Students from Yemen and Ghana visited Lincoln on Feb. 17 to give lectures on life in their home countries. Their presentations covered a wide range of topics, from cuisine and discipline to education and adolescent life.

Shadi Al-Khaledi, the presenter from Yemen, recounted stories of he and his friends’ misadventures, including a picture of his friend jumping over an alligator and mocking an officer with a gun.

The lecture is part of three International Studies Center workshop nights planned this academic year, in which international students enrolled at PSU are invited to give presentations about their countries.

“I think it’s great to expose students to other cultures,” ISC teacher Dana Guest said. “I thought that someone from another country would be a great resource”

The idea for the workshop nights, however, originated from the ISC student leaders. “I think it’s really interesting” ISC leader Jillian Briglia said. “It’s specifically catering to the relevance of teenagers’ lives.”

Lincoln students are not the only ones to gain something from the experience. Having lived in Yemen, Turkey, and Syria, Al-Khaledi has noticed a uniquely American trait during his time here. “The thing I most loved [when I first came to the U.S.] was the way that everyone is accepting of one another.”