It was the first day of class. And already they’d been given an assignment.

With video cameras in hand, the group fanned out across campus to complete their first assignment: explain an object using differing camera perspectives.

Just like any other students, really. Except that these students, a week or so ago, were living comfortably in their native China. And they’ll spend the next month here learning about communications as well as Minnesota and Mankato.

“It gives us an opportunity to learn about each other,” said Kathy Bruss, who handles international study at Bethany, “and gain a better understanding.”

On a recent afternoon a handful of the Chinese students, who are all 21 or 22 years old, wandered campus looking for things to film.

Bethany instructor Kurt Paulsen said the students’ first assignment was a simple one and was designed to get the students familiar with the cameras.

Within a few days they’ll be creating short films. And by the end of their five weeks in town, they’ll each have produced — done all their own writing, camera work, editing, etc. — a 10-minute film.

Though it’s still early, the Chinese students are impressed.

“We hope to learn the skills of making movies,” said Wang Jing Xuan.

And they’ve been welcomed.

“It’s a beautiful college,” said Pan Shuai. “The people here are friendly.”

Said Wang Jing Xuan, “The people are very friendly and warm-hearted.”

The students come from United International College, an institution that signed an agreement to engage in various student and faculty exchanges. This group of Chinese students is the second to have visited Bethany’s campus. Bethany also has sent students and faculty to UIC.

“They certainly want to connect with our students,” Bruss said. “And it’s not hard to find Bethany students to interact with them.

“The biggest thing they bring to Bethany is that, for the people they interact with, they’ll realize that we have more things in common than we have differences.”