By Molly Igoe
News Editor
For this year’s International Education Week, Washington College’s Global Education Office decided on a “friendships beyond borders,” according to sophomore Felicia Attor, a student worker for IEW.
They chose this theme, “to celebrate the friendships built at WC in spite of cultural, geographical, and linguistic barriers,” she said.
The celebration began on Saturday, Nov. 11. Various dishes from South Korea, Germany, France, Thailand, Ghana, Russia, Israel, India, Suadi Arabia, Ecuador, Japan, and China were featured, and they were all cooked by students, according to Attor.
“We also had music and dance from different countries. Students got a chance to learn different dance routines from different cultures as well as try new foods,” she said.
On Tuesday, Nov. 14, students were able to participate in a World Cup, where students played soccer, and Apple and Caramel Night, with caramel toppings for apples, and hot chocolate, Attor said.
For those interested in speed dating, there was Language Speed Dating Night on Thursday, Nov. 16.
“For this night, we had multi-lingual students teach other students a few phrases in other languages, not including English, in a speed dating setting,” she said.
To round out the festivities, they held a Dumplings and Bonfire Night at the Dorchester fire pit on Friday, Nov. 17, with dumplings, s’mores, and music.
“It went really well, we had a pretty good turn out even though it was cold, and it was a good mix of both international and domestic students there,” senior Emily Stakem said.
IEW, according to their website, “is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide…is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.”
It is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, visit www.iew.state.gov.
Additional reporting by Abby Wargo, student life editor