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International awareness at GSU

Courtesy Photo
Grambling State University students from Saudi Arabia host a “Arabian NIght” gathering to increase international awareness.                                                                                          

With international-student enrollment on the rise at Grambling State University, it is only right to care, to know and to understand how fellow international Gramblinites feel about their place at the university.

According to college.niche. com, the international population at Grambling totals seven percent, and the international community on campus is asking for more from student life at GSU.

In particular, a good number of the international population hails from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula, in Asia. It has a popula- tion of about 27 million people, and its capital is Riyadh.

According to eia.gov, Saudi Arabia was the largest export- er of total petroleum liquids in 2013 and is the world’s largest holder of crude oil.

“Saudi Arabia was the second-largest petroleum liquids producer behind the United States and was the world’s second-largest crude oil producer behind Russia.”

In Grambling on Friday,a group of students from Saudi Arabia who are enrolled at Grambling and Louisiana Tech, gathered in Grambling State’s Black and Gold Room to have what they called an “Arabian Night.”

During the event gatherers came together to practice their culture by serving Middle Eastern foods, by dressing in Middle Eastern attire and enjoying the familiar sounds from what they call “home.”

In an interview with Yam Al Yami, the organizer of “Arabian Night,” he expressed that the international community at Grambling needs more love and attention.

Yami discussed how student life for international students at Grambling is all but nonexistent. He further expressed how if student life for international students was more active, the population of students from other countries could increase as a result of international students in the states recruiting potential stu- dents back from back home.

Some changes that Yami and the international student community would like to see are changes in entertainment, food options and events, just to name a few.

This lack of student life for those from different countries was part of the reason why such diversity and fellowship took place in Favrot Student Union’s Black and Gold Room during “Arabian Night.”

Yami also mentioned that the international students would like to see the things that they were promised back home as incentives to get them to attend GSU. Things such as a gym for international students and a swimming pool to name a couple.

In the future Yami and the campus international community plan to have other events that would make their stay in Grambling homey while they study.

Yami also encourages the student body to participate in international events and bridge the gaps between dif- ferent worlds and build rela- tionships that may become endless.