Scene from "The Vertical Ray of the Sun"

CAB hosts Diversity Week at 1604, Downtown campuses

(Nov. 8, 2004)--The Asian bubble drink craze comes to UTSA in celebration of Diversity Week, as the Campus Activities Board (CAB) Awareness Committee and the Vietnamese Student Association present an international movie night from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11 in the Main Building Auditorium (0.104) at the 1604 Campus.

As the first event of its kind at UTSA, students, faculty and staff are invited to the free screening and "bubble up" event afterward with a sampling of authentic, Asian-inspired bubble drinks prepared on-site in a variety of lively flavors ranging from mango and coconut to mocha, cappuccino and cookies and cream. Both refreshing and invigorating, the sweet, foamy concoctions are increasingly garnering regional and national appreciation. The beverages will be accompanied by bite-size spring rolls.

Additionally, CAB will host a multicultural fair at the UTSA Downtown Campus from noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 17 in the Durango Building Student Activities Center. The event will feature booths and musical and dance performances representing a variety of student cultural and minority organizations. Each booth will showcase fliers, pictures and other information.

The international film night, Nov. 11, begins with a showing of "The Vertical Ray of the Sun," an alluring film that offers a glimpse into the uniqueness of traditional Vietnamese filmmaking and a vibrant vision of life in ultra-modern, post-war Vietnam, which has been unseen by many. In Vietnamese with subtitles, "The Vertical Ray of the Sun" is an emotionally evocative journey that trails the thrills and tribulations of four adult Vietnamese siblings during the anniversaries of their parents' deaths.

It is the third movie written and directed by Vietnamese filmmaker Tran Anh Hung, who is internationally acclaimed for his films, "Cyclo" and "The Scent of the Green Papaya." Shot on location in Hanoi amid a surreal backdrop of sensuous cinematography, the film is replete with striking imagery, intense colors and an enticing representation of the charm and mystery surrounding the capital of Vietnam. The film is a rarity in the world of contemporary filmmaking.

For more information about the international film night, contact Chris Johnson, CAB Awareness Committee chair, at (210) 458-4727 or Sara Grafton, CAB adviser, at (210) 458-4728.

For more information about the multicultural fair, contact Matthew Phelps, CAB Downtown Campus Committee chair at (210) 458-2816 or (210) 458-4727.

To travel to the Downtown Campus from the 1604 Campus, UTSA community members are encouraged to utilize VIA bus 94, free with a UTSACard.

--Chris Johnson