Early on a Saturday morning, 31 international students and two staff members from the Office of International Engagement went to St. Louis for the day. The group met at Bone Student Center to catch the bus to visit the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Galleria mall, and the Gateway Arch.
The group started at the St. Louis Zoo and was lucky to have great weather. “Everyone enjoyed the zoo and would have loved to spend more time there,” said International House Program Coordinator Emmy Buonomo. The students found the big cats and snakes to be the most interesting creatures.
From there, the group boarded the bus to head to the Galleria Mall for shopping and lunch. The students enjoyed the opportunity to shop at multiple stores and try various food options. Panda Express was the consensus favorite. “At one point I turned around and noticed the entire line for Panda Express was from our group!” said I-House Graduate Assistant Jackson Omushien.
The favorite stop of the day was the Gateway Arch. All participants took the tram ride to the top of the arch and described it as a combination Ferris wheel, roller coaster, and lift—or elevator, as we call it. The students loved the tram. “You could hear screams from the different pods! Plus, the weather was perfect, and you could see all the way to the Mississippi River,” Buonomo said.
A great time was had by all, and the students returned to campus around 8:30 p.m. The fact that some students had gone by themselves but joined groups throughout the day was a measure of a successful outing, according to Buonomo. International students can learn more information about future trips and events by visiting the Office of International Engagement page.
