Clover Park Technical College’s McGavick Conference Center featured an eclectic mix of cultural displays, artifacts, and performances Tuesday as the college hosted its fifth annual Diversity & International Fair.
The two-hour fair spanned lunch time and covered for it with an assortment of culinary options. Ethnic food samples were available to try, and an Indonesian food vendor featured several options for attendees to enjoy. CPTC’s Associated Student Government provided food vouchers for 150 students, and attendees totaled nearly 300 to go with 14 vendors and performances by the Indonesian Cultural Association and Layla Rain.
“The Diversity & International Fair started off as a fledgling project cohosted between the International Education Programs and the CPTC Diversity Committee,” Diversity Committee member Sheli Sledge said. “We wanted to host an event that both celebrated our diversity and also brought us together in an environment to learn about each other and other cultures at the same time.”
Some of the booths featured arts and craft opportunities for attendees to try out, while others provided information about cultural resources available to the community. Part of the room was dedicated to artifacts brought in by CPTC employees to showcase their culture, while English as a Second Language students put together project boards to provide information about their native countries.
“We know that our campus is full of diverse students, staff, and faculty, and we want everyone to have a chance to share that,” Sledge said.
Now five years in, the event has grown in both scope and participants. That’s something Sledge hopes to see continue going forward.
“Each year we get a little bit bigger, and we hope to add more performers and activities to our stage and showcase more CPTC students’ talents in the future,” Sledge said.
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lance johnson says
Fairs like this are important because being an international student away from home is difficult, compounded by our complex culture and language problems. Welcoming and assimilation assistance must come from numerous sources, including the White House, to aid these young people embarking on life’s journey. Most struggle in their efforts and need guidance from schools’ international departments, immigration protection, host families, concerned neighbors and fellow students, and even informative books to extend a cultural helping hand.
Something that might help anyone coming to the US is the award-winning worldwide book/ebook “What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More.” Used in foreign Fulbright student programs and endorsed worldwide by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it identifies how “foreigners” have become successful in the US, including students.
It explains how to cope with a confusing new culture and friendship process, and daunting classroom differences. It explains how US businesses operate and how to get a job (which differs from most countries), a must for those who want to work with/for an American firm here or overseas.
It also identifies the most common English grammar and speech problems foreigners have and tips for easily overcoming them, the number one stumbling block they say they have to succeeding here.
Good luck to all wherever you study or wherever you come from, because that is the TRUE spirit of the American PEOPLE, not a few in government who shout the loudest! Supporters of int’l students must shout louder.