International Night 2011 was held on January 19th, sponsored and organized by the Language Education Center International Exchange Committee. This year, about 70 people attended the International Night, which was held in the 50th Anniversary Hall. The main purposes of this event are to: 1) promote cultural exchange between international and Japanese students in a social setting 2) give students a chance to speak English in a social setting and 3) promote communication between Okayama University and the local community.
　For the 9th annual International Night, this year’s theme was “Life is a Game,” with an emphasis on demonstrations of sports from around the world. The event was started with an opening speech by Professor Ian Nakamura. A large number of student volunteers helped to make the event a success. Members of student clubs such as ice hockey and lacrosse gave interesting demonstrations about the rules of their games. Additionally, international students from countries such as Sri Lanka and Kuwait gave fascinating demonstrations of martial arts from their countries. Finally, the Okayama University oendan (cheering club) gave a powerful performance to showcase the unique Japanese cheering style.
　Okayama University staff also contributed to the event. Professor Junko Otoshi participated in performing the martial art of tai chi along with two graduate students from China and the audience also got a chance to participate. Guided by Professor John Rucynski, staff members also gave a sports quiz to the audience in which they introduced unique sports customs from places they had lived in the United States. This was followed by an enthusiastic sing-a-long of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” led by Professor Scott Gardner.
　Despite the freezing temperatures, the event was well-attended and the audience had positive comments about all performances. Professor Mariko Uzuka made concluding remarks emphasizing all participants’ dedication to the event. The committee also collected suggestions from the audience to make next year’s International Night even bigger and better.

Contact: Language Education Center
//www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/flec/english/englishindex.html