New hall at Sonoma State offers hub for cultural exchange

On a recent afternoon at Sonoma State University, exchange students from Saudi Arabia, Japan and Colombia mingled with American students considering a semester abroad. Domestic students recently returned from studying in Europe and Asia talked about what they said was a life-changing experience.

The interactions took place in SSU’s shiny new International Hall, which opened this academic year in the old Student Union building as the home of the Center for International Education. In the past, programs for foreign students, English-language learners and study-abroad students were spread out across campus. The opening of International Hall reflects the university’s renewed focus on global education, school officials said.

“The new International Hall, I think, is a physical demonstration of our commitment to greater internationalization of the university,” said SSU President Ruben Armiñana, who is the first Cuban-American to head a campus in the California State University system. “It’s not just about what happens in our own little corner of Sonoma County. We are citizens of the world.”

The university is betting that exposing students to other cultures will better prepare them for an increasingly interconnected world, said Mark Merickel, dean of the School of Extended and International Education. Sonoma State University contributes the most students per capita to the CSU’s study abroad program, he said.

“The only way we are going to make progress toward making the world a safer place is through international education,” Merickel said. “We’ve got to find a way to have a dialogue. Students here are interested in getting out into the world.”

There are 67 SSU students studying abroad this semester and 110 international students on campus, according to the university. Sulaiman Alrebdi, 24, came to the Sonoma State American Language Institute from Saudi Arabia to improve his English and learn about American culture.

“I didn’t want to go to a place full of Saudis,” he said. “It’s really good here. I can meet other Americans. This is the reason to be here, to know about the culture and how Americans think.”

Tera Hoover, a human development major, spent last school year studying in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she said she learned more outside of the classroom than she did from a textbook. Hoover, a senior, is now a student ambassador and counsels other students who are thinking about an overseas education.

“It was the best year of my life,” she said. “I learned a lot by breaking out of my comfort zone. I tell others that you just kind of have to go for it. This is the time to do it. It’s the best experience.”

Creating a dedicated international space on campus will help foster cultural exchanges, said Berta Hodges, the director of International Education at SSU. After the International Hall opened, she said a Chinese exchange student thanked her for supporting the needs of international students.

“It provides a dynamic hub for all things international and facilitates international friendships,” she said.

“It enhances the lives of domestic students. They can come here and it’s like traveling the world.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at 521-5206 ?or matt.brown@?pressdemocrat.com.