The week of Nov. 17 marked this year’s International Education Week, hosted by the Fries Center for Global Studies at the University. International Education Week, a joint initiative by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education, strives to bring awareness to global issues, celebrate different cultures on campus, and increase intercultural understanding.
The program began this week, ranging from “Stitch the World: A Cultural Cross-Stitch Souvenir” to the International Talent Show to “Cultural Photography: Ethiopian Portraits.” Students had the opportunity to explore the rich cultural history at the University by participating in these events.
“How to Not Get Scammed Around the World” was an event hosted by Assistant Director of International Student Engagement Dari Jigjidsuren and the Wesleyan International Speakers Program (WISP) on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Students had the opportunity to listen to presentations on different types of frauds around the world and each presenter’s recommendations on how to avoid them in tourist locations. The event had various speakers representing Romania, China, Ghana, and Japan.
Baidawu Iliyasu ’29, a presenter for Ghana, shared her thoughts on intercultural engagement opportunities at the University.
“I think Ghana is a country with rich and diverse cultures, which attracts a lot of tourists,” Iliyasu said. “By participating in WISP, I get the platform to put the country in global conversations.”
Wednesday, Nov. 19, began with “Food and Mood: The Effect of Nutrition on Mental Health,” an informative breakfast event hosted by WesWell and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). They re-emphasized the importance of cultural engagement on campus through food and nutrition.
“CAPS and WesWell recognize the importance of talking about wellness through a variety of topics,” Health Promotion Specialist Sarah Gossman said. “One of these topics that we found to be overlooked is how the food we consume impacts our mental health. Our goal was to educate students on different nutritional components of common breakfast items. Food is a way for people to share a part of themselves to others, or simply remind them of their own community and culture.”
Students and faculties were given the opportunity to grab breakfast from an array of healthy cross-cultural options, such as Greek yogurt, naan, and hummus. WesWell also laid out free flyers about different cultural breakfast menus and essential nutritional values for students to take.
On Wednesday night, students, faculty, and community members alike got the opportunity to view a screening of “Happening”, a French film narrating the experiences of the protagonist Anne, a promising university student who experiences the traumatic process of getting an illegal abortion in 1960s France.
“I thought that it was a good time to show this film in the United States today,” Associate Professor of French Michael Meere said. “The thought that this could be a reality, and that this is a reality, again, for some women. It provides us with a historical perspective on clandestine abortions so that we don’t forget what they look like.”
Thursday, Nov. 20, followed with events such as “Healing Before Illness: Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine” and the International Talent Show hosted by the Eclectic Society.
Friday, Nov. 21, will have “Cultural Photography: Ethiopian Portraits”, “AI as a Tool” and other events on the IEW program.
Additionally, the Mahjong Club, where students gather together to play the Chinese tile-based game in groups of four, will hold their weekly meeting on Friday afternoon.
“The Mahjong Club has brought together not only international students who grew up playing mahjong but also domestic students who have an interest in learning about East Asian culture,” club member James Lacroix ’27 said. “It facilitates a dialogue between cultures not often found in normal university activity.”
Organizers described IEW as a valuable opportunity to recognize the many experiences of the University community
“A key objective of IEW is to call attention to the depth and diversity of ways in which our university community is already international, both so we can celebrate this and so we can learn from others’ perspectives,” Director of the Fries Center for Global Studies Stephen Angle wrote in an email to The Argus. “Celebrating our international diversity helps all to feel that they belong here!”
Grace Lee can be reached at glee01@wesleyan.edu.
Alessandra Woo can be reached at aawoo@wesleyan.edu.
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