WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Area residents will learn about Missouri State University-West Plains’ (MSU-WP) international students and their home countries during a special event on April 11 in the Carol Silvey Student Union at Hass-Darr Hall, 201 Garfield Ave.
“Around the World With Our International Students” will begin at 5:30 p.m. and features presentations from students attending MSU-WP who call South Africa, Georgia, Brazil, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand home.
It also will feature a selection of international foods that attendees can sample.
Student presentations will include a slide show illustrating what it was like growing up in their communities and countries, what brought them to MSU-WP, and their future goals and dreams.
“Last year’s event was a huge success with more than 100 attending,” said Dr. Kathleen Morrison, professor of political science at the university. “We hope that this year’s program will be even better as it focuses on the students’ experiences growing up in their home countries and includes a smorgasbord of international foods to be enjoyed by the audience.”
“The goal of the presentations was to allow the international students the ability to showcase their home countries and give the people of our region a view of their world,” added Ashleigh Jackson, a sophomore from Thayer who co-chaired last year’s event and is assisting with this year’s presentations. “The event went really well last year, and although the presenters were nervous, they did an amazing job.”
Attendees will be able to visit with the presenters one-on-one before the presentations, during intermission, and after the presentations to learn even more about the experiences of these students in their native country, as well as their time in the United States and West Plains.
“The purpose of this event is to inform our campus community and area residents about these students and their countries and to make our international students feel heard and valued,” organizers said.
The event is being sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA) and Morrison’s International Relations (PLS 232/IDS 297) class.
“Several of the students from last year are volunteering again this year because it was such an uplifting event,” Morrison said.
For more information, contact Morrison at KathleenMorrison@MissouriState.edu or 417-255-7291.
