MARSHA COHEN
Staff Writer
When one attends an institution of higher learning, the hope is that the lessons do not stop at the end of the lecture. For the students of the Cross-Cultural Learning Living Community, the learning never stops.
On Thursday, Nov. 21, the Cross-Cultural Learning Living Community presented a student panel titled, “Lessons Learned: From The International Students’ Perspective.” CCLLC is a program that introduces brand new international students to Fredonia students who are eager to learn about each other’s culture.
The panel consisted of one international student and one American student who shared their stories on the impact the cross-culture experience left on them. Even though the panel turnout was low, those who attended learned a great deal about what life is like as an international student.
“I lived in Chicago when I was little so I wasn’t brand new to the American experience before I came to Fredonia,” said Minju Kim, junior video production major. Kim is from South Korea, and, just like many of the international students, she also struggled to find a place to belong to on campus.
“The hardest part for me was making friends, and even now I still tend to stick more to my Korean friends.”
Kim expressed other cultural challenges she faced being so far from home.
“The food is very different. It was hard to adjust to, and I started to miss the food back at home. I now live off campus so I can cook my own food — which is usually Korean food,” said Kim.
The panel discussion was directed by Bobbi Tabak from the department of Business Administration and Dr. Guangyu Tan from the College of Education. Tan and Tabak discussed the different social interactions they faced in America.
“When I first came to America, I lived in Miami and making friends was hard,” said Tabak. He elaborated on the social differences in Miami that made it difficult.
“It was all about having the right shoes, the right car, the right look. Here in Fredonia, people say ‘Hi’ to you all the time, but in Florida, if you said ‘Hi’ to someone it meant they liked you,” joked Tabak.
Dr. Tan is a first generation Chinese American who found it easy to relate to the international students on campus. During the panel discussion, she shared some of her personal experiences of her journey in America.
“Whenever I was on the phone with a relative, they would always tell me to be careful, watch where I’m going — it was if their minds were warped by what they saw in American movies,” said Tan.
The American pop culture, specifically movies, are usually the first thing many international students draw from memory as their introduction to the culture.
“I remember watching movies, and it reminded me a lot of America. The happiness and optimism is very similar,” said Kim.
The CCLLC program continues to provide both American students and international students with a learning experience that goes beyond their expected norm.
“This whole learning thing is what you are suppose to do in college. You learn about yourself and others,” said Tabak.