Our Intensive English students were in for quite an exciting time throughout the month of March. As the Spring session began, so did the activities! In fact, these two activities happened just a week apart, so we have dedicated this blog post to recapping both: the Conversation Partners Meet and Greet and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo outing.
First up, on March 14, students got to meet their conversation partners for a quick chat over a delicious pizza lunch. The Conversation Partners Program, launched by our ESL Enrollment Coordinator, Bianca Perez, in collaboration with Rice’s Center for Languages & Intercultural Communications (CLIC), gives Intensive English students the opportunity to match up with a Rice undergraduate student who is studying their language. In meeting with their partners, Intensive English students can practice their English outside the classroom, while also sharing some firsthand knowledge of their own languages.
At the Conversation Partners Meet and Greet, several students who had already been matched with a partner were able to meet up, while other Intensive English students or those new to the program got to see what Conversation Partners is all about.
Several of our wonderful teachers also made the trek out to the Brochstein Pavilion. As the meetings between partners always happen outside of normal class time, the event provided a great opportunity for the teachers to see these conversations in action.
Some students even began chatting without having previously been assigned a partner! All in all, the Conversation Partners Meet and Greet provided a wonderful chance for cultural exchanges to bloom and friendships to develop!
A week later, on March 21, Intensive English students were treated to a day of rodeo fun - line dancing and a trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on that same evening.
The festivities began that Friday with a line dancing demonstration courtesy of two amazing volunteers from the Houston Rodeo Speakers Committee. The students quickly picked up on each move and kept up with the rapid pace of some of the songs. Everything from the boot scootin’ classics to more modern sounds were played, showcasing some of the musicality behind the rodeo tradition.
When there was no more dancing to be done, students sat down for a delectable barbecue lunch. All the fixin’s were available - mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, buttery bread rolls, and of course, several cuts of meat to choose from.
This, of course, was a much needed break after the excitement of line dancing. But the fun wasn’t over yet, because students later headed out to the rodeo itself for a night of mutton busting and a concert featuring local artist Parker McCollum.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, being the world’s biggest such event, has a host of things to do and see. Some Intensive English students got to the grounds early and explored the carnival area outside of NRG Stadium, while others arrived to see the shows later in the evening.
Once the evening’s rodeo events kicked off around 7:00 PM, a large group of students had gathered in their seats to watch the spectacles unfold. There were a variety of events on the schedule that night: saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, and team roping were just a few that students got to witness. And, as the rodeo was drawing to a close, the competition was fierce between the cowboys and cowgirls in each event.
To conclude the evening, Parker McCollum took center stage at NRG Stadium for a memorable Rodeo Houston concert. McCollum, a native of Conroe (just north of Houston), was on his third performance at the rodeo that evening, and each one was a sold out show. A whopping 71,000 people attended that evening, including our group of students.
March turned out to be quite a whirlwind of a month for our Intensive English students, then! Whether meeting a new partner to practice their language skills, dancing the days away, or saying “howdy” at the rodeo, students were truly welcomed to Houston during these past few weeks.
By Hadrian Barbosa