A taste of the world
Liberty hosts International Education Week to let students experience different cultures
Liberty University’s Office of International Student Services (OISS) held its annual International Education Week Nov. 9-13.
Traditional — Students had the chance Thursday, Nov. 12 to taste candy from different parts of the world. Photo credit: Jessie Rogers
Activities included international candy tasting, a multicultural worship night, a cultural talent and fashion show and more. One of the first activities of the week was the World Wide Worship night, complete with traditional songs and performances by worship and international students. Director of the Multi-Ethnic Music Department, Katherine Morehouse, explained how the event complemented International Education Week.
“When we talk about education, part of it is recalibrating ourselves to what God is wanting us to learn from the people that are around us,” Morehouse said. “It’s not just about learning new songs. It’s about learning what the family of God looks like and what we’re called to be as brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Singing worship songs from countries such as the Congo, India, Greece and more, the performers shared the melodies in both English and their native language. Often involving the audience with the songs, the international students stretched listeners to experience a culture different than their own, Morehouse said.
“In one way, you’re learning how people who are not from here feel when they come here,” Morehouse said. “But another thing is just (learning to love) each other and build that community that says, ‘We care about you, we love you and we value you.’”
In addition to lyrical songs, Liberty’s African drum ensemble demonstrated a call to worship using rhythm and words. The performance was another way the department for ethnomusicology brought different cultures into worship.
“In many areas of West Africa, they are very hesitant to use the drums in worship because they are associated to evil spirits or African traditional religion, so they want to separate themselves from that,” Morehouse said. “But God can take those sounds that mean so much to the heart of the people and create new meaning to them if we put them in the context of worshiping the Lord.”
OISS Operations Coordinator Tunya Pannell enjoyed the performances and encouraged students to attend other International Education week activities.
“The International Student Center is for anyone who would like to come and learn more about our international students,” Pannell said. “We want students to come and enjoy and learn about the traditions and the different cultures of our international students. We’re here to increase global awareness (and that) love is universal.”
Because international students are so far from their homes and cultures, they face different challenges than domestic students, according to Pannell. She said OISS offers many services to students such as “cultural and academic counseling, off campus employment issues, student health insurance … and social events” to help them adjust. International Education Week helped spread awareness of other cultures to those outside the international community in a fun and engaging manner, according to Pannell.
“The International Education Week gave our students the opportunity to share some of their culture and traditions,” Pannell said. “We kicked off with our coffee and tea tasting event, and we had hundreds of students come in and out. The Global Voices event included students from Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas and Democratic Republic of the Congo, students (came) out and (heard) what our international students (had) to say about their countries, this included their traditions, customs, and the special occasions that they celebrate in their country.”
In addition to exposing students to different cultures, Morehouse believed that International Education Week gave students a “glimpse of heaven” in regard to the diversity demonstrated.
“We’re stretching ourselves to learn the language of heaven,” Morehouse said. “We view it as participating ahead of time in what heaven is going to be like. (The book of) Revelation gives us a picture of every tribe and tongue gathered around the throne of God worshiping and honoring him.”
International Education Week was initiated to highlight the diversity of nations across Liberty’s campus while providing international students with a way to experience a taste of home, Pannell said. Additionally, Pannell hoped International Education Week would help students as well as faculty and staff understand the unity that Christians have, even if they are from all around the world.
STEPTOE is a news reporter.