Exploring Western Kansas: International Students Experience Wilson Lake

By LYNN YANG

Tiger Media Network

On Saturday, August 24, the International Office of Fort Hays State University organized a “Lake Day” event. The full-time staff took charge of the beginning of semester activities as it is hard for returning students to plan and implement things before they return from summer break. This activity aimed to provide international students with an opportunity to integrate into the local culture, relax, and enhance friendships.

“It was a great way to promote ISU and also give the international students a chance to get off campus and explore Kansas while the weather is still warm/hot,” said Jadyn Snyder, coordinator of Global Engagement & Special Projects. “The things that are hard with this event is if the weather is too hot or windy.”

The event took place at Wilson Lake. The International Student Affairs Office arranged activities for students, such as swimming, paddleboarding, and rock climbing while experiencing the natural beauty of the sunset.

“It was so fun. We paddled to the other side of the lake and climbed on the rocks to explore. I’ve never done this before. There were some small clams on the rocks, so cute,” Ponny Ma said. “If possible, I would like to climb again and explore the unexplored areas over there.”

While it was warm when students arrived, the day still provided memories for those who attended. 

“It was a bit hot at the beginning, so we stayed in the shade for a long time,” Chinese student Estelle Cheng said. “We took a lot of beautiful photos. It was very memorable, and we also met a lot of new friends.”

Another international student who attended said they came to the event to meet more people and see Wilson Lake. 

“The scene when the sun sets is really beautiful,” they said.

This event provided an opportunity for international students to have a cultural exchange and explore Hays. The students made new friends, integrated into each other, and were full of expectations for future campus life.

“We wanted to try out this event because students we have taken in the past have really enjoyed it,” Snyder said. “Our expectations for future events are that they are what students want to do. As ISU develops more members, it is our goal that the students really decide what they want to do to build an international community, and we support them with transportation and logistics.”