USA Sponsors Mobile International Festival; 'Let the Games Begin' Announced as Theme

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Posted on November 18, 2014

Jeb Schrenk

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The University of South Alabama is a sponsor for this year’s Mobile International Festival to be held Nov. 20-22 at the Mobile Civic Center.

The festival is open Nov. 22 to the general public; the first two days are reserved for elementary, middle and high school students.  

“The University of South Alabama is increasingly focused on global mindedness and community involvement, and our partnership with the Mobile International Festival allows us to demonstrate the commitment to both,” said Holly Hudson, the University’s director of International Education. “It also gives us exposure to the thousands of people who attend the festival, including field trips of children who one day may be USA students.”

The festival coincides with International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

As part of International Education Week, the University will have a Study Abroad Fair on Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first floor of the Student Center. The program recently was granted $100,000 annually for Study Abroad scholarships that could include study, research or internships.

Hudson said the University expects this year to more than double the number of USA students participating in Study Abroad.

USA President Dr. Tony Waldrop, at his September inauguration, announced increased cultural understanding and global collaboration as a priority for the University. At the time, he set as goals increased international education programs and financial scholarships for study abroad.

The theme of this year’s Mobile International Festival is “Let the Games Begin.” Study Abroad students will volunteer at the USA Office of International Education table, where participants will be able to play trivia games, take pictures in a selfie booth and win prizes by correctly naming and tagging a country on an oversized map using a foam projectile.

The University of South Alabama Archaeology Museum will also have a table at the festival. Visitors there will be able to play colonial games such as knucklebones and Native American games from different tribes across the country. The booth will also offer an insect tasting, giving visitors a chance to snack on crickets and larvets, a source of protein for many cultures.

This year is the 31st for the Mobile International Festival, which includes entertainment, exhibits and food representing countries from around the world. The festival’s goal is to promote understanding, tolerance and friendship, and to showcase acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of the world’s cultures.

For more information on USA’s Office of International Education, visit www.southalabama.edu/departments/international.

For more information about the Mobile International Festival, visit www.mobileinternationalfestival.org.

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