With the loftier goal of connecting the world, the International Student Center developed several programs for its International Education Week with a short-term goal of connecting Seattle University students on campus.

Fragmented flags of countries around the world adorned the walls of Campion Ballroom on Saturday in honor of "Connecting the World," the theme for this year's International Dinner. The dinner is the capstone event for International Education Week — a week on Seattle U's campus dedicated to raising awareness of international issues and promoting global engagement.

"The world is re-thinking itself," said Ryan Greene, director of the International Student Center. "It's a puzzle — an incomplete puzzle — and it just came together that ‘Connecting The World' was going to be [the theme] with a puzzle motif to represent those political shifts and difficulties."

Over the week, 23 programs encouraged an estimated 2,100 attendees to think of ways to put the puzzle pieces of the world together. The International Dinner combined Vietnam, Ireland, Japan, Ukraine, India, France, Africa, Korea and Saudi Arabia in unexpected ways as the countries represented on the menu.

Entertainment continued throughout the night. Whether the stage featured steel drums from Trinidad and Tobago, taiko drums from Japan, a French jazz soloist or a mariachi trio, audience members cheered and applauded. Interestingly enough, the connection of cultural commonalities of music, song and dance were more apparent to attendees than the differences.

"The easiest way to know [another] culture is to try [the] food and see their events or performances," said Aya Kamiyoshi, a sophomore international exchange student from Japan.

This type of exposure can ignite dialogue about common misconceptions across cultures. Ali Alaoui, a senior from France, laughed as he talked about being able to joke about stereotypes but also acknowledged that there is a more serious side to the discussion.

"There's some people that like to talk about [stereotypes] and there's people who don't," he said. "There's even people who go even deeper in these kind of things and ask crazy questions. I-Week is the week for [asking those questions]."

Freshman Nguyen Tran moved to Seattle from Vietnam as a freshman in high school. He wasn't worried about resolving misconceptions as much as he was about simply acknowledging that they exist.

"Regardless of who we are, I'm going to look at you and have a stereotype. That's normal," said Tran. "But this week we recognize it and acknowledge it and then we get to accept it. That's why I like this week so much because I know how people look at me and think [about me] and I accept it."

Zhen Binyang, a senior from France, sees the practical benefits of cross-cultural competency.

"Most of SU's students are going to go international once they graduate," he said. "It's important for them to know, in a certain sense, different habits that different cultures [and] different nationalities have."

Greene hopes that the dinner is just an introduction to a more pronounced investment in international education.

"I think college is the best opportunity to really dive in and begin understanding ‘otherness' and begin understanding different cultures. ... For students that may not have been that eager to break beyond their own culture, hopefully this week introduced them to a wide array of different cultures. I hope that sets a spark for some people," Greene said.

Seattle U students interested in getting involved with international education can visit the International Student Center or the Office of Global Engagement.

Rosalie may be reached at rcabison@su-spectator.com