The walls of the language department in Rowland Hall were buzzing last Tuesday afternoon as students, exchange students and professors poured from room to room to visit the many countries and cultures featured in them in celebration of Immersion Afternoon.

French and international studies student Andrew Hutchinson described the International Week event as a casual opportunity to meet people from all around the world and to learn about cultures one may not have been introduced to otherwise.

“Here you get to sing, have fun and chat,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a good way to keep people learning outside of the classroom.”

Hutchinson went on to explain that the language department’s goal is to not only teach students a language, but to also study the culture, history, literature and politics of these countries and cultures.

The countries and cultures featured during Immersion Afternoon included Cameroon, Morocco, Le Maroc, Burkina Faso, Niger, Haiti, European, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, China and Spanish culture.

To accompany the educational rooms decorated with student produced informational posters, students were encouraged to take part in multi-lingual karaoke and enjoy traditional cultural foods from a buffet.

Ali Mowers, who created Haiti’s poster using pictures from her own trip to the country, described her experience there in January 2016 as a rewarding step outside of her comfort zone.

“It was really exciting. I learned to love the culture. What they (Haitians) lack materially they make up for in community,” Mowers said, reflecting on her service there.

German professor David Wildermuth described Immersion Afternoon as a way to reach out to the student body and encourage students to think globally so that they may be inspired to see as much of the world as they can.

“We have quite a few German exchange students who are currently studying here,” Wildermuth said, “so they’re able to interact with a larger body of students than just our own German studies minors. This afternoon is a chance to let the average Shippensburg student know about the big world out there.”

German exchange student Gesa Pudlitzke has found the subtle cultural differences between Germany and America to be perplexing during her stay at SU this semester. “Saying ‘How are you?’ is more of like a ‘hi’ in our country,” Pudlitzke said.

“If someone asks how you are in Germany, we actually talk about how we are, not just ‘OK, I’m fine.’ So sometimes when someone asks me how am I, I stop to think about it but then I just say ‘I’m fine!’” Pudlitzke added.

Down the hall in the Spanish culture room, Spanish and international studies student Carina Ramirez sat before a spread of bright decorations and food offerings for spirits in celebration of Day of the Dead.

“The Day of the Dead is Nov. 1 and 2,” Ramirez said.

“On the 1st we expect kids to come visit and the 2nd is for adults to come.”

Ramirez went on to explain that in traditional Mexican culture, Oct. 30 is set aside to welcome spirits who died in accidents.

“These traditions are more Mexican,” Ramirez said, “but a lot of other Latinos also do this.”

Displayed upstairs in Room 209 of Rowland were both Chinese and Saudi Arabian cultures.

“We are here to show some of our country,” Saudi Arabian exchange student Savah Abdulghaffar said.

“We are actually now in the improvement period of the country (Saudi Arabia),” Abdulghaffar added.

Shippensburg student Antwon Scott found Immersion Afternoon to be an opportunity to connect with new cultures.

“It is just great to learn about another culture. We all know about English,” Scott said, “but it is good to step outside of your comfort zone and learn about different people.”

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