As the most diverse house of the Yonsei University Residential College, Appenzeller welcomes a great number of foreign students from around the world each fall semester. And so, it is of utmost importance to aid their integration into our little global community. This time around, we welcomed them by holding a speed dating session as our very first RA (Residential Assistant) individual event. Our goal was to create a relaxed and informal atmosphere to break the initial awkwardness so that the students would feel comfortable getting to know as many people as possible in just an hour.

[Photo 1] RCs at Speed Dating

  The speakers were playing music, the RAs were serving donuts and soft drinks, chit chat could be heard from around the room. Even the lights were dimmed so that the gathering would feel less like a formal one and more like a party. Each couple had 5 minutes to get to know each other before an alarm rang to indicate that it was time for a switch. Disappointment was in the air every time partners had to switch, as students were just about to dive deeper into each other’s lives, but soon excitement followed when conversations were struck up once again with new partners.

  Surprisingly and to our greatest relief, cultural barriers did not stop the students from interacting with each other. Discussions over various topics, such as their home countries, their favourite artists, movies, songs, food and pop culture in general, were the driving force behind the speed dating session. International students bonded with other foreigners due to their mutual circumstances and even similar backgrounds in special occasions, while Korean students were able to make foreigners feel at home by welcoming them to South Korea and offering their help whenever it will be needed during the upcoming semester.

[Photo 2] Group Photo

  Soon, it was time to say our goodbyes. Those, who were able to form deep bonds during the little time they had with each other, exchanged contacts and promised to meet up in the future. The first individual event of the upcoming four months was a success. And thus, the semester was off to a good start.

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