WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
GLOBAL
CONNECTIONS
MARCH 2018
OCTOBER 2017 Vol. 1, No.3
Welcome
Where in the World is Dr. Hancks?
Dr. Jeff Hancks, Executive Director for the Center
for International Studies, is currently traveling
around Myanmar, India, and Vietnam to visit with
WIU’s partners in those countries, as well as to
meet with prospective international students. He
will return to the U.S. on March 15.
45th Annual International Bazaar
Nearly 1,000 students, staff, faculty, and community members attended
the 45th Annual International Bazaar on March 3, 2018, in the Universi-
ty Union Ballroom. This year, sixteen booths represented cultures from
around the world. Mexico won the booth competition based on its creativi-
ty, cohesiveness, representation of culture, and overall presentation.
Event participants were given a passport and encouraged to visit each
booth to get their passport stamped and learn more about each culture.
The students prepared authentic cuisine, cultural dances, songs, and
performances. Two Nepalese
students, Pratistha Maharjan
and Shweta Pradhan, won
best entertainment for
their dance. Students also
displayed traditional clothing
during the fashion show.
This semester’s first International Coffee Hour featured Jamaica. Forty
audience members learned how Jamaicans love their tea for its many
healing properties. They never leave home in the morning without
drinking a cup! Traditional Jamaican coffee and tea were served.
International Student Ambassadors
This spring semester, the new International Student Ambassadors Pro-
gram was launched. WIU Ambassadors are current WIU international
students who volunteer to serve as resources for prospective internation-
al students. The program is now more selective, ensuring that the ambas-
sadors are effectively trained to answer questions from new students. The
updated webpage features information on each ambassador.
Spring Break Abroad
This spring break, WIU faculty are taking
students off-campus to enrich their education
in the “real world.” It is not that campus life
is unreal, but learning always becomes more
engaging when theory is connected to real life
examples.
Imagine a group of students studying European history while visit-
ing Windsor Castle in London under the leadership of Dr. Jennifer
McNabb, or studying nursing while visiting health centers in Ireland
with Dr. Leah Monahan. What could be better than learning about
sustainable agriculture with Professor Kevin Bacon while touring
banana plantations in Costa Rica, or experiencing the art of organi-
zational communication in a magical place like Walt Disney World
with Professor David Zanolla?
Studying abroad is a powerful learning tool that has a transformative
impact and the enabling quality of expanding opportunities interna-
tionally. Spring break programs are only a portion of the opportuni-
ties that faculty provide to WIU students every year with the support
of the Office of Study Abroad and Outreach.

International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated
internationally on March 8. The Center
for International Studies and the Women’s
Center facilitated the screening of Hidden
Figures, a film about the true story of
three African American women who
worked as “human computers” for NASA.
Although often overlooked, the contri-
butions of these mathematicians made
the United States’ achievements in space
possible.
International Alumni Spotlight
Name: Dongjin Kim
Country: South Korea
Degree: Graduated in 2017 with a
doctorate in Educational Leadership
Current Position: Lecturer in Seoul
What have you been doing since leaving Macomb?
After five years of study at Western Illinois University and receiving a
doctoral degree, I became a lecturer at Sungkyunkwan University and
Soongeui Women’s College in South Korea, teaching students in the
education department.
What is your favorite memory from WIU?
I really liked hanging out with people at WIU. As a foreign student, there
can be a lot of challenges to living and studying at Western. However,
people around me at WIU were so nice that they always made me feel at
home. Professional faculty, kind colleagues, and supportive staff made my
life at WIU much easier as a foreign student. My favorite memory at WIU
is interacting with those wonderful people.
Anything else you would like to share?
I learned that international students, more than other students, should do
their best not to miss opportunities to experience something new. There
is always something new that you have never experienced before. Go
outside! Participate! Enjoy!
Study Abroad Student Spotlight
Name: Michael Jones
Study Abroad Program: Barcelona SAE, Spain
Length of Program: Semester
Level of Education: Senior
Field of Study: Marketing
How did you adjust to the culture shock?
I think I got over the culture shock by learning a little Spanish. It was re-
ally hard though. There were times that I felt like going home, but then I
met friends who knew Spanish. My friends made the whole experience
better, even with the culture shock.
What is the most important thing that you learned while abroad?
The most important thing I learned was to take chances and trust
myself. I know some people in Spain who were in their rooms every day
after class just watching Netflix, but I was actually doing activities and
meeting new people. I also got lost during a trip to Amsterdam. I was
supposed to be in a hostel in Amsterdam, but I ended up outside the
city. I was two hours away from where I was supposed to be. The signs
were hard to read because of the language, but there were a lot of people
who spoke English, so I kept asking them where I was supposed to go. I
was able to get back by trusting myself and using my resources.
How has studying abroad impacted your life?
I think it made me more talkative. Before I studied abroad, I wasn’t the
type to talk. Now I’m more comfortable in my own skin and more able
to do different things. It basically evolved me into the person I am. It
made me jump outside of my comfort zone, see new things, and meet
new people. It turned me into an overall better person.
What advice would you give a student considering going abroad?
I’ve been trying to study abroad since I was a freshman in college. If you
want to do it, it’s eventually going to happen. If you try hard enough, no-
body can stop you from doing something. I paid for it [study abroad] by
myself. I had a part-time job and was taking a lot of hours to save up for
it. I had meetings with the financial aid advisor about what loans I need-
ed and what scholarships I could apply for. Study abroad was cheaper
than studying at Western; my tuition was halved. If you get a scholarship
and have a Pell or MAP Grant, you have enough to study abroad.
Study in Japan!
Studying at Kansai Gaidai Univer-
sity in Japan is a great opportunity
offered to WIU students. They can
pay WIU tuition and housing fees
while studying and living in Japan.
WIU students attending Kansai
Gaidai can choose from a wide
variety of courses offered in English
such as Manga Drawing, Ceramics, Design, Japanese Business/Fi-
nance/Economics, Asian Political Science, Zen Buddhism, Japanese
History, and many more. In addition, Kansai Gaidai offers Japanese
language courses, which students do not have the opportunity to
take here on WIU’s campus. If students do not wish to spend a full
semester abroad, Kansai Gaidai also offers a culturally rich, six-week
Asian Studies Summer Program. Regardless of which program WIU
students choose at Kansai Gaidai, they will be joining a cohort of
approximately 750 other international students from more than 40
countries and regions.
 Upcoming Events Spring Break and Daylight Saving Time

