is presented by The Global Awareness International Affairs Club in partnership with the Muslim Student Association. It will be held at 5 p.m. April 13 in room A101 in the Behavioral Sciences Building. The event is free of charge and no tickets are necessary. 

Collegian Reporter Nicole Towne can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @nicole_towne21.