This semester, the concentration for the ensemble has been Afro-Cuban rhythms and related African rhythms. They will present EhGunGun and Iyesa along with a Cuban “Descarga” jam session, an EDM-inspired Guaguanc贸 and a parade rhythm known as Conga Comparsa.

The group is made up of students that have had little or no prior experience in drumming and have exceled in their efforts to play these challenging rhythms. This semester the ensemble consists of Nihar Deshmukh, Nik Heiser, Jacob Laxton, Tyler Lopez, Walt Pierce, Jack Rickett, Wium Roets and Madison Tiplett. The ensemble is directed by Adjunct Instructor in Music Jim Roberts.

The Elon World Percussion Ensemble, soon to be renamed the Elon African Diaspora Ensemble, is open to any in the student or faculty body (MUS1081A) without auditions. All levels are accepted. Students or faculty may email jroberts10@elon.edu for details.

The film traces the life and politics of a quaint French town, Pondicherry, as the Tamil French people gear up for the 2017 presidential elections. It explores notions of identity, citizenship, and home in the post-colonial era. Professor of Religious Studies Brian Pennington will moderate the post-screening Q&A.

This event will take place in the McBride Gathering Space in the Numen Lumen Pavilion at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. “Two Flags” is shown in Tamil and French with English subtitles.

Kumar鈥檚 visit and this screening are made possible with the support of the Elon Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society and the Department of World Languages and Cultures.

Discussants at the dinner included students from the new Master’s in Higher Education program. The neighborhood hosted a special guest for the event: President Connie Ledoux Book. In her honor, there was a category of questions called “Presidents and Books.” 

The contest consisted of five questions in each of six categories. In addition to the usual trivia topics of sports and music, there were unique categories with questions about Elon history and educational equality, which is the Neighborhood’s theme this year. Teams were limited to eight people cell phones were prohibited.

The questions were written, researched, and verified by a team of students and faculty/staff from the Global Neighborhood, including Arianne Payne, Lallo Yadeta (RAC and Lead Student Mentor), Jillian Epperson (Grad Apprentice), and Daniel Griffin (partner-in residence.) The contest was enthusiastically hosted by Payne and Yadeta. In addition to the prize for the most correct answers, a prize was also awarded for the team with the most creative name.

This is the final big event that the Global Neighborhood will host this fall. Look for the next House Dinner and film seriesin February.

This month, the discussions were hosted by students from the International Living Learning Community. Located in Global D, this living learning community consists of students from international backgrounds as well as students interested global issues. The students invited faculty and staff from international backgrounds as guests. The food was also international, featuring Korean cuisine.

Discussion prompts, written by the International Living Learning Community students, included such interesting questions as: How do you define “home?” Why do you travel how you do? How do you define “international student”? How can we learn to engage with people different than us?

The tables were free to follow the prompts or to pursue the conversation down whatever paths it took. Everyone enjoyed sharing stories and perspectives.

The format of the discussion groups is based on “” model. These small dinners, hosted all over the country, bring together people from different political and ideological backgrounds to have meaningful conversations over food.

The next Global Neighborhood Association dinner will be held Wednesday, April 4 from 5:45-7 p.m.