Members of International Cultural Organization are getting foods.
Ji young Kim is an international student who came to Rock Bridge High School two years ago from South Korea. Just as some as other international students had concerns at the beginning of life of studying abroad, Ji Young also had it and she still has some troubles.
“I do not remember that much about how did I get used to live in America,” Young said, “but the fact I remember is it was so frustrated than normal people cannot imagine at least they came through my steps.”
Getting used to an unfamiliar place or country is more difficult than people imagine it. Foreigners must acclimatize with food, weather, cultures, languages and even more than that so that the foreigners at Rock Bridge High School created an organization which called International Cultural Organization (ICO) to help those people.
They usually have meeting or picnic once or twice per month, and they had the last picnic for this year on May 16 at Bethel Park.
The person who came out with the picnic idea was a president of ICO, Eric Cheng.
“I am a class of 2014 so this year is my last year. As a president duty and my last year of High School life, I always thought ICO needs to have an event which prepares farewell between students who will leave and students who will stay, “ he said. “As international students and American students at Rock Bridge High School agree, Rock Bridge High School has numerous exchange students who are leaving in a year due to University of Missouri so I always felt missing when I send exchange students back. But I hope students can feel more comfortable when they separate from exchange students.”
Emi Kurishima will be go back to Japan on July even though she will meet her family and friends soon, she still feels empty that she cannot explain by her words so ICO picnic was help Kurishma to help her ready to farewell.
“For me, ICO was not only just for amusement but also for preparing farewell as well with my best friends and best teacher,” she said. Her eyes were filed with tears,but she did not stop saying how much she is thankful. “If baccalaureate or graduation were for accommodating to be an adult, ICO is more likely to spend time with people who helped me to stay in America well.” When Kurishima’s last sentence was dropped out from her mouth, the tears from her eyes also dropped.
“As always, saying good bye to students who were close with me is hard,” Lilia Ben-Ayed started her words. “Hence, ICO spring picnic is an official event that help us to ready for saying good bye to students who leave. By this ICO picnic, I could ready for saying good bye to my lovely students, Emi, Eric, Hyun Joong and others too.”
International Cultural Organization will be continue next year too and other students have expectation to ICO to help other exchange and international students as well as they did in this year.
