ORONO – The University of Maine is celebrating its first annual Latin America Week, “Latin America: Cultural Discourses, Yesterday and Today – Latinoam?rica: Discursos culturales, ayer y hoy,” with activities including lectures, an Afro-Cuban drumming demonstration, films, discussions and a poetry reading.

Latin America Week is sponsored by UMaine’s Latin American Studies program, which features an interdisciplinary curriculum with courses in modern languages and literature, anthropology, history and economics. A minor in Latin American Studies is offered through the program.

Participation will include those with local expertise, such as Orono’s Adult Education program in a Cuban poetry reading.

Remaining activities are:

. Thursday, April 11: “Human Rights Panel,” conducted in Spanish by students from Bangor High School’s Spanish V class, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 207 Little Hall. Valorie Larson, a UMaine instructor of Spanish and a Spanish teacher at Bangor High, will be the facilitator.

“Dos lenguas, dos mundos: biling?ismo y literatura – Two Languages, Two Worlds: Bilingualism in Literature,” conducted in Spanish by UMaine professor of Spanish Kathleen March, 2-3 p.m., 211 Little Hall.

“La novela social de Cuba, siglo XX – The Social Novel of Cuba in the 20th Century,” conducted in Spanish by Luis Martul, 3:30-5 p.m., 211 Little Hall. Martul is a professor of Latin American literature at Universidad de Santiago de Compostela in Spain and has been at UMaine conducting research.

. Friday, April 12: “Afro-Cuban Drumming: Instruments, Techniques and Rhythms,” a demonstration by UMaine professor of music Stuart Marrs and the UMaine Percussion Ensemble, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Room 102, Class of 1944 Hall.

“Arte de Colombia (Art of Colombia),” 2:15-3:15 p.m., 207 Little Hall, conducted in Spanish by Maria Rave, a UMaine instructor of Spanish and a Spanish teacher at John Bapst Memorial High School. The program will include a display of Colombian art, including her own.