Cultural immersion opportunities for new international students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln are in full swing with the onset of the fall semester.
On Saturday 2 September, the New Student Enrollment office held the fourth annual Big Red Game Day Experience. During Big Red Game Day, international students learnt the basics of American football through a presentation and live demonstration, practised football cheers, played traditional tailgate games, and had the opportunity to throw footballs and try on equipment for photos. The program ended with the group going to the football game in Memorial Stadium, one of the largest in the United States, which holds more than 90,000 people. There were 191 international students that took part in the Big Red Game Day Experience including students who were recruited via the EduCo network. The Huskers won and the students got a taste of true American sports culture!
New Student Enrollment also hosted students at the Global Leadership Retreat on Sunday 3 and Monday 4 September. The retreat is an overnight program at Camp Rivercrest in Fremont, Nebraska, that brings international and domestic students together to discover common ground and establish lasting friendships through a variety of activities. Through collaboration, engagement, self-reflection and understanding, participants develop cultural competence which prepares them to be global leaders. The students bonded through the traditional cabin-dwelling countryside camp experience, a multitude of discussions and team-building activities, and they ended the weekend with a cardboard boat race in the camp swimming pool. A rewarding time was had by all.
