University exchange students seek homes for the holidays
Law student Claire Mirembe of Nigeria is photographed in the University of Windsor’s cafeteria on Nov. 26. She is one of the school’s 2,500 international students, many of whom will not be returning home for the holidays this year. Photo by Taylor Busch.
The University of Windsor knows all too well that for international students studying here the holiday season can be stressful and lonely.
Its International Student Centre is busy preparing for this year’s Host for the Holidays program, a program that aims to match exchange students with local families for one enriching meal.
Enrique Chacon, the program’s long-time coordinator, said he is expecting to place up to 200 international students this Christmas and is asking a lot more families to sign up.
He believes the families that participate each year benefit even more from the program than the students.
“We do what we can to help them experience Christmas because it is a big part of Canadian culture and because they don’t want to just go to class when they come here. They want to experience the whole culture,” said Chacon.
According to Chacon, less than two per cent of the University’s 2,500 exchange students identify as Christian but still sees a good amount of non-Christians choosing to participate in Host for the Holidays each year.
“Even if they don’t normally celebrate Christmas it’s a really nice celebration either way, you don’t have to be Christian to enjoy it,” said Chacon.
Mark He is an international student from China and participated in last year’s Host for the Holidays program.
“It’s quite a different experience. We had a traditional holiday meal and we talked about our cultures and I learned a lot about the local culture here. It was a nice time and I’m happy I did it now,” said He.
Law student Claire Mirembe, from Nigeria, is planning to save money by staying in the school’s student residence over the break. Mirembe admitted she misses her family very much but said the school has done a good job of making her feel welcome.
“I miss them a lot but the university and residence do a lot to keep us busy when we’re not in class, so I think I’ll be okay this time. I plan to spend the break with friends mostly,” said Mirembe.
Chacon said the International Student Centre is also planning to host several holiday-themed events for exchange and Canadian students leading up to the break including a Christmas party and luncheon for all students in the International Student Centre on Dec. 4. More details regarding the events and applications for Host for the Holidays can be found on the university’s website.
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