Students should attend week's events

Universities grow and thrive on innovation.

Purdue is often recognized for the technological innovations it creates — new ways to live our lives in convenience and comfort. Purdue now has a new innovation — International Awareness Week.

Purdue has the largest international population of any public school. To celebrate this vast diversity, Purdue has created International Awareness Week.

This may seem silly, as with more than 4,000 international students representing more than 130 countries, it would be hard to not be aware of the fact that Purdue is an international University.

Despite the diversity present on campus, many don't make the effort to discover new cultures. One of the reasons why classes studying other cultures are offered is because many wouldn't learn about other cultures without a class.

College is about finding your personal identity in contrast to the world. That part of college means expanding your cultural perspective to a place beyond the town where you grew up and went to high school. Purdue provides the opportunity to meet students from more than 130 different countries.

Although it might be easy to lose track of this part of college during tests, parties and everyday life, Purdue's efforts in creating these events will make new cultures much more accessible.

This International Awareness Week is also important because it's the first at Purdue. Though it may become an annual tradition, it needs student involvement and support to nurture it through this first year.

Interest feeds innovation, keeping it alive and encouraging it to reproduce. By attending International Awareness Week events, you not only better your own educational experience but also support the continuation of this experience for future generations of Purdue students.

Enrollment of international students at Purdue grew by 300 students last year alone. The more international students that are present, the more cultural insights to other parts of the world are literally right next door.

Events such as International Awareness Week show Purdue has a global perspective and insures more international enrollment.

Editorial Board: Keith Thomas, Tom McHenry, Melissa Davis and Laura Pelner.

Fans should not take attention from team

Students should attend week's events

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