Global Center – News

��ý Western to host annual International Fair

plashbrook — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:37:37 +0000

Nov. 15, 2024–��ý will once again host its annual International Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 in the Fulkerson Center.

The International Fair is an annual event that allows students, faculty, staff and the public to connect with others whose heritage and life experience connect them to cultures around the world. It is co-sponsored by the university’s Office of Global Engagement, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Center for Student Involvement, Dining Services and the student organization Christian Challenge.

Experience a variety of events during the fair including the parade of flags, live music and dance performances, informational country booths, and free food. The schedule is as follows:

3:00 pm – Doors open
3:15 pm – National flag parade
3:45 pm – International student performance
4:15 pm – “La Macarena” by ALAS and International Students
4:45 pm – Folkloric dance by Honduran students
5:15 pm – Venezuelan dance by Academia de Danza
5:30 pm – Traditional dress presentation
5:45 pm – Group photo
6:00 pm – Fair concludes

The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food or personal care item to support the ��ý Western Campus Cupboard. Come connect with the wide range of cultures represented right here on campus!

��ý is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ��ý Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

International Fair returns to MWSU Nov. 10

kheier — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:36:43 +0000

Nov. 3, 2021–For the first time in two years, the International Fair will be back at ��ý from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10 in the Fulkerson Center. The event is free and open to the public.

“This is our biggest party of the year,” said Fumi Cheever, director of global engagement. “The International Fair provides an exciting educational opportunity for our campus and the community to experience the cultures of other countries.”

Students, staff and faculty members representing 30 countries will have tables at the International Fair. Attendees will enjoy free food from around the world, entertaining performances and a traditional clothing fashion show.

KQ2: Future for ��ý Western international students uncertain as fall semester approaches

kheier — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 17:17:30 +0000

(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) For so many students heading off or back to college this fall, the future looks a bit uncertain, especially for international students.

“There were new regulations that came out this week that will affect international students at colleges and universities in the United States,” ��ý Western Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Dr. Sarah Cravens said.

Those new regulations from the department of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say international students would have to leave the country if their school switches to online learning this upcoming semester.

At ��ý Western, the international community said their main concern was quality of education.

“They wanted to know will we be able to continue with schoolwork, if it is still on campus will we be able to come back?” ��ý Western international student Ethan Bennie said.

News-Press NOW: International student-athletes leave MWSU, return home amid COVID-19

kheier — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:33:47 +0000

By Kristen Carver, News-Press NOW, Apr 1, 2020

The day freshman Farisha Radzi had been patiently waiting for quickly turned into a nightmare. Hours after she was eligible to compete with ��ý Western golf, the MIAA canceled its spring sports season.

“I found it on Twitter saying it was canceled and the funny story was that I was eligible that morning to play for tournaments. So I was basically eligible for like six hours,” Radzi said.

Following the sports cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Western decided to close campus and move all classes online for the remainder of the semester.

Radzi and her fellow international teammates were forced to make a quick decision on whether to stay or go home as borders neared shutdown.

Read more and see the video version of the story .

Global Center presents virtual Tea & Talk

kheier — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:52:27 +0000

March 30, 2020–The Global Center at ��ý will host a virtual version of its monthly Tea & Talk program at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 31.

The cross-cultural conversation featuring international students at ��ý Western will be held via Zoom at (meeting ID 822 778 7898 in the Zoom app). Attendees will discuss the global impact and response to COVID-19. The meeting is open to the public.

News-Press NOW: St. Joseph’s window to the world

kheier — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 20:26:04 +0000

Imagine eating nothing but meatloaf, burgers and fried chicken. No pizza, spaghetti, kung pao or tacos.

Even at the dinner table, a world with no international connections seems a little empty and boring. Certainly, the world has more to offer than food — there’s movies, literature, technology and different ways of approaching problems. Global connections enrich us in large and small ways, from bridging cultural gaps to trying a new spice with your dinner.

To embrace these connections is not to be anti-American, but to accept a fuller picture of what it means to be an American. A great strength of our culture centers on the ability to absorb the best of other places and give it our own unique spin.

In this spirit, the opening of ��ý’s Global Center represents something more substantial than a rebranding effort or a photo op near a large allotment of flags. Any institution of higher learning serves as a city’s window to the world.

News-Press NOW: ��ý Western unveils Global Center

kheier — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:31:56 +0000

Creating an international experience for all ��ý students was the goal President Matthew Wilson had for the new Global Center on campus.

Students and faculty gathered Tuesday afternoon for the grand opening of the center in Eder Hall Room 101.

Wilson began working on the project at the start of the school year because of all the international experience and expertise the university had that he felt should be shown.

“We had an international center and we thought let’s up our game and turn it into a global center so everybody that comes to ��ý Western knows we have this international presence,” Wilson said.

Another aspect that inspired Wilson to make this project happen at Western was his own international experience in Japan, where he lived for 14 years.

Read more and see the video version of this story .

News-Press NOW: Western students, faculty celebrate Chinese New Year

kheier — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 20:47:43 +0000

When a mythical beast came down from the top of a hill during the annual spring festival in China, he would devour livestock and villagers until an old man was able to drive the monster away using fire, firecrackers and the color red.

At least, that’s what the legends say.

The story serves as a basis for some of the Chinese New Year’s decorations and celebratory items, and ��ý Western was able to bring that culture to campus Tuesday afternoon.

Rice crackers and dumplings were served while paper signs symbolizing prosperity and good luck adorned the windows.