GAFFNEY, S.C. (courtesy limestone.edu) — Limestone College will soon commemorate International Education Week with multiple events that will provide opportunities to celebrate culture, diversity, and all the benefits of international education and exchange across the world.
The goal of the many festivities planned for November 18-22 is to promote communication between different cultures at the College and to help develop global-ready Limestone graduates. The activities are being sponsored by Limestone’s International Club.
Limestone currently has 94 international students on its Day Campus in Gaffney.
“Many college students struggle to find the time and money to travel, but we have so many different cultures at our very own doorstep,” said Dr. Jack Knipe, Assistant Professor of English and Spanish, who also serves as the College’s International Student Liaison. “International Education Week gives us an opportunity to intentionally focus on Limestone’s robust international student community and learn from each other.”
International Education Week is an annual joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.
“Knowing about other cultures strengthens your ability to see the world differently,” said Estaban Gonzalez, Limestone’s International Club President, who is from Costa Rica. “The International Club at Limestone helps bring different cultures and diversity to the College.”
Limestone has international students this semester from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, German, Ghana, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAB, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.
The College is hosting a wide range of campus events that include a “Taste of the World” for three meals a day for five days, an Art Department “Tacky Tourist & Cultural Collections” exhibit all week, a scavenger hunt on November 18, and a Fair Day on November 19. The Fair Day will run from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will be held in the Winnie Davis Hall of History, with international student stations set up throughout the building. Students will have an opportunity to vote for the most interesting presentation during the Fair Day.
“A diverse campus prepares all students for life in the 21st century and careers in a global economy,” said Limestone College President Dr. Darrell Parker. “We are excited about the International Education Week activities that will take place on our campus. In many cases, college is the first chance students have to live next to, work next to, and study with people who aren’t from their town, state, or cultural background. Institutions such as Limestone that bring in foreign students and work diligently to foster a culturally-diverse campus environment offer students authentic opportunities to learn about themselves and the world they live in.”
For more information on International Education Week at Limestone, please click here.