- The International Student Organization Cultural Show is taking place at JUMP in Boise November 18, 7-9 PM
- Students from more than 60 countries make up College of Idaho’s student body
- Check the International Student Organization’s Instagram for updates
The International Student Organization of College of Idaho is putting on its annual Cultural ShowWednesday, November 8 from 6-8 PM at Jewett Auditorium. Yet this year the show will also go on the road, being hosted by JUMP in Boise on the 18th of November.
The International Student Organization is one of the college's more prominent groups on the diverse campus of The College of Idaho. The campus is made up of students from more countries than there are counties within Idaho.
This diversity encourages students from around the world to seek out the small college. One student, Sibusiso Mahlangu’s, journey to the small college town took him to Norway, Egypt, Lesthoto, and Swaziland, all before returning to the place of his birth in South Africa.
Friends call him Sibu, and his infectious smile welcomes people to campus, which evolves into the friendships that won him second place at last year’s Food Fest where the students cook up traditional dishes.
Zaynab El Hakour, ISO’s marketing coordinator, explained it is these types of students that make learning on campus about "social growth as much as it is about intellectual growth. Being exposed to a lot of people from around the world will help you understand the world and what you learn in the class in a different way and better way”. Before elaborating that she's "never been so exposed to the world as I am right now in Idaho.”
My comprehension expanded while walking around campus when I encountered Aayush Shrestha. He is 1 of the 19 performances in the Cultural Show, and also topped Sibu for best dish at Food Fest. "There’s a lot of representation from different countries. For example, all of us are from Nepal. and we hadn’t met each other before coming here but once we came here it’s just so easy to meet other people,” says Aayush.
Sibu explained the significance of getting “… out of your comfort level, even if it means coming to the show where you may not know any of the songs, any of the music, or any of what people are singing, but feeling the sort of experience that they have and what they have to offer.”
Experiencing the unknown can be intimidating, but Sibu, Zaynab, and Aayush put a warm, welcoming face to cultures I have little experience with. I encourage you to experience firsthand the diverse offerings of culture through this artistic expression in our local community.
- College of Idaho YouTube
- College of Idaho – International Student Organization Instagram
