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Global students bridge the cultural gap on campus

The Student Union Building served as the hub of heritage as students were invited into an awareness of Spanish culture.

Once every month, global students wake up the rest of Biola’s student body to a morning of culture, community and collaboration.

Wednesday Wake-Up is an event hosted by the Global Student Programs and Development bridging events team, a group of students whose aim is to develop a community between international and local students as well as broaden others’ perspectives to become more globally minded, GSPD’s fundamental vision which is shared by administrative coordinator Noelle Delacruz.

The GSPD: Spain booth served Paella, a traditional Spanish rice dish, curated a slideshow of Spain, and invited students to participate on Sept. 19 on the SUB walkway. Beside the booth was bridging events team coordinator Ye Jeong Lee, a global student who was born in Korea and lived as a missionary kid in Kenya. Through these bridging events, Lee hopes to collaborate with global and local students to “let their voices be heard,” he said.

Community events coordinator Alden Rasilim, a global student who calls Indonesia his home, said that while there is solidarity among most global and local students, there still exists an intentionality issue on both entity’s ends. However, he believes central community events such as Wednesday Wake-Up is a way to be purposeful about people, not despite of their differences, but because of it.

Rasilim said that it is important that people should know about GSPD because they are “promoting a Christ-like way of thinking,” in addition to celebrating the enrichment of students’ cultural identities as a larger community.

Delacruz says that the extension of a more diverse voice across campus stems from the safe community built among global students. GSPD’s hope is that they would be coached and commissioned to serve in student leadership so that global voices would not just be limited to the department.

“We understand kingdom culture and being God’s family much better when we’re able to hear all the stories and to value that in each other,” Delacruz said.

With over 40 home countries represented by those involved with GSPD, events like Wednesday Wake-Up encourage the entirety of Biola’s student body and faculty to pursue diversity.

Global students stir the melting pot

GSPD hosted a cooking event to promote greater cultural awareness and community.

On Oct. 6, Andrews Banquet Room transformed into a small-scale globe as local and global students mingled over pupusas and rice dishes from El Salvador, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile and the Philippines.

Meet the Neighbors is an annual Global Student Programs and Development event where community groups are assigned a random country to research, cook and serve a course for a cooking contest. All Biola students were invited to attend the global feast, socialize over the universality of food and vote for their favorite dish.

GSPD community care coordinator Laura Webster believes that Meet the Neighbors serves two main purposes. The first is to make community groups more visible within the GSPD community through representing and serving culture on a plate. The second is to provide a welcoming space for students outside of GSPD.

“Food is such a connecting thing and people love food and everyone eats it and everyone has different values around it and different experiences with it, and so by having this event, we want people to feel more comfortable to come and enjoy good food, but then also see what it’s like being part of an international community,” Webster said.

Community groups intern and El Salvador booth server Golestu Mohebiravesh believes that the cooking competition is an effective means to raise global awareness, make connections and grow as a community group. However, she says there is much more to Meet the Neighbors regarding the hope of uniting people and cultivating diversity.

As an Iranian born and raised in America, Mohebiravesh credits GSPD for encouraging her to embrace her multicultural identity.

“It’s still so important to keep your roots and be strong and be proud of them and work them into your work and your friendships and your relationships,” Mohebiravesh said.

She wants to further encourage both local and global students to have relational encounters without preconceptions or stereotypes.

“You string yourself to that person when you try to understand their story,” Mohebiravesh said.