A touch of World Cup excitement came to Georgetown last week when the iCup soccer tournament kicked off the 14th annual iWeek.
“As the tournament progresses, they [the players] get really serious,” iCup coordinator Joan Shang (SFS ‘08) said. “Swear words were flying out everywhere, in Persian, in Spanish. Last year fights nearly broke out. It’s clear they don’t play for the prize but for the pride.”
The Iranian team won the tournament for the second year in a row, according to Amaan Ismail (SFS ’08), the coordinator for iParty. Aside from their skillful footwork, the Iranian team fueled speculation by passing up the free tee-shirts worn by all the other teams for authentic Iranian national team jerseys.
“Rumor on the street has it that the Iranian embassy sponsors them and buys them real jerseys,” Shang said. But Minoo Razavi, president of the Iranian Culture Society, denied the connection.
“They aren’t sponsored by the embassy,” Razavi said, laughing. “But the jerseys are ordered from Iran and look exactly like the ones the national team wears. The players have connections but we have nothing to do with the embassy.”
Sponsored by the Office of Student Programs, the International Students Association, and the Center for Student Programs, this year’s iWeek featured internationally-themed performances, lectures, a soccer (or more accurately, football) tournament, film screenings, and iParty, a food festival with ethnic cuisine from over 30 countries.
“The major message is to elevate awareness about Georgetown’s international diversity,” ISA Vice President Greg Gangelhoff (SFS ’09) said.
Another major event, Asiafest, will wrap up the week on Saturday in Gaston Hall, although it will defer to another Georgetown tradition by beginning at 2 p.m. in order to avoid conflicting with the Final Four basketball game. Asiafest Coordinator and Choreographer Aldrinana Leung (SFS ’07) said that this year’s Asiafest program boasts two new non-Asian culture student dance groups, Ritmo y Sabor and the Hoya Step Team, for the first time. The new groups will add diversity while modifying their routines to suit the Asian theme. The Step Team will use Chinese parasols and clips of Korean and Japanese songs.
“All acts are required to have an Asian theme,” Step Team Co-Captain Gina Corneau (COL ’07) said.
Aside from the big events like iCup and Asiafest, OIP encourages smaller cultural groups to participate in iWeek in a myriad of ways, including offering $150 to any group who wants to run a food table at iParty. iParty will last from seven to midnight on Harbin Patio on Friday night, according to Sheila Miller, the Assistant Director of International Student Scholar Services.
“It doesn’t matter what group you are, you are going to get publicity this way. If nobody has heard of you, you can set up a table at iParty. Who says no to food?” Ismail said, adding that iParty usually attracts between 300 and 400 people.
This year, the Singapore Society is one group taking advantage of the incentive. At iParty, the Singapore Society is thinking of serving beef rendang on OIP’s dime.
“It’s a curry that is not too spicy, but its thick and fragrant. Its more of a Malay dish than a Chinese dish but everyone in Singapore knows it and enjoys it,” Maple Cheng (SFS ’07) said.
