International Wall of Flags
St. Thomas University strives to be inclusive when it comes to their students. The University likes to celebrate everyones differences and their roots. Forty flags hanging in James Dunn Hall represent the forty different countries international students are from. On November the 13th the wall was unveiled again for the second time.
Manuel Garcia is the current president for the “International Students Association”, who along with the student union had decided to do a new unveiling of the wall. “The reason we decided to present it again was because this year there were more international students that came in and we actually got international students from the specific country’s for the first time” said Garcia.
Garcia and the “International Students Association” decided to make the new unveiling part of Canada’s International student education week. “It was a nice opportunity to celebrate it on campus for the first time ever so this whole week has been the first time we have an event of such nature” said Garcia. Garcia says the “International Students Association” exists to make international students feel welcomed and at home in St. Thomas.
Many students find the wall to be an great way to show inclusiveness. Erika Ruiz is one of the many students that love the flags and what they represent. “I think that its really good because it shows like the great community that is here in St. Thomas University”. Ruiz continued to explain how many international students go to class together and hang out outside of school. This is because they are all in the same position of coming to a new country and having someone to share the same experience with can be comforting.
Events continued throughout the week like food tasting from different countries as well as a few more. This way international students could bring a little bit of home to their friends at St. Thomas. The university has taken many steps to make everyone feel welcomed, and these flags prove they are moving in the right direction.
