Radford International Students Tour Washington, D.C.

To develop a feel for American history and culture, the International Education Center (IEC) hosted Radford University international students on a whirlwind tour of Washington, D.C., last October.

Led by IEC Assistant Director Teresa King and Program Support Specialist Lori Roop, the exchange students from Switzerland, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, France, Germany and Spain spent two chilly fall days bussing around the city, browsing monuments and museums, walking the Mall and eating American fare.

To Yuri Takano, a junior business major from the Osaka University of Commerce, the trip was part of her yearlong immersion into the American way of life and education.

“Everything was beautiful. The buildings were so interesting, and the streets were so wide,” she said. “Compared to Tokyo, my capital city, it was less crowded and very comfortable.”

The trip was one of a series of events the IEC hosts to acclimate the nearly 100-strong international student community to Radford and America. Events included the Annual International

Banquet, a semesteropening Globefest picnic at Bisset Park, special cultural celebrations and monthly coffee hours that introduce the visiting exchange students to Radford and each other.

“International students can be much more than tourists. They can get inside the American culture and understand what it is like to be an American,” said IEC Director Paul Currant. “Outside-ofthe-classroom activities richen their experience and understanding of America.”

Washington’s cosmopolitan nature surprised her, Takano said.

“As I walked around, I heard many different languages being spoken,” Takano said. “When I heard Japanese, it made me feel good.

“There is so much in Washington to see, I look forward to going back,” she adds. “It really is close, and I know we missed a lot.”