GIN Visit: They’re Only One Call Away

Every year, Global Issues Network (GIN), a community service group, invites the Shaoguan girls to our very own campus. This year, twenty Shaoguan girls had the chance to visit our campus and attend classes with different GIN members. They had the opportunity to experience what it is like to live as an international student and to be surrounded by others. Not only does this encourage cultural exchange between our school and their school, it further labels our school as a caring and welcoming place. There were huge amounts of interactions between our community and these interactions created an overwhelming sense of togetherness. Junior Sabrina Chen, coordinator of GIN, said, “This has allowed us to overcome stereotypical barriers – thinking that just because we come from different background and live in different financial states, such would make us different. But in reality, we are all the same – people who have dreams, and are attempting to reach for them. GIN wants to show these girls that nothing is impossible, it just takes a little more effort for them to reach the top.”

The Shaoguan girls stayed in Guangzhou for two days and attended our Rams’ Open Mic Night. In addition to listening to our talented students perform at Open Mic Night, the Shaoguan girls performed One Call Away by Charlie Puth. I interviewed one of the Shaoguan girls about Open Mic Night and she said, “I enjoyed watching other people perform and being able to perform ourselves.”

During these two days, they had the opportunity to visit the different monuments, universities, and other sights in Guangzhou. A new member of GIN, freshman Sohum Thadani, said, “I think that this exchange is a very good opportunity for both us, and the Shaoguan students. It’s very interesting to have them in our classes and for them to experience what it is like to be in class with us. This is also a duel experience where we get to visit the Shaoguan girls and see what it’s like to live there and they, in return, visit us and experience the life we have.”

All in all, it was another successful event for GIN as they continue to make a name for themselves and help surrounding communities. Chen added, “Being able to see the smiles on these girls’ faces and  also their ‘shocked’ expressions was definitely amazing. I got to see a side of these girls that I never have before. Instead of being students, they were just kids, like us. We have more in common than anyone would imagine. The emotions and the expression on them, to me, are way more important than the language [barrier].”

Although there is a distance between us and the Shaoguan girls, remember, they’re always only one call away.