Spring Break
Opening ceremony led by Aggies from around the globe
By: Michael Player
Issue date: 3/2/04 Section: News
The opening ceremony for International Week at Texas A&M began with the voices of children and a ribbon-cutting by local and University officials Monday.
The Memorial Student Center Flag Room was abuzz with activity with more than 100 people in attendance. Twenty-three Aggies presented the flags of their homelands and greeted the audience in their native languages.
"Texas A&M has students from 122 countries," said Royce Hickman, president and CEO of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, in his address to the crowd. "The true meaning of International Week is to reach beyond borders."
Hickman stressed the importance of embracing cultural differences and working in unity to provide a comfortable atmosphere to international students.
"For A&M to continue to gain international prominence, we must attract more international students," Hickman said.
Students from Montessori School House in Bryan entertained the audience with a song and counted to 10 in Spanish.
"They have been working on this for almost a month," said Leo Gonzalez, Class of 1993 of Bryan.
Gonzalez's 5-year-old daughter Lauren is a student at the Montessori School House.
The Montessori School House has students from 17 different countries. At the conclusion of its performance, the teacher asked the class to name the countries where each international student was from.
"It is a privilege to be a part of an organization that promotes a better world through unity," said Julio Jana, president of the International Student Association and a senior agriculture economics major from Brazil.
"I want the spirit of this year's International Week to carry throughout the
year."
College Station Mayor Ron Silva and Mayor Pro-Tem Paul Madison of Bryan cut a red ribbon to officially begin the weeklong festivities, while audience members looked at booths that displayed cultural and nationalistic items.
The booths will also be on display today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the hallway.
Events scheduled this week include an international buffet-style lunch that will be on the second floor of the MSC Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and a Talent Show Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for the buffet lunch and can be purchased at the MSC Box Office or online at www.tickets.com.
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