Once every month a group of student representatives from a number of different cultures gather together to discuss student interaction, activities, and issues faced by international students on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. The group however is in the beginning stages, with no recorded history and limited awareness on the campus.
This group is called the International Student Association, a student run board that collaborates with International Education and Student Services housed at the International Center on the Southeast campus.
According to the association's constitution, this organization was set, "to improve communication between international students, provide and promote programs that support and serve the needs of international students, to promote cultural awareness and understanding through social and intellectual activities, and to facilitate better social interaction [between] international students and the Cape Girardeau community."
The International Student Association President Orphee Ondo finds the constitution to be broad, leaving the board unsure of its limits, what it can and cannot do on the Southeast campus.
There are no records of past meetings held by previous boards, nor are there records of what was done by the association on campus, according to International Student Association advisor Suzanne McKinney. The current board only has this constitution that was created and has been updated yearly by previous boards.
The board has set a goal to increase interaction between students of different cultures. While they do not have a clear idea on how to go about this, they are taking multiple steps to try to reach their goal this year. McKinney finds that Facebook seems to be the way that most of the association communicates, decides on issues outside of the meetings, and publicize or keep track of events.
This year the board is creating archives of meetings and keeping record of what they do and any roadblocks along the way to help the association in years to come.
For instance, McKinney has started a collection of photos, articles, documents and other clippings that feature the association to start a scrapbook to be passed down through the years as new board members are elected.
Along with documentation, the organization is trying to increase its impact on the campus. The association "has big potential, if we use it right, we can accomplish a lot," Ondo said.
Ondo believes that with International Student Association efforts, barriers can be broken and cultures can be mixed. The organization "allows you to meet all those different cultures you normally wouldn't meet," allowing you to discuss the separate experiences and live through the stories of others Ondo said.
The representation on the board is diverse to help with the mixture of cultures in the group. The board this year has representation from Africa, Pakistan, Burma, Dubai, Bangladesh, China, France and India.
To break barriers and increase the association's impact on campus, events have been organized such as International Student Association soccer matches and Friday Night Leadership Conferences. The board this year organized a large diverse group to represent the association in the homecoming parade. The association works with other groups on campus to create events as well, for instance, the association worked with the Southeast group of Free Slaves to bring James Kofi Annan, a former child slave in Ghana, to Southeast to discuss his escape and aid in helping others escape.
The meeting dates are decided on by the board and events are created on Facebook inviting everyone to the meeting. All Southeast students are invited to attend the meetings. Membership is free and open to all students as well.
For updates on events and meetings or to join, find the "International Student Association at Southeast Missouri State University" group on Facebook.
