It’s Been a Lively Semester!

The fall semester has flown by at the Applied Language Institute! Outside of the Intensive English classes and Community English program, our students have been occupied participating in fun cultural activities and our staff have gone on recruitment trips to South America and South Korea.

Here’s a recap of all the fun events that have been occupying our department this semester:

KC Arirang – Korean Culture Festival 2024

UMKC and the Applied Language Institute sponsored the annual Arirang Festival on Volker campus for the first time. The ALI’s partnership with the Korean Society of Kansas City led to a successful execution of the event. Roos and the Kansas City community were delighted to experience various wonderful cultural performances and Korean games, traditions, and food.

Arirang was attended by performers from the Chicago Korean Dance Company, who performed traditional Korean dances, and students from Jeong’s Taekwondo put on a martial arts performance. As well as, K-Pop dance covers were performed by dance groups KU Karisma, Oblivion KC and Project Restart KC.

Hokusai Exhibit at the Nelson Atkins

In September, students visited the Hokusai: Waves of Inspiration exhibit at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, a stone’s throw away from campus. The exhibit, which is only here through January 2025, features work from Katsushika Hokusai’s (1760–1849) expansive and versatile career, and works from artists he inspired and even taught. Hokusai is one of the most famous Japanese artists in history, thanks largely to his instantly recognizable print the Great Wave.

There are roughly 300 pieces in this exhibit, and interactive components as well, such as a station that breaks down woodblock printing. It was an incredible Saturday afternoon discussing and admiring art with our students!

Cider Hill Family Orchard

Fall activities are extremely popular with our students, so we welcomed the season change with a visit to Cider Hill Family Orchard. Students and faculty picked their own bags of apples, indulged on cider donuts, and sipped on frozen cider slushes. It was lovely Friday afternoon full of sunshine and smiles.

Halloween Fun in Kate’s Classroom

As the leaves started to fall and Halloween approached, our instructor Kate DeBenedetti’s classes carved pumpkins! Carving pumpkins is one of several popular Halloween traditions.

Our students study hard in the classroom, but they also have fun!

Ice Skating at Crown Center Ice Terrace

Our students ventured out to attempt ice skating on the Crown Center Ice Terrace’s opening day. Some of our students are seasoned professionals on the ice, and they helped other students navigate the the slippery rink for the first time.

After spending the morning in skates, the afternoon was wrapped up with lunch at Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant, a Kansas City staple. Our students were delighted by their burgers and fries being delivered by train to the table, and they got another opportunity to practice their English when placing their order over the phone!

In addition to all the activities we have had going on this semester,

our department Director and Associate Director are working hard to promote UMKC and the Applied Language Institute to our partners abroad. Their recruitment trips proved to be optimistic and they were warmly welcomed to Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and South Korea.

Dr. Slagoski traveled to Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia

At the end of August into the beginning of September, our program Director and Assistant Dean, Dr. Slagoski traveled to Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil to connect with our South American partners!

He was accompanied by UMKC’s Senior Internationalization Officer, Dr. Mark Daly, and they both attended EducationUSA fairs in Asuncion, Paraguay and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Adam Shoemaker traveled to South Korea

In the efforts to maintain and keep our Korean partnerships strong, our Associate Director Adam Shoemaker traveled to visit our university partners at Chungbuk National University (CBNU), Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), and Wonkwang University!

Study abroad fair at Chungbuk National University (CBNU)

He had a wonderful time participating in the study abroad fair at CBNU, touring the lovely campuses of JBNU and Wonkwang, and savoring the ready-to-go sashimi pictured below.