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OU Cousins hosts its largest matching party at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
More than 400 students paired off Wednesday at the OU Cousins matching party.
It was a record-breaking turnout for the annual event, which partners international students with American students who will help them with the transition to life in the United States.
“This was the most people we’ve ever had at the kickoff event,” Quy Nguyen, advisor for OU Cousins, said.
OU Cousins allows students from diverse backgrounds to form friendships.
“I joined OU Cousins because it will enrich my experience at OU. I have been involved with it since my freshman year,” said Rami Nyanat, a petroleum geology junior from Malaysia. “I’m still in contact with my first cousin, and my second cousin and I studied abroad together in China.”
Nguyen said OU Cousins, which was established in 1996, has grown significantly in the past few years because of the growth in OU’s international student population.
While they assist international students with shopping trips and learning English, American students are able to practice their own foreign language skills and gain a fresh perspective on what life is like in the U.S.
“OU Cousins is a great program where you form good relationships. It really made me experience OU from a different view point,” international area studies and Spanish senior Destiny Poole said.
At Wednesday’s event, students went on a scavenger hunt, explored the art museum and registered to be cousins.
To form compatible partnerships, Cousins match students based on their interests.
“We match American and international students based on hobbies and interests. With American students we like to know what languages they know and where they studied abroad or where they want to study abroad to help narrow it down,” said Michael Nash, business sophomore and OU Cousins student director.
“This is a great way to American and international students to collaborate,” Nash said.
During the matching party, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Director Ghislain d’Humieres welcomed students to OU and the museum.
“It was a good match to pair up with the OU Cousins because the museum is home to international art and culture,” d’Humieres said.
OU Cousins is still matching student pairs.
“We are always looking for new cousins,” Nash said.
To register, fill out an online form at oucousins.ou.edu.
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