800 international students mingle at museum reception

The variety of cultures represented by exhibits at the University Museum came alive Friday as more than 800 international students gathered for a reception in the museum's Chinese Rotunda. The students, who are all new to the Delaware Valley, hailed from area colleges and universities -- including Penn. The annual gathering originated in 1972 with 100 students, according to Reginald Rayapakse, a Penn graduate. Rayapakse helped create International House, an organization that helps ease foreign students' transition to American life and sponsors events like Friday's reception. International House began in 1963 with volunteers who met students at the airport and offered general support. Shortly thereafter, International House opened a program called International Classroom, which encourages foreign students to convey their experiences to American children, in the hope that the Americans will be exposed to other cultures on a first-hand level. International Classroom allows area elementary and high school students to gain the ancient and modern perspective at the same time. For example, students would first tour a museum to learn the history of mummies and then hear of life in modern Egypt from an Egyptian student. Currently, roughly 150 students from 55 countries are involved with International Classroom, and organizers said they hope the students who attended Friday's reception will also become involved. Twenty-five students from Philadelphia Girls' High School volunteered their time during the event to serve food and drinks to the extremely heterogeneous group. Many of the original founders of International House attended as well. A multitude of languages blended with English as students conversed for two hours. Often, students congregated with those from their own countries, including Croatia, France and Japan. The students had the opportunity to compare their experiences both in the classroom and on a social level. El Salvador native JosZ Zelaya, who studies English at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa., said he thought the reception was a chance to reconnect culturally. Similarly, Penn College sophomore Fungayi Kapungu, who hails from Zimbabwe, noted that the reception "enables students from different international backgrounds to meet people from other schools."