Cold spot turns hot spot for 100 Lankan students: the “secret” of Red river valley

By Shelton Gunaratne

(March 22, Washington, Sri Lanka Guardian) A cold spot in the American Midwest along Interstate 94 at the Minnesota-North Dakota border has become a hot spot for higher education for more than 100 Sri Lanka students and their families.

Students from Sri Lanka are becoming an increasingly visible component of American college campuses. The three campuses of the North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead and Concordia College within the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area now accommodate more than 100 .students from Sri Lanka—a record.

The Sri Lanka diaspora and these students are deeply involved in importing Sri Lankan culture to remote spots of the United States, such as the “frigid” Red River Valley in the northern Midwest.

North Dakota State University in Fargo, just on the west side of the Red River from Moorhead, accommodates the largest number of Sri Lanka students in this metropolitan area. Samudra Weeratunge-Kugel, international student adviser for the NDSU International Programs, said, “We do have 64 total Sri Lankan students, 44 undergraduates and 18 graduate students.”

NDSU President Joseph Chapman has given high priority to international programs. NDSU has signed agreements with institutions in 28 countries, including India and Sri Lanka, which Chapman visited in December 2007. Information released by the Office of International Programs shows that NDSU agreements include a general memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Kelaniya University renewable every five years (effective December 2007); a specific MOU for graduate education with the Postgraduate Institute of Management renewable annually (effective July 2007); and a 2Plus at undergraduate level with the American College of Higher Education (effective July 2008). Moreover, plans are afoot to activate a general MOU with the Peradeniya University, and a general MOU plus a potential MOU for graduate education with the Moratuwa University.

In 2006, NDSU had an enrolment of 679 international students. By spring 2008, that figure had increased to more than 820. Chapman’s institutional goal is to attract 2,000 international students, including 500 from India and Sri Lanka

Minnesota State University Moorhead hosts the second largest group of Sri Lankans. One attraction is the affordable tuition (at in-state level) that MSUM allows foreign students. Greg Wymer, director of international student affairs, said, “Currently we have 32 Sri Lankans enrolled at the undergraduate level and none at the graduate level. This is down six from last year due to a number of students from Sri Lanka that graduated this last spring and fall. We had five new Sri Lankan students come spring 2009 and four in the fall of 2008. I don't believe we have seen a significant decline. “

Concordia College (2,823 students), a private Lutheran institution in Moorhead within walking distance from MSUM, accommodates 114 international students, including six Sri Lankans. Don Buegel, director of international student recruiting and support, said, “We had eight students from Sri Lanka last fall, two graduated in December and no new ones, and so have six enrolled now.”

Buegel added, “I believe the students from Sri Lanka are remarkable in many ways! One of the students from SL [Samal Mahanama] is president of our International Student Organization, and one SL student was past president. One of the students from SL who graduated in December was an Admissions Student Ambassador who assisted me with international student admissions. The students have been wonderful to work with and contribute to our campus in so many ways.”

Sri Lankans enrolled in these three institutions, which make up the Tri-College consortium, and the Sri Lankan expatriate families domiciled in the area—the Samaraweeras (Upasiri and Indrani), the Wijetungas (Ari and Theja), the Gunaratnes (Shelton and Yoke-Sim), the De Sarams (Darshi and Curme) and the Marasinghes (Asoka and siblings)—have already introduced different aspects of their homeland culture to the Red River Valley .mainly by getting visiting Sri Lankan artistes to perform locally and by organizing Buddhist activities primarily for the benefit of the diaspora.

The Sri Lanka students of NDSU and MSUM recently initiated a campaign to collect donations for the Ranawiru Fund, Sri Lanka. Three NDSU students—Theekshana Somaratna, Asanga Manamperi, and Mangala Ganehiaracchi—led the campaign, which succeeded in raising nearly $1,500.

Sri Lankans at MSUM next weekend (March 27) will take an active part in the university’s annual Celebration of Nations in which international students set up booths displaying art, clothing and information about their countries. The Sri Lankans, in competition with students of other nationalities, will cook their traditional foods to sample, and provide entertainment of traditional music, dances, and participate in a fashion show.

Two Sri Lanka students—Nileendra “Abey” Abeywardene and Melani Kodikara—serve the MSUM International Programs as diplomat coordinator and student assistant respectively.

Meanwhile, about 170 miles southeast of the Red River Valley on Interstate 94, the Ayubowan Sri Lanka Organization (ASLO) of St Cloud State University, which is currently headed by Damindu Weerasena, was planning to raise a tidy sum of money for the Ranawiru Fund. this weekend. (March 21) by selling tickets at $30 per adult for a presentation of Angeline Gunathilake’s “Sanda Thaniwela” musical event

ASLO, whose 23 members comprise the current Sri Lanka enrollment at SCSU, “is dedicated towards promoting cultural values of Sri Lanka with the SCSU campus and community.” ASLO’s advisers are the Herath brothers—Susantha, professor of business computer information systems; and Jayantha, a professor of computer science.

(The writer is a professor of mass communications emeritus at Minnesota State University Moorhead.)

-Sri Lanka Guardian