International Week, hosted by Ohio University's International Student Union, or ISU, will be held from April 3 to April 8. The annual International Street Fair will cap off the week-long celebration on April 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
International Week has celebrated the international student body at OU since 1979. This year's theme, "Celebrating Our Global Humanity," highlights students coming together.
Keamogeste Yasmine Khudu, a doctoral student in counseling education and supervision, is the ISU president. Khudu and other international students have planned activities each day of the week to remind international students of home.
"(International students) have different workshops during this week and different activities," Khudu said. "We teach you about us, you learn about us and you celebrate us."
Around 110 flags were planted on college green Monday, representing every country an OU international student is from.
Khudu said she wants to participate in connecting with the OU community after all the support the OU and Athens community has given to international students during her time at OU.
International Week's finale will be the International Street Fair. The fair will include various organizations of international students that will come together to celebrate their respective cultures through food, activities and music.
Eunice Prasojo, a senior studying nutrition, is a member of the Indonesian Student Association at OU.
"This year we're having a booth (and) we will be selling lamb scourers," Prasojo said.
Prasojo said she is excited the fair is happening again after missing out because of COVID-19 during previous years. She said she hopes it will be bigger and better than last year's celebration.
Diane Cahill serves as the Director of International Student and Scholar Services at OU. She has been at OU since 2009 and has been able to experience many International Week celebrations.
"My focus is on students, communities, building connections, and providing support," Cahill said in an email.
Cahill also helps plan and support events for the ISU. Funding for International Week comes from the Senate Appropriations Committee, the funding commission managed by the undergraduate Student Senate.
Although the street fair typically attracts large groups, the timing of this year's fair may cause a smaller turnout, Cahill said.
"Street Fair has become larger for sure. For this year, we are not sure about numbers because it is during Easter weekend," Cahill said.
However, Cahill said she hopes that the OU community will still be able to include it in their weekend plans.
Cahill and Khudu expressed the importance of international students exploring future career options. At one of the workshops during the week, Ken Robinson, an immigration lawyer from Columbus, will lead a career planning session to review resumes and cover letters for international students.
"ISU has focused more and more on what they can provide for students to connect with each other, to take away some valuable information, and to give back to the community," Cahill said in an email.
More information about International Week events can be found on OU's International Week website.
