The International Cultural Center has helped many internationalstudents adjust to life in the United States, including Jay Babu,an electrical engineering senior from France.
Babu has been in the United States for four years, and hasattended LSU for two years.
Babu said when he first arrived at the University, theInternational Services Organization told him about the ICC.
“I have met so many people through the ICC,” Babu said. “Everyday I face new people from different cultures and I learn fromthem.”
He said meeting people from so many different places makes himwant to travel and visit the places those people come from.
The ICC opened in 1989 and hosts events and parties forinternational students and the general public, according to its Website.
Maureen Hewitt, ICC manager, said that in the past, the ICC hastaken international students on trips to the NASA space center inHouston, Texas, McGee’s Landing in the Atchafalaya Basin, variousalligator swamp tours and the Baton Rouge Zoo.
Hewitt said they try to go on as many local tours as possible toinform internationals about Louisiana and share Baton Rouge culturewith them.
Babu said most local people probably enjoy learning about theirculture and background, but some international students appreciateit more than the locals.
“It’s important for us to gain more insight into Louisianaculture,” Babu said. “It helps us adapt and makes us more aware ofour surroundings.”
The ICC has a computer lab for students with computers in eightdifferent languages — German, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, French,Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
The keys on the keyboards are in each language and informationon the screens and programs appears in that language.
Babu said international students go to the ICC all the time touse the computers.
He said the computer lab helps students communicate with theirfamily and friends back home, and eases the transition for themwhen they first come to the United States.
Babu said international students mostly use the lab, but it isopen to any University student who may be learning anotherlanguage.
Babu said the lab was helpful to him when he first came to theUnited States, and still is helpful for him when he has tocommunicate with his family in France.
“The lab helps students stay connected with their roots backhome,” Babu said. “And connecting is what the ICC is allabout.”
Various staff members at the Office of International Programssponsor one of their biggest social events of the year, aThanksgiving banquet for the international students at LSU, Hewittsaid.
“Since the holiday is so short, many internationals don’t have achance to go home,” Hewitt said.
Former ICC manager Harald Leder, International HospitalityFoundation director Virginia Grenier and others involved with theICC hosted the banquet a few years ago, and it has become atradition everyone looks forward to, Hewitt said.
The Hall of Cultures becomes a place for internationals tocelebrate an American Thanksgiving together, Hewitt said.
“We make sure international students know they are welcome, tellthem about the origins of this holiday, and share a traditionalAmerican Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, not differentinternational foods from various countries,” Hewitt said.
Babu never has attended a dinner because he spends the holidaywith family in Georgia, but he said students who have attended itseem to enjoy it.
Hewitt said the ICC wants to reach out to American students toshow them the ICC is not just for internationals, but for themalso.
“The ICC is a good place for Americans to come to learn aboutother cultures,” Babu said. “They may never have a chance to leavethe country. If they wanted to get involved with the ICC, I woulddefinitely support that.”