The University Center for International Education (UCIE) will host another International Coffee Hour that will allow students to explore different ethnicities of students on campus. The focus is Halloween activities such as pumpkin carvings. It will be held on Oct. 26, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Residence Services Meeting Area.
“This is a chance for American students to share Halloween customs with international students,” Namrata Dave, Graduate Assistant, said. “Many International students that come to Wright State have never celebrated Halloween. They don’t understand the customs of trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, dressing up in costumes and going to haunted places.”
According to Dave, UCIE has been hosting this event for many years. One of the things they are doing different from last year is providing students with transportation to a haunted house after the Coffee Hour. Currently, they are looking at JC’s Haunted House in Riverside.
“The list of activities we will be having during the Coffee Hour will begin with balloon tagging,” Dave said. “Balloon tagging is a game where students tie balloons to their ankles and try to pop the balloons of the other students as well as trying to not get their own balloons popped. We will also have bobbing for apples. Students will only have 30 seconds to gather as many apples with their mouth as possible. And last but not least we will have a pumpkin carving. Food and drinks will also be provided.”
“We started the process of putting this event together around late August. The purpose of this event is for international students to get exposed to American culture and for American students to display what Halloween symbolizes to them,” Dave said.
UCIE will also be having other events throughout the semester that bridge the gap between American and international students.
“We will be continuing our Coffee Hour Gathering on Nov.2,” Dave said. “At that event we will have indoor games for students such as a ping pong tournament. Nov. 30 we will have a potluck where international students can bring a dish from their home country and American students can bring their favorite dish as well.”
“UCIE will also be heavily involved in International Education Week which is from Nov. 12-16,” Dave said. “During that week we will have a photo contest where international students must take pictures of landscapes in America, and American students must take pictures of landscapes in a foreign country they obtained through study abroad programs. There will also be International Movie Night and Game Night where students will play different foreign games.”
For more information please contact the UCIE at 775-5745.
