Alison Bean
  Staff Writer

“Alison, darling, you can’t kiss people on the cheek in this country as a greeting,” I suddenly remember in my horrified state as I peeled my lips off of my friend’s cheek. I avoided eye contact as I turned and ran through the crowded aisles in my hometown’s Walmart. “PERMISO! PERMISO!” I suddenly began to yell as I football tackled my way out of the crowd. The stares I received physically hurt me more than my shoving hurt them.

At this moment I wanted a PAL, someone to relate or at least listen to me. The problem is that I have been studying abroad and just returned to the USA a few weeks ago. For months, I was immersed in a captivating culture. While I was abroad, I picked up some new behaviors. Sadly, the people in my hometown do not understand nor appreciate my unique conduct.

Despite my hometown’s lack of cultural awareness, I know there is a place for me at UNCG among its student body. In fact, a casual walk down Spring Garden Street will show you that UNCG is a diverse campus. According to the admissions website, students at UNCG come from at least 78 different countries to attend school here.

This got me thinking. Having that many countries represented in the student body means that people’s worldviews are going to be drastically dissimilar. Every student has obviously formed habits and opinions that were shaped by the environment he or she grew up in.

Some habits from other places just may not be well understood here in the US. If coming from a different culture causes misunderstandings (like my embarrassing cheek-kissing attack in Walmart), how does UNCG make the diversity on campus work so well?

The answer is simple—man’s best friend, his PAL. No, I do not mean your Beagle or Shih Tzu. I mean the PAL program, which helps the American students and the exchange students connect at a deeper level. It’s the PAL program which assigns an exchange student to a current UNCG student, their PAL.

This aids the exchange students by giving them a friend to rely on and explain how the world operates in the Greensboro area. Likewise, the PAL has the opportunity to learn about the homeland and culture of the exchange student. These relationships facilitate healthy cross-cultural interactions.

In addition to the PAL program, UNCG also gives the international students a voice on campus. Some universities only offer students limited voices. Those students are like opera singers with laryngitis; they are barely present and slightly painful to listen to. UNCG is different.

Our university has found ways to help students from all ends of the Earth speak on this campus in order to be understood. Although people may miss home and certain customs, every student can still share their culture with the student body.

For example, one of the main organizations on campus that truly promotes this cultural understanding is the International Student Association (ISA). This organization hosts a myriad of events that teach students about nations from all over the world.

One of the most interesting events is actually held weekly on Fridays. Students from different countries give a presentation about their own culture. One of the benefits of this event is that students can learn about other countries, but it also allows the international students to share a bit of home with UNCG’s campus.

Without a doubt, UNCG is a fascinating, culturally diverse campus. Although these differences could be stumbling blocks for many people who just do not understand another person’s perspective, UNCG’s commitment to teaching about various cultures makes the diversity a strength, not a weakness. In fact, the diverse campus we have is an incredible way to learn and grow as citizens of the world and not just the United States.

Despite my new found desires to greet people with kisses and yell “permiso” in crowds, I know I will fit right in as the new semester unfolds. To those students arriving from 78 other countries, you can rest assured that UNCG’s commitment to diversity has created a place for you to express yourself and find a home away from home.