The Thai visitors from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon had a wonderful birthday potluck dinner thanks to Mr. & Mrs. David Fezler. The Fezlers are the host family for Manus and Dan. Today is Manus's Birthday as well as Easter Sunday. Mr. & Mrs. Fezler cordially invited the host families and guests and Office of International students staff to their home. Each family brought a dish or more ranging from American to Asian: Ham & Turkey, Broccoli salad, fruit salad, Asian noodle salad, dumplings, pastas, green bean relish and more. It was a very nice gesture of the host to invite other American families and guests to get to know with one another. Everyone chatted, enjoyed great food and especially Manus has his first American birthday party. He reached 47 today and said many thanks to the guests who came to the gathering. The moment we shared today would be unforgettable to the Thai guests and the families. We all contributed to make the Greenwood and Lander community to be more global and diverse through the international gathering. 


Written by Boyoung Roh, Coordinator for International Programs 

The 18-member delegation from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon arrived at Lander University safely on March 18 last week. It's been a week since we began their a-month-long workshop through the American Language and Cultural Studies program. The worshop will last until April 19.  They are professors teaching in Business College, Computer Information System and Mass Communication in Rajamangala. They came to Lander to enhance their conversational English language ability and learn American culture as a goal of the workshop.  Rajamangala University of Phra Nakhon is one of Lander's Sister Universities, located in Bangkok, Thailand.  The sisterhood relationship established in October, 2011 when the President delegation visited Lander to sign the MOU. 


Their daily workshop schedule keeps them busy with three ESL classes and one lecture each day, Monday through Friday. Once or twice a week, they visit local public schools and local businesses to learn more about the Greenwood community and the different educational system and business from Thailand. Their ESL class instructors are Dr. Sean Barnette, Dr. Amy England, Dr. Pedro Lopes, Professor Alan Professor Judy Bello, Professor Brittany Cuenin and Professor Alan Raines. Also, participating lecturers are Dr. Lee Vartanian, Dr. Stanley Vinson, Dr. Danny McKenzie, Dr. Alice Taylor-Colbert, Dr. Nancy Niles, Dr. David Mash, Dr. Lucas McMillan, Mr. Jeff May and Mr. Paul Crutcher.    

ESL Classes

More pictures for the worshop is available: Click HERE 

For accomodation, the Thai delegates are staying with their American host families in Greenwood to be immersed into the American culture and English speaking environment better. The participating host families are Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Constant, Mr. & Mrs. Martine Fezler, Mr. & Mrs. Stephan and Lisa Wiecki, Mr. & Mrs. John and Sue Mitchell, Mr. &Mrs. Gary and Margaret Gunderson, Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy and Michelle Powers, Ms. Joyce Moak, Ms. Christine Dorsey, Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy and Tracy McGovern, Mr. & Mrs. Jeromy and Elizabeth Crocker, Mr. & Mrs. Don and Macon Turner. They have been doing great to host Thai guests by going to shopping, visiting their grandchild, going out for ball games and more fmaily activities in the evening and over the weekend. Mrs. Fezler says "My adopted Thai sons are so nice and polite. They even cooked Thai food at home for dinner and helped me for the house chores. We've had a good time so far."

The Rajamangala delegation plans to travel ranging from Columbia to Charleston over the next weekend, April 5-6. They plan to visit the SC State House and meet the State Treasurer and then travel the historic city, Charleston. Also, please save the date for their presentation on Thailand and its culture on April 8. 


Culture Exchange: Thailand 
@4-5pm Monday April 8 
Learning Center, Lander University 

On March 3, 2013

Lander International students and visiting scholars had an international supper at Mr. & Mrs. Mike and Kathy Emily's home. Kathy is one of our active Friendship Families at Lander University. They are Friendship parents of two Chinese students: Rokee and Li from China. Kathy hosted International Supper with other Friendship Families and their students. Again, she invited new friends at her cozy home with delicious international food and desserts. Luckily, two other Friendship Families, her friends and international students brought many different dishes: Lasagna, Chinese Dumplings, Korean Clear Noodle with Assorted Vegetables, Stuffed Rice Balls, Hungarian Chicken Paprikash and Korean Sweet Rice Cake. Last but not least, Kathy's homemade Brownies and Chocolate Crispies were awesome. Kathy always shows us true Southern Hospitality to friends from the globe and enables the community to be connected to the world by mingling international students and local families together. Friendship Families are the ones who beautify our international guests life in the US and they are the ones international students will remember forever after they go back to their country. 

Written by Boyoung Roh, Coordinator for International Programs