Incoming freshmen are required to attend 16 Inter-Curricular Enrichment (ICE) eventsto graduate. Requirements for transfer students vary. The point of ICE is to provide students with diverse learning opportunities. Events may include attending plays, readings, lectures, films, and so much more. To me, it is simply the university’s way of fostering our growth, adding to and improving on our skills, engaging our minds in intellectual settings, exploring other cultures, and creating a safe place to learn and ask questions.
ICE events are nothing short of insightful and even fun! I’ve had the pleasure of hosting my own events during International Students' Week. My favorite event was called “I Speak Dialect, Not Jamaican!” It was an engaging, informational event where I invited a panel of other international Caribbean students to explain the difference between our origins and the way we speak. It turned out to be the most attended ICE event that week.
I’ve seen seniors nearing the deadline to complete their ICE credits before graduating, but suffering the consequences of not doing so. Students should read the weekly Student News emails, check campus bulletin boards, and read the stall-wall newsletters to select ICE events of interest to them. They are always available, and there’s no need to put them off to the last minute. Encourage your student to enjoy their ICE time!
-Alaine Sullivan, USC Aiken senior business administration major