Campus Community

Going International

Written by Mike Thee

January 26, 2015

traditional dance during the international dinner

International Week celebrates the multiplicity of cultures at Seattle U.

No visa? No problem.

Through the magic of International Week, you can travel the world without leaving campus. 

International Week-or I-Week-kicks off Saturday, Jan. 31, with the SU Redhawk Experience bucket list tradition that is the International Dinner (6-9 p.m., Campion Ballroom; get your tickets HERE). This year marks the 38th year of the I-Dinner, an evening packed with cuisine from around the world and global performances. 

And that's just the beginning as the I-Dinner ushers in a full week's worth of events and activities. There's a movie night, photo exhibit, prayer service, lectures, information sessions covering such topics as international service trips, studying abroad, relations with North Korea, the Peace Corps and interfaith harmony. In other words, something for just about everyone of the globally minded persuasion. 

Or maybe you want to go a little further afield beyond the confines of our campus to experience the world. I-Week provides these sorts of opportunities, too, whether it's Bavarian Snow Shoeing in Leavenworth or an overnight trip to the Olympic Peninsula to connect with Native Washington. (Still no visa required.) 

"I-Week is a time for us to highlight and celebrate the geographic and cultural diversity of our student, staff and faculty communities," says Ryan Greene, director of the International Student Center. "It also serves as a time for us to come together in various ways to dialogue about and engage with global issues. I am proud that the International Student Center and the Office of Global Engagement collaborate to plan and implement the week." 

Seattle University's engagement with the world is a robust, two-way dynamic, Greene explains. "With global academic programs all over the world and an international student population from more than 50 countries, Seattle University is a meeting place of global ideas and most certainly a crossroads for the world." 

For a full schedule for I-Week, visit International Student Center, or pick up a hand held ISC calendar at the CAC desk or at the ISC front desk. The calendar will also appear in The Spectator.