Students can find a week of unique food and learning opportunities ahead of them as a part of International Education Week.

This year, International Education Week took place from Nov. 17-21. This week featured five days of events themed around different cultures and countries, involving numerous foods and a few activities. 

One event that took place all week long was a display of the photos from the Study Abroad Photo Contest, which could be viewed on the 3rd floor of Davies Student Center. 

Study Abroad Manager Jacqueline Chambers said there were 151 submissions this year, compared to 96 last year. 

Chambers said the photos can help give other students an idea of what studying abroad might be like. 

“It’s easier to imagine yourself in a place if you can see somebody else living their life in that place,” Chambers said. 

Photos will be on display until Dec. 5. Chambers said there is also a video contest that will post its results online. 

Another event that took place throughout the week was Dumpling Fest. A different dumpling-like food item from a different country was available at the Marketplace and Davies Center every day. 

There was spatzle for Germany on Monday and empanadas for Latin America on Tuesday, and there was chicken and dumplings for the United States on Wednesday, potstickers for China on Thursday and pierogies for Poland on Friday. 

The Dulany Inn and Heritage Room will follow suit and also offer all-you-can-eat buffets based around the countries on their respective days, with the only exception being a general Eastern European buffet on Friday instead of a specifically Polish one. 

Director of UW-Eau Claire’s Center for International Education, Colleen Marchwick said that food can be a great way to get students interested in other cultures. 

“(Her host mom in France) was like, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do with you because you’re very picky,’ but I was like “no, no, no, I will try everything that you make for me,” Marchwick said. “I tried chestnuts, I had oysters on the half shell, I had beet salad — like things that I would never eat.” 

Marchwick said that meeting international students in high school was what eventually convinced her to study abroad in France and later have other experiences abroad. 

Other events that were not held daily included a Blugold Dialogue on South Asia that began at 11:30 am in Council Oak on Monday, Nov. 17, with a provided lunch.

On Wednesday, there was a study abroad information session in Centennial Hall and a faculty panel on international education in Vicki Lord Larson Hall. 

There was a French gastronomy event with space for only 12 people, so RSVPs can be made using [email protected]. 

French professor Jessica Miller said this event was actually part of a class being taught by lecturer of French, Amanda Hilson at UW-Eau Claire, so it  included students along with those who filled the 12 extra spots. 

Thursday will include international trivia at The Lakely and French conversation and games at The SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar. 

Miller said these games will look like Mille Bornes, a driving game and Seven Families, which helps students review French family vocab. 

Miller also said that while posters of sites for UW-Eau Claire may list the location as The Goat, it was officially switched to SHIFT. 

National French Week already occurred from Nov. 4-10. Miller said there was an event to celebrate it, there a few events being hosted this week as well. 

“We really want to make sure that people know that French was not a school subject — it’s a living language,” Miller said. 

At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, there were drinks around the world for free in the Dulany Inn and presentations from international visiting scholars at 9:00 a.m. in Vicki Lord Larson Hall. 

Asia Day: From Inspiration to Destination was an event that Marchwick said was led and organized by the student Janiece Moua, also hosted on Friday. The week ended with a showing of “Day of Wrath” in the Woodland Theater. 

She said she hopes these events can also help international students feel represented and highlight the many cultural programs and classes at UW-Eau Claire.

“We’re just trying to highlight the international education opportunities on campus and encourage people to think about life outside the boundaries of the United States,” Marchwick said. 

Curtin can be reached at [email protected].