They came from around the globe to attend SPU: 10 international students from Japan, Korea, France, Cambodia and other countries.

On Friday, they came from around campus to attend a game night in the Collegium in the Student Union Building (SUB).

Led by Interim International Student Advisor Lori Hunts Tongol, the students made new friends with other international students and local students attending SPU. Besides the 10 international students, there were four American students and Tongol's two daughters and Filipino husband.

The first game that was played, led by Tongol, was a game where players used the first letter of their name to make an adjective that described them. Then each player would repeat all the names and adjectives of the players before them in the circle. It started out with "Laughing Lori" and went on from there.

The students split up into two groups to play other games. They switched around once so everyone would get to know more people. Games played included "Loaded Questions," "Apples to Apples" and "Spoons."

Tongol is in her first year as the Interim International Student Advisor and this game party was an "official first activity," she said. Tongol's job is to provide services for the international students once they arrive.

Working under the umbrella of Student Programs, she helps these students with everything from academics to teaching them how to get a Social Security card, she said.

Her goal with the game night, she said, "is to help them [international students] get to know each other in a fun, informal setting."

The game night was originally supposed to be a movie night, but due to legal viewing restrictions in groups, it was changed to a game night. It was planned not only by Tongol, but also by members of the newly formed International Program Committee. The unofficial committee consists of three undergraduate and two graduate students at SPU.

So far, they have met once.

Sophomore Sue Chern Liong is one of the undergraduates on the committee. She was born in Malaysia and stayed there for elementary school before moving to Singapore, where she worked for her diploma in nursing. She transferred to SPU this year.

"I'm here to complete my degree in nursing," she said.

In Singapore, Liong had been part of an International Student Club. When she came here, she didn't find a club, but she did find that Tongol was trying to get a committee of students to plan events for international students, which Liong joined.

Looking back on their first event, Liong said, "I think it went really well. We got to get to know each other..."

She pointed out that, although these events are aimed at international students, they are really for everyone.

Tongol was pleased at the diversity of the people that came. She wants everyone "just to enjoy and celebrate culture and difference."

"Everyone thinks differently according to where they grew up," said freshman Aaron Wagar, a "missionary kid" whose childhood was spent in Paraguay.

"It was fun," said Yolanda Vogel, a freshman whose mother is from Mexico.

Tongol plans to have more events in the future. One idea is to have a group go see the Theatre Department's one-act plays together this spring. She would also like to work with the American Cultural Exchange (ACE) program and Mosaic, a cross-cultural club with students from diverse backgrounds.

"I think that if we have more activities, more people will come," she said.