By Bianca Dinkha
With Thanksgiving just passing, students were excited to celebrate the new holiday season with friends and family.
ELS student, Moe Matsuda, had heard about Thanksgiving in her native Japan, but now that she is at Dominican, she looked forward to experiencing the American holiday for herself.
Japanese ELS students are keen on celebrating American traditions while at DU says, Kathleen Hylen, center director for ELS Language Centers.
“They are certainly taking an interest in American traditions,” she said. “They want to learn a lot about how we do things here, so they are constantly asking questions.”
Many ELS students expressed their excitement for Halloween, putting on makeup, dressing up in fun costumes and carving pumpkins, Hylen said.
Numerous Dominican students have made new friends with our international students by inviting them to picnics and encouraging them to participate in fun activities during the school year.
“I have never seen our students integrating so well.” Hylen said. “Dominican students are so welcoming. They will reach out and make friends with our students in the dining hall, or when they see them hanging out. It has been a wonderful partnership.”
Moe Matsuda, a Japanese ELS student, expressed her desire to participate in new traditions and holidays at Dominican.
“I am interested in learning about American cultural events.” Matsuda said. “Every day at Dominican is exciting and fun. The students are very friendly, and I love the design of the building. I am experiencing a lifestyle that I could never experience in Japan.”
Other DU students have shared their enthusiasm for the Thanksgiving holiday. Senior Eduardo Delgado emphasized what he said was the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
“Thanksgiving is important to me and my family because it is a time to give thanks for all of the good things that happened during the year.” Delgado said. “There are always things to give thanks for, like good health and your family.”
“It is an important holiday because there are not many times where people give thanks for what they have, so I think it is always important to stay humble,” he said.
bdinkha@my.dom.edu