Plates of food were brought out at the Spiritual Center on Tuesday for Shippensburg University students, professors from the language departments and the members of the Global Education and Services Club who hosted an educational event to learn about people through their hometown meals.
Malu Takahashi, interim president of the club, is a transfer student from Brazil. She has been the president since her sophomore year and has thrived in bringing all backgrounds together and using her experiences to create safe environments for all.
The Global Education and Services Club, which meets monthly in the CUB, is taking on new ways to welcome transfer students to SU. From providing transportation to students for job interviews or doctor appointments near campus to taking students to their first official trip to Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Takahashi has plenty in store for her members
When it comes to bringing unfamiliar people together, “It’s easy to get to know people when you sit together for a meal,” said Shippensburg University graduate Mary Burnett. Burnett is the director of Global Engagement, which throws many potlucks throughout the school year.
Most college students, especially transfer students from other countries, usually experience culture shock from the new environment. Bennett said this is resolved when “people bring things that they share a little bit about their heritage and why that recipe is important to them.”
A family-famed passed down recipe can be a gateway to insightful conversation to learning more about others, Burnett said. Emphatic discussions and delicious meals from across the world is only the beginning of the Global Education and Services Club’s mission to welcome all students to SU.
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