SC State’s International Resource Center promotes cultural understanding with Country of the Month series

ORANGEBURG, S.C. - The International Resource Center at South Carolina State University is continuing its mission to enhance international experiences for students with the launch of its Country of the Month series.

The initiative is designed to introduce the campus community to the history, geography, artifacts, music, food and traditions of people in a variety of countries under the IRC's theme: "Exploring the World, One Country at a Time."

Creating cultural engagement

Artifacts, food and drink from the South American country of Peru will be featured through August at the International Resource Center (IRC), which opened in September 2025 as part of SC State's Office of Global Engagement. The center is on the first floor of Belcher Hall.

"With the series, we're looking at exposing students one country at a time to its history, food, music and, in some instances, fashion. Each month the experience is to encourage cultural understanding, global curiosity and meaningful engagement," said Steven Gethers, international experiences coordinator in the Office of Global Engagement.

Examples of Peruvian sculpting and painting will be on full display, with items including clay animal vessels, painted panels, pots and a sculpted clay church façade.

Dr. Learie Luke, director of Global Engagement, said SC State Associate Professor of Spanish Susan Stein donated the Peruvian artifacts.

"Dr. Stein's donation is probably the first donation to the International Resource Center. She gave this before we even stood up this thing last September. She gave us all these huacos," Luke said.

Stein's collection offers students a closer look at an art form with roots in the ancient cultures of Peru.

"Huacos are ancient vessels made of clay that come from the people who lived in the Andes Mountains in Peru. There were various nations alongside the Incas, who ruled the region, including the Huari, the Nazca and the Moche people," Stein said.

She said the Moche people were famous for making huacos that were portraits of individuals.

"The huacos you see are replicas of the genuine ancient artifacts that are collected in museums in Peru. They are sold in open-air markets in Lima, Peru. My father and I made various trips to Peru in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and brought back many of the huacos you see," she said.

"I wanted to make this donation because of my love of and faith in multiculturalism and for Dr. Luke," Stein said.

A month of activities

During the week of Aug. 10-14, a Peruvian huaco collection will be on display at the IRC. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, there will be a tasting station outside the IRC featuring Inca Kola.

"It is a widely renowned beverage of Peru. It's one of few beverages that have outsold Coca-Cola," Gethers said.

There will also be a PowerPoint presentation featuring aspects of Peru's geography, history, culture and natural wonders. It can be viewed in the corridor near Room 126 in Belcher Hall.

"Every month there will be a new country. The programming for the most part will be the same. We're designing things that can be replicated. Of course, the food and some of the display items would change, but we will have it every month throughout the school year," Gethers said.

An artifact of the day will be featured every Tuesday and Thursday.

"We'll take a photo of an artifact and include some facts and important details along with it. That is then sent out to the campus community. Once a month, I will have a quiz to see who is actually paying attention to them … Whoever answers correctly will win a prize," Gethers said.

During the week of Aug. 17-21, faculty, staff and academic leadership will have a "Touch, Taste and See" experience. Authentic Peruvian cuisine, including oven-roasted Peruvian chicken with green sauce and Spanish rice, will be served. A guided tour of the artifact exhibit will also be held, with faculty members being asked to consider how to incorporate the exhibits into their assignments.

"A major goal this year is to get all students to visit the International Resource Center," Luke said, noting that professors assigning extra credit assignments to students who visit the exhibits is one way to fulfill that goal.

During the week of Aug. 24-28, Global Engagement staff will visit academic buildings and the Kirkland W. Green Student Center to distribute fliers about the services Global Engagement provides.

Along with the Peruvian artifact display, students will also be served Chicha Morada, a traditional nonalcoholic Peruvian beverage made from purple corn, fruits and spices.

A raffle drawing of submitted tickets throughout the month will be conducted Friday, Aug. 28. Visitors to the IRC will also be asked to complete a survey to provide feedback to Global Engagement staff on the impact of the Country of the Month series' activities.

Promoting the IRC

The IRC offers support for short-term cultural immersion programs and longer-term study abroad experiences. The center also promotes cultural exchange and global engagement on campus, helping foster a sense of community and awareness among international students.

"Last spring and summer, we had students who went to England, Ghana, Barcelona, Spain, Mongolia and South Korea. We have a goal in our strategic plan of getting 50 percent of the students overseas before they graduate," Luke said.

"Every activity we have in the Office of Global Engagement is geared to that," he said.

He encourages the donation of more items to be featured in the IRC. Schools and community groups are welcome to visit, as well, he said.

"We're going to appeal to faculty, staff and students to donate or loan artifacts for the International Resource Center. That is very critical. This semester we're also going to be making a big push for K-12 schools and community organizations to visit the IRC."

For more information about the IRC, including how to visit and donate, contact Gethers by phone at 803-536-7877 or email at [email protected].

To loan or donate artifacts to the IRC, or to make a tax-deductible gift to the Bulldog Global Experiences Fund, contact Luke at [email protected]. For more information on Global Engagement, visit https://www.scsu.edu/oinsep.