Learn some game trivia and gain cultural insights with an exploration of international-focused programming open to the community during International Games Month (IGM) and International Education Week (IEW) at Lone Star College-CyFair this November.

Drop by the library to try the passive game Achi, which is a game from Ghana similar to tic-tac-toe, work puzzle tables, challenge friends to a variety of games at the monthly Board Game Bonanza afternoon Nov. 11, or play giant games, group games, online games and more for all ages throughout the month.

Game Did You Knows

For trivia buffs, Librarian Elizabeth Nebeker shares several international-related fun game facts.

Chess is believed to have originated in India, spread to Persia and then the world.

Jenga was invented in the UK and the name comes from the Swahili word "kujenga" meaning “to build or construct”.

The oldest known backgammon board was found in Iran, is more than 5,000 years old and one of the traditional games from antiquity that persists today.

Hundreds of variants of Mancala, which comes from the Arabic word “naqala” meaning literally “to move”, is played throughout the world and believed to be one of the oldest known board games, with origins tracing back thousands of years.

Originated in China in 19th century, Mahjong’s name was originally "Ma que" (sparrow), referring to the clacking sound of tiles, which later transformed into the term "mahjong".

International, Educational Programs (Nov. 17-Nov.20)

Come be part of LSC-CyFair’s international weeklong celebration with attendance at student presentations, a speaker event, performances and a book club discussion.

 IEW week kicks off Monday, Nov. 17 first with the Student International Research Showcase featuring student presentations, interactive discussions and cultural refreshments. Then join award-winning author and international history speaker Evan Rothera for a “Civil Wars and Reconstructions in the Americas” presentation.

Don’t miss LSC-CyFair Readers Theatre with faculty and staff performing a dramatic reading Nov. 18-19 of “No Exit” – a classic play about two women and one man who find themselves locked together in a room with no exit and searching for answers leads to them to a hideous existential truth.

Enjoy learning aspects of ESOL students’ native cultures and passions with “Who are We?” presentations Nov. 19 throughout the day in the library.

Also in the library concluding the IEW celebration is a Nov. 20 Books Without Borders Book Club discussion of Shahnaz Habib’s “Airplane Mode”.

For more information on any of these LSC-CyFair events, email Laura.Taggett@LoneStar.edu. To see other International Education Week events, go to LoneStar.edu/IEW.