Mar. 27 Cultural Cafe: Rwanda - 12:30 pm, Heritage Room March 12-16 is WIU’s spring break! Enjoy
Apr. 4 International Coffee Hour: Ethiopia - 3:00 pm, HH1 your week free from classes and stay safe.

Apr. 16 Cultural Cafe: Pakistan - 12:00 pm, Heritage Room Remember that Daylight Saving Time
May 2 International Coffee Hour: S. Korea - 3:00 pm, HH1 (DST) begins this Sunday, March 11. Set
your clocks forward one hour!

Support Our Students
Be a part of our mission to open minds and promote
intercultural understanding by donating to the
Center for International Studies.
Since the sun rises and sets an hour later during DST, there
will be more light in the evening. The United States first used
DST in 1918 as an effort to conserve fuel during World War
I. Although people now debate whether DST really does save
energy, it has still remained a tradition.

Donate Now

Thank you for your support!

http://bit.ly/globalizeWIU
Thirty students went on the annual Lincoln’s Birthday Ski
Trip to Snow Star in Andalusia, IL. Each year the Center for
Taste of Africa International Studies partners with the Campus Recreation
Center to offer this exciting trip to students at a group price.

The African Students Association (ASA)

hosted Taste of Africa for the Culture in
order to further promote the African conti-
nent to the WIU community and the world
at large. A brainchild of the ASA’s current
e-board, the event essentially intended to
showcase the different cultures, foods, and
high fashion that can be found
in various African countries.
New International Student Orientation was held from Jan. 8-12.
The first annual Taste of Africa was held as Many returning international students volunteered their time to
the finale of Fall 2017’s ASA Week. Its success help the new students with checking-in, banking, and shopping.
motivated the organization to increase their Events were held during the week to help the students acclimate
planning for this semester’s event, which was to campus and to Macomb.
held on February 23 as part of the celebra-
tion of Black History Month. This year’s
attendance more than doubled from last year’s, with close to 300
participants.
Contact Us!
Part of the event was educating those present about Africa, letting
Center for International Studies
wiu.edu/international
people know that Africa is not a country but a continent. The
international-ed@wiu.edu
event also endeavored to dispute the media’s common usage of
ugly and poverty-stricken pictures to depict Africa. The ASA
Office of the Executive Director Study Abroad and Outreach
shared fun facts about different African countries through a game Horrabin Hall 6 Horrabin Hall 8
of Kahoot!, and prizes were given out to winners. There was also Phone: (309) 298-1929 Phone: (309) 298-2504
an African dance performance by a group called Aggression and
a fashion show put on by the ASA fashion group. Unsurprisingly, International Student Services WESL Institute
Memorial Hall 347 Memorial Hall 346
the main attraction Phone: 309-298-3734
was the assorted Phone: (309) 298-2485
food that was International Admissions
served from twelve Memorial Hall 342
African Phone: (309) 298-2426 Follow Us!
countries.