The Office of International Affairs held their monthly coffee hour at the Underground, located in the student center. Students lined up for a turn to pour themselves a cup of coffee, and snack on cookies, pocky, and sushi.
Each month, International Affairs picks one country to showcase for their coffee hour, giving international students a chance to represent their culture to the rest of the student body.
This month, the organization celebrated the Japanese culture. Various stands were set up for students to browse and observe.
Study Abroad representatives were present to give curious students some insight into Temple’s Tokyo program. An origami station gave students step by step instructions on how to fold elegant paper cranes, while a group of Japanese international students taught English speakers a few Japanese phrases.
The organization hopes to promote a welcoming, diverse environment for international students, as well as local Temple students.
Events like these are meant to showcase the beauty located in other parts of the world. Some of this beauty is found in the art of Ikebana flower arranging – which was also featured at the coffee hour. Japan prides itself in arranging delicate flowers into intricate designs. Students gathered to snap pictures and ogle at the skill demonstrated by the florists.
International Affairs has successfully put on three coffee hours this semester, spotlighting Valenzuela and India. They are working to keep the tradition going throughout the year. The organization uses their Facebook and Twitter pages as their primary source of promotion.
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