Cross-cultural forums set for Sept. 25

 

Two groups of Bluffton University students will relate their cross-cultural experiences from last spring during campus forums at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 25 in Founders Hall. The presentations are free and open to the public.

Recounting their experiences at the 11 a.m. session will be Estee Arend and Kyle Niermann, who were among a Bluffton contingent that went to Chicago; Rachel Dotson and Melissa Hostetler, discussing Guatemala; Jared Hudson, Brianna Shaw and Leah Waltermyer, Israel/Palestine; and Jared Horstman and Marla Stone, Kentucky.

Presenters at the 7 p.m. forum will be Katelyn Brewer and Tyler Hensley, who went to Colombia; Brittany Bucher and Jessica Rospert, the Gulf Coast (New Orleans); Nathaniel Campbell, Laurie Nofziger and Chris Scott, Iceland; and Jaime Walker and Eric Wilfer, New York City.

To fulfill a cross-cultural requirement, Bluffton students may take two semesters of a language, study for a semester in another country or Washington, D.C., or spend two to three weeks in May and June exploring a different culture in the United States or abroad. The experiences give students a chance to serve others, providing new insights, widened perspectives and an increased respect for community.