As more international students come to the University, it can be easy to forget that most things here are new to them.

The Daily Illini previously reported on fall 2014 enrollment, which showed that there are 658 international students from China, 132 from India and 126 from South Korea. With such large numbers of students coming to the University from these three countries and others, it is important to make international students feel at home.

Tonight, football head coach Tim Beckman is teaching international students about American football and how it works at Memorial Stadium. Last year, around 150 students attended the same event.

Since American football might be less known by international students compared to other sports, it is the best sport to teach international students about. Whether it is through watching TV, reading a newspaper, talking to a classmate or listening to a lecture, football is bound to be a subject that comes up in an international student’s time here.

Also, being a Big Ten school, football is a huge part of the culture here at the University. 

Many students are highly involved in football festivities whether it be through tailgating, sporting their Illini orange on game days, or attending games and being a part of the Block I student fan section. 

Since this sport permeates so much of our campus environment, we think it is a great idea for Beckman to teach international students about the game to help them feel more included in campus activities and experiences.

In addition, an ESPN article showed that professional football is the most popular sport in America, so knowing the sport is not only beneficial for understanding campus culture, but also American culture. 

Chancellor Phyllis Wise has always stressed the need to make this campus more inclusive, and teaching international students how football works is a great way to promote this ideal.

Part of being an inclusive Illinois is making sure international students feel welcome in the classroom, but part of it is making sure they feel welcome in social activities as well. 

Beckman, taking the time to teach students about a subject that most Americans take for granted, shows that he supports the idea of having an inclusive Illinois.

International students may find many aspects of campus life, and American culture, unfamiliar, but teaching them about a sport that so many Americans care about helps bridge the international gap.