International education week cultivates awareness

Nate Kimball Staff Writer

Two weeks ago, the Vassar community was exposed to a multitude of cultures during the annual International Education Week. Perhaps the most noticeable application of Internationalism confronted the palates of students eating at ACDC, where a different regional specialty was served every day, with choices ranging from a Portuguese shrimp stew to a Korean noodle bowl.

Sporting events dominated the week with International students pitted against American students in both a football match and a squash tournament.

A World Peace Flag Ceremony and an International Festival in the Atrium rounded off the week. Hosted by the UN World Peace Organization, Dean of the College J.J. Jackson spoke, as well as Director of International Services Andrew Meade and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life Sam Speers. The UN World Peace Organization provided the flags for the event.

Luis Trujillo ’09 organized the Peace Flag Ceremony. Fifty-five students from different countries were the representatives for their countries, and Trujillo said that overall, “it was really beautiful and it is planned to be done on a larger scale next year.”

There was also an International Festival in the Atrium and a Faculty Panel on the “Impact of Internationalization and Immigration on Society and Education,” moderated by Chair of the International Studies Program David Kennett.

A photo exhibition and contest lasted all week with 240 photos submitted by JYA, International, and American students who have travelled abroad. The photos were divided into two categories: landscape, and people and culture.

The winners for this contest were picked by three judges, and the winner in “Landscape” was Geoffrey Wertime ’06, with “Perfect Afternoon,” shot in Paris, France. The runners up were Amelia Norvell ’07 and Yamin Georgian ’07 with “Cristo de Luz” and “After the Rain,” respectively.

The winner in the “People and Culture” category was Emily Hahn ’06, with “H’mong Girls”, shot in Sapa, Vietnam. The runners up in this category were Shira Bannerman ’07 and Jacob Hoffman ’07 with “Did you hear about?...” and “Duu,” respectively.

In the people’s choice contest, Yamin Georgian ’07 was the most popular with “After the Rain,” after earning third place in the judged photo contest.

International Education week exposed students to different cultures through means of food, photos, and speeches. The impact was visible to those in ACDC waiting in the long lines to taste foods from other cultures.