International Host
program this fall
Mesami Aoki and Siu Li Tan
by T.S. O’Connell
It's probably not the stuff that will ever produce a heart-wrenching
commercial, but being a college student from, say, Botswana, and attending
a school thousands of miles away from home can be tough enough, but
during the holidays, when everybody/ else goes home and you’re left
behind, it gets even tougher.
With that in mind, Goldey Beacom College is trying to start up a
International Host program this year for the two dozen or so students from
around the world currently attending the college.
According to International Students Advisor Catherine S. Raker, the idea
behind it all is to acquaint the international students with host families, offer
the opportunity for cultural exchange and, along the way, provide the
students with a taste of American home life.
For Goldey Beacom sophomore Mesami Aoki, 20, from Japan, and junior
Siu Li Tan from Idonesia, it sounds like a good idea. In the past the holidays
have required some juggling, and the idea of a Thanksgiving dinner would
be more than welcome.
“It’s important for the students to get some family experience because
they are so far away from home,” said Righter, who is also a board member
of People to People International. She works with Dr. Dean Lomis at the
University of Delaware, which has had an International Host program for
several years.
The International Host Committee matches the students with the host,
assigning one student per family. If possible, the committee will try to honor
the request of the host family for a student from a specific country.
During the course of the year, the host family is expected to invite the
student for an occasional meal or an outing, and during major holidays the
host family normally invites the student for a holiday meal and family
gathering. A family may also host the student for a brief home stay when the
college is not in session.
Raker emphasized that the host family is not responsible for the foreign
student, and that hosting entails no legal or immigration responsibilities, but
rather is solely a cultural exchange.
Countries which will be represented on the Goldey Beacom campus this
year are Botswana, Curacao, Grenada, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Pakistan, Puerto Rico, China and Uganda.
Anyone interested in learning more about the program should call Raker
at 998-8814, extension 20. _ _
