International students socialize at museum

Representing the diversity of the global community, international students from Philadelphia-area colleges gathered in the Chinese Rotunda at the University Museum Friday to share their perspectives on student life in the United States. Mary Day Kent is the coordinator of International Classroom, a University-based program that supports promoting "cross-cultural understanding" -- such as Friday's reception. According to Kent, this annual reception is the only event that welcomes international students to the Philadelphia region as a collective community. "The city acknowledges the significant presence of international students, and expresses a welcome that they are here," Kent said. Kent stood on a receiving line next to international professors and consuls, greeting the nearly 500 students in attendance. "We are here because we want to meet new people and learn about different cultures," said Mary Shields, Philadelphia High School for Girls senior and reception volunteer. "It's a good all-around experience." The stark atmosphere of the Chinese Rotunda and the quiet hush of nervous visitors dissipated as the evening progressed. Because the event was informal and unstructured, individuals were encouraged to socialize. Each student was identified by a name tag that indicated his or her country of origin. Students representing nations as near as Canada and as far as Iran and Vietnam attended the event, and were surrounded by the sounds of nearly a dozen languages. Parshan Parekeh, a junior at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, said he believed the purpose of the reception was to interact with different cultures. "On our campus, there is a lot of segregation," Parekeh said. "It is good to introduce people to other cultures." But he said he felt alienated and upset by the cultural "cliques" which seemed to form throughout the room. He added that like the museum's artifacts, which are grouped together in distinct rooms, the students gathered within the museum seemed to separate themselves along the same lines -- namely a shared cultural heritage.