International Education Week kicks off
More than 40 tables representing cultural student organizations and study abroad programs lined the street as music from a number of cultures played. At one point, a group of Japanese students — including a student dressed in a vibrant yellow unitard, a feather boa and Pikachu ears — performed a precisely choreographed dance number.
International Education Week, a "joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education," according to the State Department's website, has been celebrated at USC since its inception in 2000.
"It has definitely grown each year," said International Student Adviser Gaby Martinez. "There are over 30 events this week — six more than last year — and a lot of other departments are involved: the Walker Institute, the Department of Political Science, the Moore School of Business, the Engineering Department, etc."
"This week highlights what [USC's international community] puts forward every day," said Gaby Peschiera-Carl, assistant director of USC's Study Abroad Office.
"We have about 1,300 international students, not including over 200 intensive English students, and all of these students represent over 100 countries. In addition, over 1,000 USC students study abroad every year, allowing our international community to grow."
Later in the day, the Office of International Programs screened four documentaries made by international students and students who had studied abroad, illustrating their experiences.
The week is also designed to encourage conversation between American students and their foreign peers.
"We try to bring American and international students together," said second-year international business student Bader Almandeel, president of the International Student Association and the Association of Saudi Arabian Students.
Almandeel, who is from Saudi Arabia himself, is the recipient of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah scholarship.
"A lot of international students may be shy and have trouble approaching American students, but they find it easier when they're talking about their own culture," Almandeel said.
The full schedule of International Education Week events can be found at www.ip.sc.edu/iew.