Orientation
This semester’s group of 17 students joined us on a very early Thursday morning to tour the UMKC campus and learn what the next few months at the Applied Language Institute will look like. While long orientations for any new program aren’t exactly synonymous with adjectives like fun or exciting, these students approached the day with a sense of curiosity and took advantage of all the information thrown their way.
New ALI students during a tour of the Miller Nichols Learning Center
Everyone actively listened to presenters, faculty, and international student ambassadors in the Pierson Auditorium. Later, when offered guidance on how to be successful in an American classroom, the ALI students were eager to partake in discussions and promptly answered questions. Only one student fell asleep before lunch, but jet lag can be brutal, so we were more than happy to let him slumber.
During tours, students connected with one another and inquired about things to do around Kansas City. The grad students informed them of districts like Westport, 39th Street, and the River Market where locals can purchase fresh produce, herbs, artwork, floral bouquets, and other exciting finds. There was also talk of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, popular shopping centers such as The Plaza, and the 75-acre Loose Park near campus—the perfect spot to lounge on a blanket under a canopy of trees, walk along various pathways, or even try a hand at Tennis.
Afternoon exploration
Welcome Party
One week after orientation, faculty and students gathered in Scofield Hall to celebrate the new ALI students’ arrival and first week on campus with games, snacks, and conversations about their experiences so far.
Students trying their hand at Slapzi
The Fall ALI Welcome Party was attended by new and returning students, as well as teachers and staff. There was an array of fruit, veggies, soda, and other sugary snacks lining the tables as students arrived. A faculty member put on some funk music to get the event started, but this kind gesture was quickly overridden by more contemporary tunes. Nadege, ALI’s activity coordinator, rallied students together for a round of KC Bingo in which students crossed out boxes if they’d tried local barbeque, exercised at the Swinney Recreation Center, or visited any of Kansas City’s 200 fountains.
Kansas City Themed Bingo
After two students tied for Bingo, everyone separated into three different groups for games like Conversation Jenga, Slapzi, and On the Dot, a brainteaser that requires both creative and analytical thinking. Students and faculty at this table frequently sported scrunched foreheads and puzzled looks. Meanwhile Slapzi required quick-thinking skills and even quicker reflexes. After a player drew a card with a description from the deck, students would race to slap down a card that matched that description. Far-reaching laughter could be heard when someone slapped down a card suggesting that garden saws are mostly used for safety, or that a camel can be carried in a back pocket. While it sometimes appeared that the game was partially a “luck of the draw” sort of situation, this didn’t stop one student from accumulating a three-time winning streak. She claimed she didn’t have a secret strategy but not everyone was convinced.
So far, the ALI semester is off to a great start. The laughter, fun, and newly-formed connections wouldn’t be possible without so many students eager not only to learn another language, but to explore all of the possibilities (and opportunities) that the institute, university, and Kansas City have to offer.
Group photo op at the Fall 2023 Welcome Party!
Welcome and congrats to our newest cohort of students! We’re so fortunate to have you study with us at the Applied Language Institute, and we can’t wait to see the progress you all make in the coming months.
—The Faculty at ALI
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