The Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest asked Penn State students to explore ethical values and intercultural issues, and their talent for expressing their views in writing.
Abdulla Naouf, freshman in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, won First Place for his essay, below, responding to this prompt:
“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” ~ Charles de Gaulle
What resources should Universities be obligated to provide for international students in their transition to college life and life in the United States? What role should domestic students play in international students’ college careers?
Special Treatment is Only Fair
Me and the rest of my family sat on the floor for our last “Suhoor” together before I left the Middle East for university; consisting of Labneh, Khubz, Zaatar, and a variety of cheeses, this was the typical Palestinian pre-dawn meal we all loved to hate during Ramadan. I went to the kitchen to help my mother clean up the leftovers which consisted of some Blue cheese, and Feta; I watched as she wrapped the Blue cheese with cling-film for storing. However, the Feta was placed in a plastic container that held water; my mother explained that unlike the Blue cheese, Feta needs moisture, and then further elaborated by stating that “Not all types of cheese are the same.”
The first day of the International Student Orientation was during June, a time of the year when the sun sets later than usual – around 8:45 pm. I entered the HUB for the first time to receive my orientation schedule from a student volunteer. Upon reading my orientation timetable, I learned that there would be a mandatory event with dinner served at 6:00 pm the following day; I explained to the volunteer that as a Muslim, I can’t eat during the Holy Month until after 8:45 pm, and that having fasted for over half-a-day would make it easier for me to skip the event all together. Even after hearing my religious reasons the student volunteer insisted that I must attend the event, but not necessarily eat. Thus, I attended the mandatory event and waited until after the speeches were presented before leaving the hall to rest; on my way out, I had found more than a dozen Muslim-Arab students complaining about the indifference they were being shown – annoyed how they weren’t provided with to-go boxes or alternative places they could eat at; I could not help but think that this was a Feta-needs-moisture kind of situation, “Not all types of cheese are the same.” While it seems only fair to cling-film all varieties of cheese equally, moisture-deprived Feta will dry up and eventually lose its flavor.
It isn’t that most people hate Feta, it’s just that with hundreds of types of cheeses in existence we often forget the importance in uniquely storing each one. Moreover, we only recognize our mistake when the cheese becomes too stale, or when it starts to taste too bland, or even only when it grows mold. Thus, we must look to people who are experienced with the type of cheese we need storing for help. For instance, Hillel could act as an easy resource for helping non-American Jews studying in the United States, or the Vietnamese Student Association could assist in assimilating the thousands of Vietnamese students coming to study in America; universities should advertise the multicultural organizations on campus through the university’s website, or at least provide the contact information of the specific society to the international students that need them. In addition, universities should be responsible in making sure that cultural organizations act as a median for international students to transition from their home countries to the United States rather than just be used as comfort zones.
The concept that certain cheeses don’t work well together is a myth. A good chef can mix any number of different cheeses together in a dish and still come up with a scrumptious meal if prepared with the right ingredients and cooking methods. Similarly, domestic students should interact more often with international students to help them better adapt to the American culture by taking part in multicultural events and social activities; this will not only help international students transition to be more fitting with the American lifestyle, but it will also enrich domestic students’ education through exposure to diversity. In addition, domestic students should provide a welcoming environment for international students by demonstrating values of acceptance, and tolerance to international students regardless of how different their background is. In a world currently gravitating towards globalization, a vital aspect of our future careers relies on the understanding and awareness of different cultures; hence, domestic students should take the opportunity and establish a sense of cultural intellectuality through integrating themselves with international students.
International students in the United States add to the diversity of the melting pot of the world – a title claimed with pride. While we can add Cheddar, Provolone, and Parmesan in the same pot, we must not forget that Parmesan melts at much higher temperatures than Cheddar does. Therefore, not adjusting the temperature appropriately will disrupt the Parmesan’s process of blending in the mixture, with the other cheeses. To not lose sight of where the United States stands as a country that embraces uniqueness, we must focus our efforts on educating future generations – in academic institutions – about the significance of diversity and how to contribute in its growth.