International flag raising ceremony held for Davis & Elkins students

ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — International students were represented well at Davis & Elkins College on Tuesday as the school held its annual International Student Flag-Raising Ceremony.

According to Director of International Students Jacques Guillembet, this ceremony has been going on for almost a decade, and he officially took over planning it two years ago.

“The impact that these students make, not only on my wife and I’s life, but on the community of Davis & Elkins College, I can write multiple novels about,” said Guillembet. “Each one brings a different story, different situations…different ideas and different brains, and it’s actually beautiful to see the world come together on a college in the hills like this.”

During this event, each country represented on campus was called out and the students representing that country marched up to the front with their respective flags as their national anthem played. Guillembet said that some students brought their own flags in for this ceremony, and he purchased the rest of the ones that were needed.

Following the ceremony, the flags will remain up on campus in the “Hallway of the World,” which is located at the entrance of the Liberal Arts Hall. Guillembet said that there’s a good bit of effort required to make this ceremony happen each year, but that the efforts of the members involved in the International Student Organization (ISO) help everything come together perfectly.

Guillembet said that more than 20 percent of Davis & Elkins’ population is made up of international students, covering almost every continent except Antarctica and Australia. “So one thing that we need to note is that the community aspect of Davis & Elkins is the most beautiful piece that we have to offer,” he added. “The community coming together, students being able to socialize and know everybody’s name. You are not just a number at Davis & Elkins College.”

As part of the event, Marketing Intern Julia Vieira, represented her home country of Brazil, alongside seven to eight other Brazilian students.

“They’re all like my closest friends, we’re all the time together, so it’s really great to have the opportunity to like walk with them and just like represent Brazil,” Vieira added.

Vieira also serves on the ISO’s e-board as Treasurer meaning that she helped Guillembet arrange everything for this event. She said that this event is something that they prepare for months in advance and that they also provided letters to international students that were in class as the ceremony was happening.

“It’s just a forum that they have to like [make] us feel like we’re home, and just for us to feel like we’re with our flag, with our people…singing our national anthem, so it’s really great,” said Vieira.

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