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by Florencia Agote
Have you ever thought of traveling around the world? You can experience pieces of such a journey here on campus every other Friday afternoon.
You don't have to wait to travel abroad. You can satisfy your wanderlust now by attending the Small World Coffee Hour (SWCH) on the University's west bank campus. At the coffee hour, students socialize, exchange ideas with people from around the globe, and learn about other cultures, other languages, and interesting people.
"The mission of the program is to provide an opportunity for international students, staff, and faculty to meet and socialize in a comfortable atmosphere," says Jessica Schmidt, a SWCH coordinator. "At the same time, it has also provided a valuable opportunity for participants to learn about different cultures."
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) staff members Alisa Eland and Cheryl Lockhart created the Small World Coffee Hour ten years ago. Six students plan and run the coffee hour with sponsorship from Culture Corps, another ISSS program. Each coffee hour is designed to be as fun as possible so students will feel relaxed and meet.
One country is discussed in depth at each meeting. Through decorations, games and prizes, students learn about the culture, ceremonies and foods of various regions. Past meetings have focused on India, Mexico, Europe, and China. Participants have had tea ceremonies, studied flags and symbols of other countries, and heard lectures on the Chinese New Year.
Carlos Hernando, an engineering student from Spain, is constantly impressed with how well organized the meetings are. "The people in charge of the meetings go out of their way to bring ethnic food, a world map that they place at the door (so students can indicate their places of origin) and stickers to write your name and country of origin on. Besides, the place is nice, although it is starting to be a little small."
The place is "starting to be a little small" because attendance is rapidly expanding. "Since its founding, the program has been incredibly successful," says Schmidt. Roughly 150 people attend each meeting.
Some students use the coffee hour to unwind from a hectic week. "The coffee hour provides a laid back atmosphere," says Jorge Estevez, a physics graduate student from Spain. "There is nothing serious about it. You have the entire week to be serious, and Friday is a chance to change that." Estevez adds that everybody is welcome at the coffee hour. "There is no discrimination. You can use the meeting as a way to make friends."
Culture Corps coordinator Torunn Bjarnadottir agrees. "The coffee hour is a great place to meet," says Bjarnadottir. "At a large University like ours, it is important to break things down into manageable units that allow people to interact."
Although many students come to the coffee hour to meet others from their homeland, most quickly form friendships with people from around the world.
"The coffee hour is a great place to meet people," says David Anderson, a journalism student from France. "Thanks to this kind of event, I get the chance to meet people from different majors and different parts of the world. Without the coffee hour, my interaction with international students would be very limited."
The SWCH is not limited to the University community. Gaius Poehler, a resident of the Twin Cities attends regularly.
"I'm interested in meeting people outside of Minnesota," says Poehler. "I feel like I can learn from them, and in some ways make closer friendships than with people I've met here."
According to Bjarnadottir, the many friendships formed at SWCA bring many unexpected rewards.
"This event allows people to see each other as people first," says Bjarnadottir, "and enter a world totally unknown to them. It is a mystery ride unlike any other."
