The Start of BIG 2016 & Fourth of July Celebration

BIG 2016 students at Bloomington’s Fourth of July parade

This year’s Fourth of July was very different from any other experience the students have had before. We walked as a group to the Bloomington Fourth of July parade at 10a.m. The weather was a little rainy, but thankfully, the Poplars building had a large enough awning for us to sit under and enjoy the parade. The students were able to collect candy, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, and American flags as a variety of groups from Bloomington walked past. Among the PAs, our favorite group was the “Raging Grannies.” The parade was a great representation of the small-town culture that so many IU students love about Bloomington.

Later in the evening, the BIG students gathered with students from GBI to celebrate. Students from both groups played card games, took photos, and listened to music. The skies eventually cleared up, and we were all able to venture outside for dancing and frisbee. Food wasn’t served until sunset in honor of Ramadan, but it was well worth the wait. The combined barbecue was a great opportunity for the BIG students to meet and interact with the GBI students and learn about their cultures.

Stay tuned for more #KelleyBIG2016 updates on IIB blog, Twitter (@KelleyIIB & @IU_CIBER), and Facebook!