International House fundraiser planned May 4

Many of Gadsden State Community College’s international students -- among them, the Egyptian student talking to a young visitor -- participated April 12 in a festival themed “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” to share information and exhibits about the cultures of their native lands. Ticket holders received a passport to take on their “travels” to the many countries represented: India, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Greece and Mexico and others. There was also an opportunity to sample foods from the many countries represented at the International Festival -- designed to give people from the Gadsden area a chance to interact with students studying at Gadsden State, or at the college’s Alabama Language Institute. Vendors also offered goods from various countries, and a student from India painted intricate henna tattoos on the hands of visitors.

A committee designed to create an International Student Center for International students at Gadsden State Community College is hosting a dinner to raise funds for the project. The event, to include International appetizers, will take place May 4 at Crosspoint Community Church in Gadsden.
   Part of the fun for the event, according to committee chairman David Ford, is the pairing of International students from Gadsden State with local families to prepare appetizers for the dinner. At least a dozen of the International foods will be featured, along with the students who helped prepare the appetizers. A dinner will be served and some of the International students will provide entertainment along with local talent Kevin Moore.
   The proposed International Student Center is being planned by a group of local residents in an effort to help the visiting students to have an even better experience in Gadsden, as well as become even more valuable to the community. The group says support has been overwhelming from local citizens, legislators, Gadsden Mayor Sherman Guyton and several city council members, and leaders with Gadsden State Community College. Dr. Paula Ross Derrick, who directs the International student program at Gadsden State Community College, says with the male dorm facilities full, many students wanting to attend the college may be able to do so with additional living quarters, which the proposedc Center would include. Additionally, she says there’s a great need for a place these students can call home, other than the dorm, and a proposed International Center would be a great asset to their program.
   Gadsden State Community College typically has 150 or more students from other countries attend each year. “These students contribute over $1.4 million to the local economy, and these are young men and women that are typically exceptional students who pay out-of-state tuition,” according to Derrick. “The college is fortunate to have them, and we would like to have more and see the program grow locally.”
   Tickets for the dinner are available by e-mailing GISC@comcast.net.