When the Huskies and Longhorns tipped off, it was just like any other college basketball game. The stands were filled with cheering alumni decked out in their school colors. UW Cheer & Dance and Harry the Husky rallied fans. There were even contests during timeouts, a “kiss cam” and a halftime show.
But a closer look at the bilingual signage, and hearing announcements in Mandarin and English, made it clear this was like no other college basketball game.
I loved exploring China with the freshmen students. Meeting them in their home country opened my world and theirs. I was matched with Qingyuan and Leo in Beijing, and with Zhicheng and Danni in Shanghai. One of my favorite memories is visiting the crowded, windy Hutongs of Beijing. The Hutongs are a series of old, narrow alleyways, not an ideal place for a big group. Our group of eight UW students was having so much fun that we decided to stick together anyway. Miraculously, we managed not to lose anyone.
I gained as much from the experience as the freshmen students did. I had traveled outside the U.S. only once before, on a trip to Montreal to visit family. This experience was on a whole new level. The Chinese students asked a ton of questions about life at the UW and in the United States. What are the professors like? Which classes should I take? Where’s the best place to eat? If I didn’t know the answer, I asked a fellow Husky Presidential Ambassador. This showed the freshmen students that peers are very useful resources. For my part, I learned that Chinese students are a lot like me. They have the same questions and worries that I had when I first started college. When I started at the UW I was very nervous, and I was only moving from Spokane. I can’t imagine moving halfway across the world. This experience totally changed my perspective on international students.
My study abroad experience was so much richer because I had the opportunity to participate in this cultural exchange. Being with someone who spoke the language and knew the culture made exploring Beijing and Shanghai much easier, but more importantly, I had new friends with me who could answer questions, and tell me about these new places from their perspective.
I didn’t want our time in China to end. At the same time, I was so excited to get back to Seattle because that meant I was one step closer to welcoming the Chinese students to the University of Washington. This quarter, we have class together every Friday. I’m excited for us to explore our University together.
As a response to the ongoing migration crisis, the University of Washington Department of Philosophy is offering a campus discussion forum every Wednesday. One crucial question is the nature and extent of our ethical obligation to help people in need. UW philosophers in our department would like to stimulate discussion about this important topic.
Learn about upcoming forums and listen to recordings of past forums…
Leaders from across Washington, including UW Interim President Ana Mari Cauce, have met with President Xi during his visit to Seattle this week. Learn more about President Xi’s visit to Seattle, including analysis by UW faculty:
UW Assistant Vice Provost for Global Affairs Gayle Christensen and a team of researchers recently highlighted findings from their latest research on MOOCs – massive open online courses. It turns out that some online courses can be very useful in helping students get better jobs or start businesses.
The Millennium Development Goals focus on improving lives around the world by tackling issues like disease and poverty. In a recent blog post by Bill Gates, Chris Murray of the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation outlines three areas of success 15 years after the goals were established.
University of Washington professor Robert Holzworth leads an international network of scientists tracking lightening through ground-based observations and satellite networks. Their work helps to predict storms and protect populations worldwide.
The University of Washington remained No. 15 on the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities, conducted by researchers at the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which was released Monday.
A team of scientists including Christian Sidor, professor of biology at the University of Washington and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, discovered the fossilized skeleton of a “Dachshund-sized” creature from a extinct lineage of mammal-like reptiles.
University of Washington professor Devin Naar is building the world’s first digital library of books, letters and other materials in Ladino, with materials donated from Seattle’s large Sephardic Jewish community.
Read more from The Seattle Times…