During the week of Nov. 13-17, Utah Tech University’s International Program has events planned with free food and prizes for International Education Week.
The week is a national opportunity through the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. It is a way to promote and celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.
The schedule of the events on campus includes:
- Study Abroad Fair – Nov. 13 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Karaoke – Nov. 14 from 5-7 p.m.
- Capture the Flag – Nov. 15 from 4:30-6 p.m.
- UTSA Soup Night/ Food Drive – Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
- International Trivia/ Game Night – Nov. 17 from 3-5 p.m.
The week is filled with multiple events as a way to highlight the different cultures that can be found around campus. Shadman Bashir, director of the International Student and Scholars Office, said it is a way to build bridges between the U.S. and international cultures.
“More of the people across campus get to know international students, get to learn from international students, and also help these students create links with the community,” Bashir said.
Utah Tech has around 200 international students from over 50 countries. Capture the flag is one of the many ways these countries can be seen during International Education Week. The flags used in these games belong to different countries, which students then have to find across campus. The team that finds the most flags will win a wellness basket.
International Royalty Ives Hong, a junior psychology major from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, said this is the event he is looking forward to the most.
Hong said: “We have events to educate people on international things. I love capture the flag a lot because people don’t even know what a Vietnamese flag looks like.”
On the other hand, Monday’s event, the Study Abroad Fair, is a way for students to learn about different study abroad programs occurring next year. Faculty members or other study abroad program leaders will be there to answer any questions regarding their program. There are also small prizes that can be won during that time.
International Trivia and Game Night will be the night with the most prizes from items like a JBL Speaker to AirPod Pros. Melissa Zometa, a junior art major from El Salvador, is looking forward to this night and learning information about other cultures.
“It’s cool because they [international students] all come here to hang out, and you can reach out to different cultures and it feels like you belong,” Zometa said.
International Education Week has a variety of events for everyone to enjoy while learning about other cultures whether that is karaoke or international trivia.
“The more people that visit this [event], the better for us, all of us, because we can always learn so much from not only international students, but we can also teach international students about the U.S. culture in southern Utah,” Bashir said.
