World Awareness Week at JBU brings excitement to those students who cherish their culture and are far away from home. One of the highlights of this week is the Flag ceremony. The annual ceremony occurred last Tuesday, Nov. 1, in the Cathedral of the Ozarks.
The flag ceremony featured 47 international students carrying the flags of their respective countries. Many international students were excited to see their flag being represented. For freshman International Business major Samantha Rodriguez, this was her first time watching a flag ceremony. Her country being Honduras, she was thrilled to see her flag on stage. Rodriguez also mentioned how she felt “part of the JBU culture and honored to see how JBU takes care of the diversity of cultures.”
This ceremony brings the opportunity for students to represent a piece of their country and culture. Many wear outfits that reflect their country’s culture as well.
Those who could carry their country’s flag were asked about their favorite part. Sophomore Computer Science major Salome Oumarou Wate says her favorite part of the ceremony was carrying the Niger flag. “I get to show how proud I am to be from my country. And it’s so nice to see other students, faculty, and staff’s love for my culture,” she adds.
Oumarou expresses that the university should celebrate this ceremony more often and that she is willing to “carry the flag even during finals week.” Many students yearn every year to be able to represent their flag.
For freshman Cindy Gutierrez, this was her first time in this ceremony. She mentioned how emotional she felt seeing her flag represented at the University. Gutierrez reflects on the flag ceremony: “I believe that everyone here has a story to tell, and when we see the different flags during this event, we can say that here on campus are more than 100 people with another background, and we can be aware of those raised in different countries, cultures and religious settings.”
Gutierrez expresses her excitement about carrying her flag next year because “it would mean a lot because it will represent my country,” and she is proud of being raised in Costa Rica.
The flag ceremony is a very special moment for all those far from home. John Brown University works diligently to embrace the diverse cultures within the community.Jbu Celebrates Diversity with Flag Ceremony
Photo thanks to Ana Palacios