OKC Day Tour 2009

The OKC Day Tour
Hosted by OCU Multicultural Student Association

Visiting places:
Governor’s Mansion
State Capitol
Oklahoma History Center
OKC National Memorial
Museum of Art
Petroleum Club
Myriad Botanical Gardens
Bricktown Canal

We also had lunch at Lake Hefner under a very beautiful sky and in a nice weather surrounding by romantic landscape. As the coordinator, I really enjoyed this new idea which we didn't think of last year.
Taking the water taxi around bricktown is one of our new spot this year. Although it was raining at that time, for the first commers to OKC, this was a fantastic trip.

I myself made lots of new friends through this trip.
How about you???

Purple Bee

International Friend Program

I invite you to be part of the this program that matches international students with hosts from the Oklahoma City community. Our hosts come from the neighborhood, area churches, and the OCU campus.

Volunteers are matched with one or more of our students and agree to be a friend to them over the academic year through the following ways:

· Each month, invite you to spend time with them. This could be to share a meal in their home or in a restaurant, attending events such as festivals or concerts, or including you in their family celebrations. You decide together on the type and number of events.

· Each week, stay in touch with you through a phone call, email, or card.

· Recognize your birthday and other important dates.

To register: complete and return the attached application to:

Rev. Rodney Newman at Rnewman@okcu.edu

Or you may bring your application to his office in the chapel.

A reception to meet your host and further orientation to the program will be held Sunday, September 27, 2009. Attendance at this event is encouraged but not required.

Please contact Rev. Newman, program coordinator, with any questions.

Rodney Newman
University Chaplain
Oklahoma City University
2501 N Blackwelder
Oklahoma City OK 73106-1493
405-208-5484
rnewman@okcu.edu

Pageant showcases diversity

The Multicultural Student Association is hosting Mr. and Mrs. OCU International 2009 at 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25 in Petree Hall in Kirpatrick Fine Arts Center.

Kyoungja Song, Mingwei Zhang, Minh Truong, Tansi Gunvanthbhai Modi, and Thien Do are competing for Mrs. OCU International 2009.

Noumane Rahouti, Sun Yue, Marcin Parys, and Joshua Hughes are competing for Mr. OCU International 2009.

Contestants will be judged on talent and a Q&A during the pageant. The judging panel consists of Christopher Roman Nose, Coordinator of the Multicultural Program, Kathleen Jernigan, Director of BCM, Dr. Rick Hall, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Dr. Robert Griffin, Associate Professor of TESOL.

The Master of Ceremony duty is shared by Tinasha Williams, Miss Black OCU 2007, and Jose Andrade. There will also be various special performances.

The Korean group will perform a traditional dance. Ana Todorova and Jesus Elizondo will dance the tango. Samantha Spears will play the French horn, and the 6-year-old son of Nakita Colbert, the Administrative Assistant, will make a special appearance.

Mr. and Mrs. OCU International 2008 were Jorge Marzola and Ewa Plonka. Jorge Marzola will be attending the 2009 pageant and will be making a special performance as well.

Miss Black OCU 2008 DeEtta Cravens will announce the winners of Mr. and Mrs. OCU International 2009. The People's Choice award will be given according to the audience's popular vote.

Admission for OCU faculty, staff, and students with ID is $3. Admission for the general public is $5.

From OCU Student Publication
Mary Larsh
Link: http://media.www.ocustupub.com/media/storage/paper1152/news/2009/09/24/News/Pageant.Showcases.Diversity-3782439.shtml

Mr&Ms OCU International, sneak peak

Hi folks,


Long time never posted anything!! That’s my fault. I would like to encourage you guys to go watching the greatest performances ever, and that’s Mr&Ms OCU Int’l. This event has held every year to make the strong bonds between international students become stronger, and encourages the activities in OCU. I proudly say that I have watched this event every academic year I had at OCU. In the first year, my friend participated as the contestant from Thailand, and he performed the trumpet solo in the Thai traditional costume. That year was marvelous, and my friend got the runner-up. The second year, I had a chance to be president of Thai student association, and my brother has come for going school at OCU for the first semester. So, All Thai students at that time voted him to be the contestant from Thailand, and he admitted. My brother performance was Thai Boxing. He showed the tactic of Thai boxing, briefly in four or five minutes. The show was great, but unfortunately he did not get any prize. He felt little bit sorry, but that was the great chance for him to express his courage to be on the stage and show the great thing to the audiences. For this year, the event will be held at the same place, petree auditorium, Friday 25th at 7pm. From the rehearsal yesterday, I would say the great shows you would not like to miss are coming in the roll to let your eyes bedazzled. Come and enjoy the show, this is the last call!!!

