Hardin-Simmons Celebrates International Week

(ABILENE, Texas)–Hardin-Simmons University’s Office of Global Engagement is celebrating its third annual International Week. Beginning Feb. 29, there will be events all week celebrating diversity and learning about the different cultures located on campus.

“International week is a series of events aimed to foster international education, raise awareness for global perspectives, and foster relationships amongst HSU’s diverse international and domestic community,” said Grey Hoff, Associate Vice President for Global Engagement.

This year’s theme is “Everyone has a story and everyone is a story.”

This year’s schedule includes:

Saturday, February 29:

3 p.m. ­– An international soccer match will be available to watch or participate in at the Fletcher Fitness Center. After the match, students can meet the HSU Soccer teams and enjoy food from a local food truck.

Monday, March 2:

7 p.m. – The Baptist Student Ministry and International Student Ministry have come together to create an event called World of Wonders where students get to listen to others perform live music while also getting to know more about the international students on campus.

Tuesday, March 3:

9:30 a.m. – International Chapel will take place in Behren’s Auditorium featuring a special chapel service, international worship, and a parade of flags.

7 p.m. – International Night of Worship will take place in Logsdon Colloquium.

8 p.m. – An International Woman’s Panel will take place in the Logsdon Reception Room with a Q&A teaching others what it is like being a woman in other countries.

Wednesday, March 4:

12 p.m. – Special Guest, Director of Intercultural Ministries, Patty Lane from the Texas Baptists will provide an interactive training on how to engage interculturally with others. This event will take place in the Connally Missions Center.

Friends gather during Taste of the World to celebrate community and try new food.

6 p.m. – International students will prepare traditional dishes from their home countries to share with those who attend the event. This is an opportunity for students to try food from around the world and hear unique stories about each country represented. A roundtable discussion will close the event. This event will take place in the Johnson Multi-Purpose room.

Thursday, March 5:

12 p.m. – The Dining Hall will serve sample dishes from recipes provided by international students attending HSU.

How did it all begin?

The idea of International Week began in 2017 when members of HSU’s international students came to the Global Engagement Office wanting to share more of their culture on campus. The international student population was growing each year, and the Global Engagement Office knew it was important to allow international students to share their stories and cultures to others on campus.

“Celebrating people and cultures is beautiful to us,” said Hoff. “We also have so much we can learn from others from other parts of the world, and we wanted to honor those people who left their home to travel all the way to the other side of the world to be here with us in Abilene. Out of these ideas, International Week was born.”

International Week has continued to grow in participation and volunteers each year. This year, the Student Government Association and Baptist Student Ministry have participated in planning their own events for the week. The two groups, according to Hoff, have been actively helping with the planning process with International Student Fellowship.

What are the most popular events?

International Chapel and Taste of the World are very popular events amongst students on campus.

Lucila Decia is a member of the International Student Fellowship and looks forward to International Chapel because of the flag ceremony.

“The message it has is really powerful, and I feel like everyone can relate to it because we all care about the world,” she said.

Senior art major Aubrie Northcut looks forward to Taste of the World for the fellowship and homecooked meals.

“It’s just cool to see and taste food from other parts of the world,” said Aubrie. “and a lot of students make food only their family does so it might not be something you would normally see on a menu if you went to a specific restaurant.”

For more information regarding events on campus, visit the online events calendar.