Baker University students will focus on the world outside the borders of the United States next week in celebration of International Education Week.
This year’s theme is “Gaining perspective: What does the world see?” with sub topics on silenced populations, the environment and sustainability, the global financial crisis, the United States presidential election and solutions for global problems.
Cindy Novelo, director of study abroad, international and disability services, said the election and market problems are two areas that easily demonstrate the impact the United States has around the world.
“We don’t see how the things we do affect the world,” she said. “They do.”
International Education Week is a national joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Baker will begin the week Sunday with a joint hunger banquet acknowledging Poverty Awareness Week.
One of the new events this year is Tuesday’s Hour of Silence organized by senior Rachel Kilian.
“I really wanted to do one for oppressed people,” Kilian said. “It represents the silence they face every day whether it’s in their government or because they’re a minority.”
Starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Harter Union, students will give brief presentations about oppressed peoples and then cover their mouths with tape to show silence. Kilian invites all students to choose an oppressed group and join the Hour of Silence, which she hopes will last all day.
“The idea was to get as many people involved on campus as possible to make it really just hit you in your face,” Kilian said. “If only three people are silent, you don’t know why they’re silent because you don’t talk to them anyway.”
This year, Novelo is trying to get more Baker groups involved with the week, and one new group that will be involved is Earth We Are. Besides having a display Monday at the Global Awareness Fair, group members will be participating in the Hour of Silence.
“Tuesday we’re going to be representing the Earth as a silent population because the Earth cannot speak for itself,” EWA President Justine Greve said.
Greve said the original plan was to focus on how other countries view the wastefulness of the United States, but she always wants to include information about the environmental policies of other countries.
“It’s a (global) problem because you don’t have a very good way to solve things internationally, but by nature, they’re global issues,” Greve said. “Pollution in China affects us here. It’s all the same air.”
Other International Education Week events include a study abroad trivia contest and a People to People fair trade sale Wednesday through Friday.