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Cheers were heard from different parts of the world as OSU crowned this year’s Mr. and Ms. International.
Biology freshman Rewan Zineldine of Egypt was given the title of Ms. International while Nepal’s own Sudarshan Dhakal, an aerospace engineering junior, was crowned Mr. International.
A few weeks ago, the International Students Organization hosted their annual Mr. and Ms. International pageant where 10 contestants from different countries around the world compete against one another to exhibit their pose, talent, and intellect.
The first phase of the competition consisted of a talent show, where Zineldine did a poetry reading as well as a tradition Egyptian dance.
During the question-and-answer round toward the end, she was asked how she would be able to integrate the international students with the students at OSU.
“I responded by saying I would try and have the international students feel comfortable in participating in big things here on campus for non-international students,” Zineldine said. “My example of this was Greek life. It is so big here on campus yet you rarely see any international students joining fraternities or sororities.
International students should feel comfortable in wanting to be in Greek life since they are very supportive and look out for each other, which would be very nice for them since they come here not knowing anyone and leaving their home and families behind.”
She said she feels as though she represented Egypt well through her talent and intellect.
“Especially with all that is going on in Egypt I think unity and the people come together is a big part of the events happening there now, and to say that I still believe there is hope not only for Egypt but the whole world to do so as well,” Zineldine said. “As far as how I feel being crowned, it feels wonderful. Having people recognize my accomplishments from the paper and running into me around campus or at social events and recognizing me is such a warm feeling.”
As for Dhakal, he performed a themed dance in which he acted in a role where he was excited about coming to OSU and looking for a friend.
“I was singing and dancing outside I was singing and dancing outside the student union when I met an American girl,” Dhakal said. “I said that I was new to OSU and came from Nepal. She was happy to be my friend but since I was from a country with different culture and tradition, she wanted to know what kind of person I am, what kind of a place is my country, and what kind of characteristics Nepalese people have. Then, I sang and danced showing different images of Nepal. Finally, she gave me a white rose and we tied our friendship knot.”
Dhakal said he was proud of himself after being given the title of Mr. International.
“It feels wonderful,” Dhakal said. “All the hard work and dedication paid off in the end. All kind of feelings hit my mind time and again. Sometimes I become emotional but I feel proud too. I feel more confident in myself as I learned that I can get my goal if I work hard.”
Now that Zineldine and Dhakal have been crowned, they both have active roles within the International Students Organization and have the responsibility of conducting various events such as International Expo and World Café, hosting Cultural Night, participate in the Homecoming parade, and host the next Mr. and Ms. International pageant.