OISS Thanksgiving dinner
International students, scholars celebrate reasons to be thankful
9:40 a.m., Dec. 11, 2014--To celebrate a traditional American holiday, the University of Delaware Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) hosted a Thanksgiving meal for 300 international students and scholars and their families on Sunday, Nov.23, at the Embassy Suites in Newark.
Guests enjoyed a presentation that explained the history and traditions of the holiday including foods, parades and football. The meal featured traditional fare including turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, pumpkin and apple pie.
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The event was part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Education Week and Global Month at UD, and was cosponsored by The Retreat at Newark.
“What’s great about today’s program is that we’ve taken our internationalization efforts and initiatives beyond the UD campus into the local community,” said Ravi Ammigan, director of OISS. “As we continue our work to ensure academic success and a positive experience during their time at the University, it is important that we also provide an opportunity for our international students and scholars and their families to connect with traditions and resources in the Greater Newark community.”
“This Thanksgiving event for the international community at UD ties them to a traditional American holiday that they can also associate with their own cultures,” said Chris Lucier, vice president for enrollment management. “As people, we have much more in common than we have differences. It was an amazing event and we are thankful to have a wonderful international community at UD and a great team at OISS.”
“I really like what Mr. Lucier said about the traditions of U.S. culture because the entire production makes you feel like you are not alone or isolated. Americans go to see their families, and I got to experience Thanksgiving, too,” said Melba Villa, an undergraduate student from Ecuador.
Guests described the event as wonderful, fantastic, informative and delicious. A few commented that the holiday was as “American as apple pie,” which was the favorite dessert of the evening.
“We never thought international students would be invited to this kind of event and learn about this holiday,” said Karthikreddy Kikkuru, a graduate student from India.
“It was a good opportunity to learn about American culture, we are very thankful for this,” said Xuseong Zhang, a visiting scholar from China who brought his wife and daughter to the event.
The event, like the holiday, was a chance for people to give thanks. OISS gave out feathers on which guests could write the things for which they are thankful. The feathers were then used to make a “thankful turkey” collage.
“I loved the culture part. I didn’t know the president pardoned turkeys. It’s American culture right here,” said Karim Rebiai, a graduate student from Belgium, pointing around the room. “It is interesting for everyone to be here; not only to learn about American culture, but to live it.”
OISS is thankful for the support of many departments on campus as well as the diverse international community it is privileged to serve, a representative said.
In addition, OISS worked with community volunteers to match international students and scholars with members of the University and local communities for Thanksgiving Day dinner on Thursday, Nov. 27. Over 100 students and scholars representing 26 different countries were paired with local host families.
Read more about student and scholar experiences on Delaware Online.
Members of UD’s international community include more than 4,250 students, scholars and family members from over 100 countries outside of the U.S.
OISS is committed to providing quality advising services and supportive programming to students and scholars during their stay at the University and in the U.S.
In collaboration with campus and community partners, OISS also contributes to the internationalization of UD by providing opportunities for growth through cross-cultural interactions and international programming. More information is available on the OISS website.
Article by Elizabeth Adams
Photos by Wenbo Fan and Kathy F. Atkinson