The International Club was created to unite international students and non-international students studying at Fresno Christian. The club meets every other Thursday to partake in various activities including a monthly off campus lunch trip to a nearby fast food restaurant.
Aiming to promote involvement with the foreign exchange students, Tamara Hill hopes to have more non-international students join the club. Hill also hopes to develop a community among the international students along with non-international students.
“Mr. Brown (Jeremy Brown) asked me if I would be interested in supporting the international students and since I am the ESL provider this year, it was a natural position to take on,” Hill said. “We meet every other Thursday at different classrooms. The international club’s purpose is to develop community among the international students and also to develop community with non-international students.”
During the International Club’s meeting on Nov. 12, activities and discussion among students were some of the things that took place. Near the beginning of the meeting, the club held a friendly competition between the girls and boys on guessing an idiom.
The game was a hangman style game where students had to guess one letter at a time and finally in the end guess the entire phrase. Eventually the girls won by guessing the phrase. Actions speak louder than words was the correct answer to solve the word puzzle.
Concluding the game, Hill led students in discussion of what they thought the phrase might mean. After the activity, students talked about what they did on their day off on Nov. 11 for Veteran’s Day. The most popular activity done on the day off was catching up on sleep.
Hill transitioned the subject to how long the attenders had attended FC and introducing all of the regular members to the new attenders that had come that day. Most of the students recently transitioned from other schools to study at FC.
Off campus lunch was the next topic. The club entertained the idea of all going for pizza to the Promised Land the following Thursday. The Promised Land is what campus students call the fast food restaurants directly across the street from Peoples Church. For the remainder of lunch, students broke off into smaller groups and socialized among themselves.
An attender of the club, Tiffany Wong, ’18, is very satisfied with International Club. Wong appreciates the opportunity to spend time with friends that also goes to club meetings.
“In the international club we talk together and the teachers will show us American traditional languages,” Wong said. “The International Club helps me know more about my friends and when we meet, we do interesting things. The expectations I had when I joined the club have been met.”
Joey Huang, ’18, joined the club to be in fellowship with fellow international students. Huang feels warmth when attending club meetings and enjoys the variety of what countries the students came from.
“I joined the International Club to be with other foreign students from my own country,” Huang said. “We have an off campus lunch and we pray, talk, and play games. I feel warmth when I go to the club sessions and it’s also really nice because its not only students from China, but also international students from other countries.”
Michael Fu, ‘15, is a senior at FC. Fu is a regular attender of the club and enjoys learning about the English language. Fu hopes the club will bring him closer the new students that come to the FC. Fu came from Taipei, Taiwan to America to study American culture and also to expand his world view.
“I came to America to expand my world view and learn about American culture,” Fu said. “In the International Club we try to bring international students and help them understand American culture and the English language itself. The International Clubs helps bring me closer to new students that come to Fresno Christian and build a relationship with them.”
An international student from China Trisha Cui, ’18, thoroughly enjoys attending International Club. The club has helped Cui improve her English and socialize with her friends.
“Internationals students come to international club to have lunch, play games, and have fun,” Cui said. “About ten students come to each meeting. The club has helped me improve my English and socialize with friends. I really enjoy International Club.”
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