International Education Week showcases diversity
November 20, 2014
International Education Week, informally titled “Worldfest,” showcased a diverse array of events from Nov. 8-22 to encourage students to become mindful global learners. Worldfest was co-created by a committee formed between the the International Education Department and International Student Services (ISS).
“These [were] globally focused events that expanded your understanding and appreciation, whether it be music, performance, or ideas. It’s for everybody to become more aware, and to appreciate culture and diversity,” Anita Casper, Study Abroad advisor in the International Education Department, said.
The festivities began with the Bucknell’s Africa Student Association (BASA) Bash in Larison Dining Hall on Nov. 8 and continued on Nov. 11 with a student panel that answered international students’ questions about finding internships, called “International Students and the Internship Search.”
Festivities of Worldfest were held nearly every day beginning Nov. 17 and will end on Nov. 22. These include the “Basetrack Live” theatre performance based on the lives of American soldiers grounded in Afghanistan, a discussion titled “Global Conversations” featuring students and faculty sharing their views on global inequality, a performance by the Simon Shaheen Ensemble in the Campus Theatre, and a discussion held in the Writing Center titled “Learning and Writing Across Borders.” The celebration concludes on Nov. 22 with a South Asian Student Association (SASA) dinner in Larison Dining Hall. Worldfest also hosted a photo contest in which the student body voted for their favorite pictures capturing the experiences of other students who studied abroad.
“We have so many international events on our campus that we expanded. I almost think that we should call it International Education Month,” Casper said.
Though the range of events extends over a period of two weeks, the State Department designated the week of Nov. 16 as International Education Week.