Every Friday for the last five years, ISU students have met in the Maintenance Shop of the Memorial Union with the aim of changing the world through conversation, and everyone is invited to join them.

From 3 to 5 p.m., the International Peer Assistance group holds its Friday Caf‚.

However, the larger purpose of the event may be forgotten with the free popcorn, pop and a good game of chess that are included.

“Friday Caf‚ was started to increase interaction between U.S. and international students,” said Ken Tsai, organizer of Friday Caf‚. Tsai said the event is a comfortable place for cross-cultural exchange.

“Two American ISU students who wanted to create a place for multicultural interaction on the ISU campus started Friday Caf‚ with the help of International Education Services about five years ago,” said Virginia McCallum, program coordinator for International Education Services. “The students read about similar programs at other universities and thought the ISU community would benefit from increased multicultural interaction.”

Iowa State’s 2,500 international students make up nearly 10 percent of the student population, she said.

“Many [international students] will spend four years here and never really know an American,” McCallum said. “Do we want them to come here and live on the surface of our culture, or do we want to them to understand how we are?”

Although primarily attended by international students, Tsai said Friday Caf‚ is open to anyone.

“We don’t discriminate. We are trying to get people together,” he said.

Tsai said American students usually come when their teachers offer extra credit for attending.

“More Americans would be great,” McCallum said. She said she also sees Friday Caf‚ as a place for international students to get to know other international students from countries besides their home country.

“It’s a good place to hang out with friends,” Tsai said. “It’s Friday afternoon. We want people to relax.”

Several times a semester Friday Caf‚ focuses on discussion topics and brings in guest speakers. Past speakers have included members of the ISU football team to talk about American football.

As for changing the world, Friday Caf‚ may be a good place to start, McCallum said.

“Considering the level of anti-Americanism currently in the world, Friday Caf‚ would be one opportunity for Americans to do something to counteract that,” she said.

McCallum said Friday Caf‚ can play a role in the inevitability of globalization.

“Iowa needs to make contacts with the rest of the world,” McCallum said. “Here is a chance.”