SQCC Hosts World Artists Experiences: Bridges to the World Student Writing Project Celebration at SQCC

On 26 April, SQCC hosted World Artist Experiences’ (WAE) Bridges to the World Student Writing Project Celebration.. A local non-profit organization, WAE focuses on building bridges for international understanding through cultural and citizen diplomacy. Over its 12-year history, WAE has partnered with over one hundred fifteen countries around the world to present their diverse and rich culture through numerous experiences.

The event celebrated WAE students, whose original poetry submissions were published in an anthology. The celebration was attended by students from WAE’s Student Writing Program along with many parents and teachers. Visitors received a tour of the SQCC’s exhibition space and watched a film screening of a “This is America” episode focusing on the culture heritage of the Sultanate of Oman.

The awards ceremony included the recitation of poetry.  Two poems written by a young Omani poet named Mohamed Omar Al-Balushi were read in Arabic and English by SQCC staff.  Michael Glaser, who served as Maryland poet laureate from 2004 to 2009, and Rachel Heinhorst, a professor of English at College of Southern Maryland, also recited lines of poetry from Rumi, Hafez, Ibn Arabi, and read an original poem constructed with select lines of poetry written by WAE students. Mrs. Betty McGinnis, the founder and president of WAE, addressed the audience emphasizing international learning as a catalyst for the youth to better the world.