Global Engagement Week

Utah Valley University annual Global Engagement Week (GEW) is a part of the worldwide International Education Week (IEW). 

It is one of the most important week during the year for foreign students at Utah Valley University (UVU). They come together to celebrate differences and culture awareness. GEW is organized and coordinated by the International Student Council (ISC) at UVU, and they bring all the energy and effort to make this event an enjoyable week for families in Utah County. 

GEW also serves to promote campus-wide international programs that prepare UVU students to become productive citizens in the global society; foster collaboration and integration among international students, conventional students, faculty, staff, and administrators at UVU on international issues; and encourage cultural awareness among UVU students and community members. 

Every year ISC creates a cultural theme for GEW to make it interesting to their audience and bring a global prospective to UVU campus. Some of the successful themes from past and this year were International Airport, Amazons, and Ancients Egypt. 

More than 2000 people around Utah County come and participate of this global awareness, they try delicious international food and enjoy performances around the world. Also, foreign students are able to share with this community their culture and the importance of it. 

It is a week to celebrate differences and learn from diversity!! 

A Latin experience: How the past is remembered

Every four years the Latino community in Utah comes together to remember their roots through an event called Luz de Las Americas (Lights of America).

This is the biggest Latin cultural event in the United States, with more than 500 performers representing many nations and more than 40,000 spectators.

It was my privilege to participate and contribute this weekend as I represented my country, Paraguay, and the meaning of my heritage.

In preparation for this event, we rehearsed for over 5 months and strived to reconnect at a deeper level with our purpose. In addition, to the through planning required for this event, all attire was specifically imported from the countries that were to be represented.

Annya Becerra, who represents Guatemala, said, "It's given us the opportunity to be transmitted internationally. So really, it's an outreach that we're going to do worldwide. So, that's exciting."

"Every country has its flavor, its color and life," said Costume Director Carla Montesino. "I just hope that through the designs we can really express what these cultures are really about and how wonderful their music and their culture really is."

Through this experience I was able to portray what it means to be Latino and be edified from the enthusiasm and dedication of the people I was able to rub shoulders with as we worked together to transmit the very essence of our kind and tender culture. It was even more rewarding for to see that despite language and cultural barriers that might exist, those of other backgrounds were touched and able to feel the warmth of our culture.

Source: www.ksl.com (LDS Latino community shares culture, faith with performance)