2008 Woodie Awards
Interelations fundraiser to help expense of trips
By: Ian Glennie
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: News
Students and residents can get a cultural experience at the International Relations Council fundraiser tonight.
"It's a fundraiser to help our students pay some of their way in the other international cities," said John Gerhard, a member of the International Relations Council Board of Directors. "We need to get more and more community members realizing the value of our sister city program."
The event will take place at 6 p.m. in the banquet hall of the Comfort Inn, 2424 S. Mission St., and costs $40 for the general public and $25 for students.
"It helps us realize it's a small world," Gerhard said. "We are all very much the same, just with cultural uniqueness."
The 40 year-old organization serves as an exchange program for both students and adults with "sister cities" Okaya, Japan; Valdivia, Chile and Vladimir, Russia, Gerhard said.
About 400 people are expected to attend the event, which will include refreshments and dinner, a silent auction of various authentic goods from around the world, and a traditional Korean fan dance performed by Boram Kim.
Mount Pleasant Mayor John Joslin will be presented with a plaque at the event.
Gerhard said there also will be a presentation by a group of adults who recently returned from Okaya.
Bill DeKryger, associate engineering and technology professor and organizer of the Vladimir section of the exchange program, said many international students will attend the event.
"We try to encourage as many people as possible, like people from the community who are interested in promoting international relations with different entities," DeKryger said.
DeKryger has been taking a group of students to Russia and welcoming a group of Russian students to campus every year to further these groups' engineering and cultural knowledge.
International Council Board of Directors Member and Chairman of the Okaya sub-committee Larry Collins said the focus of the fundraiser will be on international aspects of cultural exchange, especially for American students.
"It's a chance for international students to meet the community and the community to meet them," Collins said.
Tickets can be bought at the door or at the Middle Michigan Development Corporation,111 S. University.
news@cm-life.com
"It's a fundraiser to help our students pay some of their way in the other international cities," said John Gerhard, a member of the International Relations Council Board of Directors. "We need to get more and more community members realizing the value of our sister city program."
The event will take place at 6 p.m. in the banquet hall of the Comfort Inn, 2424 S. Mission St., and costs $40 for the general public and $25 for students.
"It helps us realize it's a small world," Gerhard said. "We are all very much the same, just with cultural uniqueness."
The 40 year-old organization serves as an exchange program for both students and adults with "sister cities" Okaya, Japan; Valdivia, Chile and Vladimir, Russia, Gerhard said.
About 400 people are expected to attend the event, which will include refreshments and dinner, a silent auction of various authentic goods from around the world, and a traditional Korean fan dance performed by Boram Kim.
Mount Pleasant Mayor John Joslin will be presented with a plaque at the event.
Gerhard said there also will be a presentation by a group of adults who recently returned from Okaya.
Bill DeKryger, associate engineering and technology professor and organizer of the Vladimir section of the exchange program, said many international students will attend the event.
"We try to encourage as many people as possible, like people from the community who are interested in promoting international relations with different entities," DeKryger said.
DeKryger has been taking a group of students to Russia and welcoming a group of Russian students to campus every year to further these groups' engineering and cultural knowledge.
International Council Board of Directors Member and Chairman of the Okaya sub-committee Larry Collins said the focus of the fundraiser will be on international aspects of cultural exchange, especially for American students.
"It's a chance for international students to meet the community and the community to meet them," Collins said.
Tickets can be bought at the door or at the Middle Michigan Development Corporation,111 S. University.
news@cm-life.com
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