Virginia Berg

If you are interested in finding out about other countries and cultures you may want to check out the International Conversation and Coffee Group.

The International Conversation and Coffee Group is a “group of international, and U.S. students who get together over a cup of coffee,” said Marilyn Brown, the group’s advisor. “We also try to make international students feel welcome,” added Lois Whidbey, who also helps with the group.

A regular meeting of this group includes a lot of conversation, a presentation by a foreign exchange student or professor on their native country, and of course some coffee and snacks.

If you are wondering where this group has been, Brown said that the conversation group has been around for about five years, under various formats. The latest format is working the best.

New to the group this year are the programs, Brown said. For the programs a volunteer exchange student or professor presents information about their country. Many presenters have shown a short movie on their country, or have given a short PowerPoint presentation, Brown said.

“It’s fun to know people from all over the world,” Brown said. Whidbey also mentioned that the welcoming and accepting environment is nice. On a different note, Whidbey said that the International Conversation and Coffee Group fulfills a cultural event assignment for the public relations class. This is how education major, Nicole Ackman, heard about the group.

“It’s interesting to watch different people interact, when they usually wouldn’t interact,” said first-time attendee Ackman.

As far as first impressions go, the group has a pretty good one.

“We get a number of returnees,”Brown said.

If you are interested in attending the International Conversation and Coffee Group, it meets on the second and fourth Thursdays each month at 8 p.m. in the United Methodist Student Center. The group does not meet when these days fall on a holiday. The International Conversation and Coffee Group’s next meeting will be on Dec. 9 with a presentation on Argentina.

#1.885560:4183641629.jpg:conversation club.jpg:Pictured are participants of the International Conversation and Coffee Group: Annie Carlsson of Sweden, Diana Muller of Lithuania, Hee Joon Park of Korea, and Ajay Kumar Singh of India.:MIke Carlson