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Center for International Studies

International Bazaar Photo Contest | WESL Students Visit Illinois Lincoln Sites

International Bazaar Photo Contest

The Office of Study Abroad hosted its annual student photo contest during the International Bazaar which took place on March 6 and 7 in the University Union. Every year, students who have studied abroad are encouraged to submit their favorite photos. The photos are then enlarged and mounted on foam board and displayed at the Office of Study Abroad booth at the Bazaar. Visitors are then able to vote for their favorite photo and the winning students receive a prize. This year, in collaboration with the Office of International Student Orientation and Activities, the Center for International Studies invited WIU’s international students to submit their photos of life in America. Thirteen students submitted two photos each, and after the votes had been counted, first, second, and third place winners were declared.

WESL Students Visit Illinois Lincoln Sites

On a March field trip, the students enrolled in WESL (Western’s English as a Second Language Institute) visited and explored historical Abraham Lincoln sites in central Illinois. The first stop for the 28 WESL students was the New Salem State Historic Site, featuring a restoration of the frontier village in which Lincoln made his home from 1831 to 1837. The students and chaperones enjoyed the beautiful spring weather at New Salem as they took in a glimpse of what life was like in those early frontier days. This was followed by a visit to the city of Springfield, which is considered Lincoln’s home town and the place where he came to prominence as a lawyer and politician over a span of 24 years.

A tour of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site provided everyone with a lot of insight on Lincoln’s Springfield years. The final stop of the trip was the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery, where the students beheld the final resting place of this iconic American statesman. The chaperones accompanying the students from WIU’s Center for International Studies included Kevin Moon '95, Kevin Timlin, Ken Felts '06, Steve Kaesdorf, Jackie Tanner, and Ayouba Traore '07.

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