Foods from around the world, ethnic dances and peace promotion are a few things in store for the ISU community as International Week begins today.

The event will run today through Saturday, Nov. 11, and is organized and run by student members of the International Student Council and the International Week Committee.

Naveen Vembakkam, International Week chairman, said an estimated 1,500 people are expected to attend the annual eight-day event, which includes candle lighting to promote peace, a Global Food Fair, a fashion show and musical performances from various international-student organizations.

“It’s a great opportunity for Americans to meet students from different countries and learn about their cultures,” said Vembakkam, senior in industrial engineering.

With the exception of the opening ceremony, Vembakkam said all events will be in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

At the opening ceremony, attendants will be invited to light floating candles on Lake Laverne and inscribe their signatures on a “sign for peace board,” said Kaya Tolon, opening ceremony chairman and International Student Council vice president.

He said the ceremony will include a talk on promoting world peace by Joanna Courteau, university professor of foreign language and literatures, who is also a representative of the United Nations in Ames. Cake and hot chocolate will be served to illustrate this year’s theme, “Peace of Cake.”

Tolon, senior in industrial engineering, said students wishing to take part in International Week should attend the opening ceremony to learn about all the activities during the eight days.

At Diwali Night, an authentic Indian dinner will be served for a cost of $8, but the rest of the night’s musical, comedy and dancing entertainment is free, Tolon said.

About 400 students are expected to attend the Global Food Fair Sunday. Guests will have the chance to taste homemade ethnic foods from 11 different countries, said Luke Rolfes, member of the Global Food Fair Committee.

Rolfes said some of these foods include chirashi-sushi, a Japanese dish with rice, vegetables and fried eggs; plantains, which are fried bananas from Africa; and feijoada, a Brazilian dish made of beef, bacon, pork or sausage fried with onion, garlic and black beans.

Admittance to the food fair is $1 at the door, said Rolfes, freshman in English and computer science, in addition to the cost of the food. He said a meal would probably range from $4 to $5.

Rolfes said he is looking forward to International Week.

“I think it’s exciting to learn about other cultures,” he said. “Since I live on an international floor, I’m pretty interested in it.”

The week will culminate with a closing ceremony Friday, Nov. 10, in the Great Hall, though the week does not officially end until the Saturday dance. Musical and theatrical performances by different international organizations and a fashion show will be a part of the closing ceremony.

The purpose of International Week is twofold, Tolon said, adding that all proceeds of International Week will finance scholarships for international students, as they are not able to receive financial aid otherwise.

“First of all, it is to promote international understanding,” he said. “Another reason is the support of the international students financially.”