STUDENTS SHOW OFF ATHLETIC SKILLS

Saket Rohatgi described cricket with all the enthusiasm of an American baseball fan before the players' strike.

He drew a diagram showing the bowler, the batsman and the wickets. He showed off his knee pads, gloves and bat, describing the function of each.

It was a chance for American sports lovers to peer into Rohatgi's native country, India, and learn about a game important to people there.

Organizers of Sunday's International Bazaar and Sports Expo at Houck Field House said that's what the event was all about. Foreign students from Southeast Missouri State University were there to teach Americans, and each other, about cricket, soccer, badminton and sepak takrow.

Many U.S. natives have had exposure to all but sepak takrow. Malaysian student Tia Edwin described it as resembling volleyball. Two teams of three people pass a rattan ball back and forth over a net using any part of their bodies except their hands.

The sports exposition wrapped up International Festival 1995, a weekend of food, music, dancing and fashion from other countries. George Dordoni, assistant director of Southeast's campus assistance center, said the event was designed to let people in Cape Girardeau meet visitors from the 40 nations represented at the university.

It was the first year for the sports expo part, but probably not the last. Katie Wellinger, treasurer of the Council of International Organizations, learned to be more open-minded from her Turkish boyfriend. She said some in the community are unaware of the cultural exposure available at Southeast.

"I guess it's the way everyone has been raised," Wellinger said. "They haven't been around international students. When I was in high school and heard the students talking, I would think they were just babbling, but now I see it is a form of self-expression."

Even some of the international groups once avoided each other, competing in intermural soccer but not associating otherwise. Now they play practice games together and enjoy talking before and after the games.

The groups even cooked together for the International Dinner and Dance Saturday night at the University Center Ballroom.

Dordoni, who advises international students, said the events could have been better attended this year, but late notice to some people and a weekend full of other activities kept potential participants away. However, advertising in the community and good contributions from merchants helped make International Festival 1995 a positive thing.