The Marshall University INTO center sponsored an Olympics themed Conversation Partners event Friday.
Conversation Partners is a volunteer program on campus pairing an international student with an American student.
The program is available to help the international student experience American culture firsthand, make friends more easily and help polish English skills.
Each month there are events and challenges meant to help the conversation partners get together.
The Olympics featured target practice, hula-hoop relay, three-legged race, wheelbarrow race, water balloon relay, water pong and volleyball.
Turki Alkathiri, INTO MU student in the English pathway, said when he first came to America he had no American friends, but his conversation partner has introduced him to many Americans.
“Having a conversation partner gives me the chance to speak with people from this country and practice the accent better,” Alkathiri said.
Akira Uchida, sports administration graduate student from Japan, lived in America for a few years before attending Marshall.
Uchida said he started the INTO MU program to regain confidence in his English speaking abilities and he had a conversation partner.
“For my case, it helped me a lot, in making American friends and talking to American students, rather than talking to other Japanese students,” Uchida said.
The Conversation Partners program is a volunteer program. Students can attend the planned events or spend time with their conversation partner on their own time.
The April events are an Easter egg event 6 p.m. April 2 and an international dance off 6 p.m. April 17.
The events for May are an end of the year party, a Cinco De Mayo celebration 6:30 p.m. May 5 and a video competition challenge.
Conversation partner applications are available at the front desk of the INTO MU center.
Caitlin Fowlkes can be contacted at [email protected].