AUS students make cultural visit to Los Angeles

Forty-four students from American University of Sharjah (AUS) traveled to Los Angeles, California, during the winter break as part of Office of Student Affairs' (OSA) Student Multicultural Learning Program.

Representing 11 nationalities, the group of students visited Los Angeles' major tourist landmarks including Beverly Hills, where they saw the magnificent homes of movie stars, as well as Century City, the business center of the entertainment industry and home of 20th Century Fox. They also enjoyed shopping trips to Rodeo Drive and City Walk, a stroll on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and visits to the Hollywood Wax Museum, Guinness World Record Museum and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.

A highlight of the trip was a guided tour of the Getty Center, which is home to a spectacular museum renowned for its architecture and its impressive collection of works by such luminaries as Van Gogh, Monet and Cezanne. The students also attended a performance of the international award-winning musical Wicked at the Pantages Theatre. In East Hollywood, the group enjoyed a panoramic bus tour of the communities of Little Armenia, Thai Town and Korea Town, highlighting the diversity of the city.

The students enjoyed full-day excursions to Disneyland, the first Disney theme park in the world, and to Universal Studios Hollywood, where they went behind-the-scenes on the legendary studio tour to explore the world's largest working movie studio. They also enjoyed thrilling movie-themed rides.

"This is the second time the OSA Student Multicultural Learning Program has organized a tour to Los Angeles due to popular student demand," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. "As our students are enrolled in an institution formed on the American model of education, it is to no surprise that they are eager to learn more about American culture and heritage."

Abdallah Alshamsi, a sophomore computer engineering major, said, "The trip was really wonderful. I enjoyed my time with my friends as I learned more about how people live in different parts of the world and how different their lifestyle is, which is really interesting."

The AUS delegation was headed by Dr. Moza Al Shehhi and accompanied by Munketh Taha, Director of Student Development and Organizations, along with other OSA supervisors.