Darkmolt

First experience!!!

I planned my trip to OCU a year ago when I decided to pursue my MBA program in the U.S. There are lots of reasons leading to my final decision to attend OCU. First is the high ranking of OCU in the Top 25 Master’s Universities in the West, by U.S.News & World Report. There are more than 3,000 schools and universities in the U.S., and this can speak for OCU’s educational quality. Therefore, OCU attracted me with the small class sizes, which allows students to have high personal attention. For an international student like me, this makes me feel a part of the class and allows me to get more involved in class work. One more thing made me make up my mind at that time is the global environment OCU provides to students, an international and integrative atmosphere in which you will have a chance to get along with students from more than 60 countries around the world. To me, not only the knowledge I would like to gain when I decided to study in the U.S., but also the unique experience I could never get from anywhere else.

I have been in Oklahoma City for several months and the experience I have gained here is unforgettable. Life here is very peaceful and the people are very friendly and helpful. I have some really nice local friends who have helped me a lot for my first time in the U.S. I love every beautiful moment we share and learning about the different cultures together.

Even now that I live so far away from home, I can still enjoy my home country’s food every day because there’s a variety of Asian markets and districts around OCU and Oklahoma City.

In addition, Oklahoma City is one of the cities having the lowest cost of living in the U.S. For a student who loves traveling like me, this may help save a little money for my next summer trip to some neighbor states around Oklahoma.

One more interesting thing I can’t stand not to share is having an on-campus job at OCU. Now I’m a work study student in the OCU International Admissions Office. I used to have a similar job when I was in Vietnam. The valuable experience I gained from such a great job by advising and helping students with study abroad procedures supports my current job at OCU as an International Student Ambassador. Every day, I greet current and prospective international students, help them with application procedures and assist International Admission Counselors with enrollment process. Meeting students from many different countries and listening to their different situations are interesting and makes me feel helpful being here.

One word I can say about OCU and Oklahoma is “wonderful.” I have had a very good beginning here from life to school and work. I did my first two semesters at OCU very well and was appreciated by professors. All these things make me want to engage my time in the U.S. to OCU and Oklahoma City.

Peanut Butter

Mr & Ms OCU International 2009

Mr & Ms OCU International is an annual event hosted by OCU Multicultural Student Association.
This is a fantastic presentation of international student pageantry, fused with local performances. Please join us in celebrating Oklahoma City University’s unique cultural diversity. The pageant presents students from various parts of the world who would greatly appreciate your support!
Funds go toward scholarships and other cultural events sponsored by the Multicultural Student Association.
Participating in the contest, you are able to become a King/Queen and win an award of $200.
Other participants will also be rewarded other prizes.

This year, the contest will be held at Petree Hall @ Wanda Bass Music School on September 25th.

Contestant registration, please contact MSA staff at:
Rui Zhang: 702 683 1219
rzhang.stu@my.okcu.edu

Good bye my friends!!

My friend just left OKC to work in one of the big city in West coast. We have been friends in the same group of study, playing, or hanging out for two years. We had fun studying together in the first semester we had. The second semester, we went to Colorado for Spring break. Everyone in our group was so happy. Beginning of third semester, the break out began. Some of our friend had to move to other living places, and the school time and class were different. This made me have not met them as often as before. The fourth semester, ironic semester, we had almost graduated. All friends had not much time to hang out one another. They put all time and effort focusing on the last semester to complete the master degree. After the semester finished, we had the last funniest party ever together. I went back to my countries for visiting my parents. During that visiting, some of my friends moved back to their countries, some moved to work other places. I had no chance to say good bye in front of their face. The most recent, I had luncheon for my friend farewell party, and after that, I had a chance to say good-bye at the other night while he started drove his car to seek the new great life in other places. Do not leave your friends without saying some good words, this is a tip.

Darkmolt