Foreign students at K-State attended a cultural workshop sponsored by the International Student Scholar Services Thursday night. The workshop, which began at 6:30 in the International Student Center, assisted international students in understanding aspects of American life.
Sara Thurston-Gonzalez, director of the Office of International Programs, welcomed the audience and began the meeting by introducing herself and Heidi Minnihan, a peer advisor, to the crowd.
“My husband is from Mexico,” Thurston-Gonzalez said. “I travel a lot.” On an overhead screen appeared a list of prior residences and a list of countries she had visited.
They followed by leading a round of introductions. Each member of the audience, while standing, stated their name, country they are from, field of study and an interesting fact about themselves. Countries represented at the meeting included Canada, China, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, among others.
Audience members were also asked to share unique stories about their lives. One student has ridden a camel, while another got lost in San Francisco, another student’s ship sunk while traveling from Taiwan on his way to Kansas.
Another activity consisted of the audience arranging themselves in order of birthdate. There was a catch, however: they could not speak or write when forming the line. The activity lasted a few minutes as they motioned with hands to determine their proper places in the line. After it was complete, there were a few minor mistakes, but overall it was a successful activity.
The meeting took a different tone following the icebreaker. Thurston-Gonzalez and Minnihan presented information related to cultural issues in America.
Knowledge that most Americans take for granted was introduced to the foreign students. Topics included friendships, hygiene, telemarketing/spam, the nation’s independence, and social issues such as smoking, alcohol and drugs.
“Compared to my country, there are more opportunities in college to get involved and explore things,” said Joohyung Park, freshman in economics, on his initial impression of America.
At the end of the lecture, students were encouraged to ask questions regarding American customs. They were provided a list of resources in case they need more information.
Be the first to comment on this article!