Krista Goodman -- International students explore the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
Several California Baptist University students from all around the globe spent last Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. They participated to experience a day of fellowship and learn about Western art.
The trip was planned by CBU’s International Center in conjunction with the English Intensive Program.
After arriving the CBU group received an exclusive tour with one of the museum’s curators, who could relate to the experiences of international stu- dents as he was a German international himself.
“We found the guide through a friend who had a private tour with the curator, we were able to get his name and he was more than willing to do a private tour with our students, so that was really neat because he gave a lot more inside information that we didn’t know. So it was really a special treat.” Carla Liu, director of the Intensive English program said.
“It’s a little bit different where we had a curator show us different artwork. Typically, it is CBU faculty doing the tour for the students. So that’s the first part, the second part we allow them to enjoy the area…it’s pretty nice,” Jonathan Bello, director of the International Center, said.
Meredith Moore, a junior majoring in International Studies, reflected that the tour was one of her favorite parts of the day. Moore spent 14 years liv- ing in Japan and has spent a semester abroad. She is actively involved with the International Center and is working there for her second year. Her role on the trip to the Getty Center was as a student
leader. “Our International Center has three aims—it’s Christ, community, and culture. So it fits into one of those categories. Basically this is culture—Western culture—and exposing our students to it. And it is also community—building community. So like they can hang out and get know to people—international students and American students. That’s basically the synopsis. That’s what we’re doing,” Bello said.
Another student, Sunway Tsai, who is a freshman student from Taiwan, said, “This is my second time here. I’m looking for sculpture. Sculpture because my professor said, ‘You have to see a sculpture and write a report.’” He spends his second semester at CBU, working to- ward a degree Electrical and Computer Engineering. “Usually in the past what we did is we kind of tied our classes in with the trip. So it’s educational as well. Sometimes the faculty will assign assignments…because there is so much here, we never have enough time to see everything, so this time we wanted it to be a more relaxed atmosphere and give them the chance to really see as much as they possibly can,” Liu said.
After the tour in the morning, which lasted about an hour and a half, students had the freedom to wander the Getty Center in small groups for the remainder of the visit. The group also convened for lunch at the café located within the facility.
The beauty of art is not contained within the walls of the building. The facility rests atop hill that offers a spectacular view over the city. “You can look down at the city and you can see everything,” Khai Ho, freshman, said.
Ho has been in the United States for two years. After completing high school in Temecula, he decided to continue his education at CBU. He recollected that the older versions of the Bible and the ancient art of the Romans were a couple of his favorite exhibitions.
Laura Kocsis, freshman, enjoyed the Italian art. She is an international student from Hungary, who came to CBU to play water polo.
CBU’s California Baptist University’s International Center has several other upcoming events for students to look forward to. The pro
gram’s biggest event of the year, the in- ternational celebration, will occur on Nov. 11 and will celebrate the diversity of cultures and peoples represented at CBU.
