Cross-Platform

A diverse group gathers for the annual International Fellows Reception.

Photo by Carl Socolow '77.

The annual International Fellows Reception hosts a wide range of guests, from military to academic

by Tony Moore

Dickinson students, faculty members and staff recently gathered with international graduate students from around the world, their families and representatives from the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) as part of the International Fellows Reception.

Celebrating the longstanding relationship between the USAWC and Dickinson, the annual event features more than 150 attendees, including Dickinson’s Liberty Cap Society tour guides and ROTC cadets.

“I always look forward to this event, as it provides the college students, cadets and staff an opportunity to socialize with the outstanding caliber of the U.S. Army War College foreign and U.S. officers,” says Simeon Khan ’17 (historyROTC), Blue Mountain cadet battalion commander, who has attended three of the receptions. “Dickinson is internationally oriented and provides a perfect location for the meeting place of the International Fellows. Many of us were even able to practice our foreign language abilities with the international officers, which they all seem to enjoy.”

international fellows reception

Photo by Carl Socolow '77.

The research and resource-sharing relationship between the two institutions extends to Dickinson’s Norman M. Eberly Multilingual Writing Center, where the fellows are regulars, receiving assistance with coursework that must be competed in English—often, as Khan hints at, not the fellows’ first language. The Writing Center represents just one aspect of the collaboration at hand, though, and Khan sees that relationship as invaluable to Dickinson students enrolled in ROTC.

“As future officers, we are all always seeking to receive mentorship from outstanding leaders,” he says, noting that he’s been involved with several USAWC events and initiatives over the course of his three years in ROTC. “It is fortunate that our program and the War College have been able to maintain a working relationship, as it benefits our cadets’ development as future leaders of America's sons and daughters.”

The event concluded with remarks from Neil Weissman, interim president, and the commandant of the War College, Major General William Rapp, who touched on key historical relations between Dickinson and the U.S. Army.

“As a historian and a future officer, I had a great appreciation and understanding of these references,” Khan says. “I see much value in this event as young men and women to be able to engage with some of the world’s future international leaders and learn from their experiences and challenges … while also educating them about Dickinson's mission and how we all aim to spread our knowledge to the world after college.”

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Published October 17, 2016