From the UI College of Education spring 2013 alumni magazine

Thousands of miles from Iowa, an earthquake struck China last week, but some University of Iowa students still felt the impact. On April 20, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the center of Ya’an, located in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, killing more than 192 people and leaving more than 11,000 injured, according to the Associated Press. On Thursday night, approximately 100 students each held a white carnation as they encircled the candles that formed a heart shape in the middle of the Kautz Plaza. They then prayed for the victims at Ya’an.

Rong Zhang, soprano, and Wayne Wyman, piano, will present a free recital “The Voices of Spring” Friday, April 26, from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

As the end of the semester nears, come enjoy a late-afternoon concert of haunting Sufi melodies from the Indian Desert. This free concert is open to the public and will be held Friday, April 26, from 4-6 p.m. in 1117 University Capitol Centre. Chai and Indian snacks will be served.

Cristina Ortiz remembers growing up as part of the lone Latino family in Leon, Iowa, a tiny town in south central Iowa with less than 2,000 residents.

“My paternal grandparents were Mexican-American migrant workers, and the Latino population in Leon was basically my family,” says the 32-year-old University of Iowa anthropology doctoral student who is pursuing research that includes the Chin Burmese refugee population in Columbus Junction, Iowa, her new home during graduate school.

You may recognize her striking face from fashion spreads in Elle and Vogue or the Victoria's Secret runway, but Alek Wek has another story to tell. Not that of an international supermodel but of the struggles of life as a refugee.

On April 5, Wek will tell the story of her personal journey as a refugee and her current work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) when she appears as a guest on International Programs’ WorldCanvass television and radio program as part of the UI Provost’s Global Forum on Refugees in the Heartland. WorldCanvass will be held in the Old Capitol Senate Chamber from 5 to 7 p.m., on Friday, April 5, 2013, and the public is invited to attend.

International immigrants are attracted to the Midwest, and Iowa specifically, for its low unemployment rate and cost of living, diverse economic sectors, and educational opportunities, said Amy Weismann, associate director for the University of Iowa’s Center for Human Rights.

“Especially for refugees, people come from places with violence and economic strife where they fear authorities,” she said. “Iowa is much less anxious and a more accommodating place to live and not only survive but thrive.”