Flags hold familiarity. Flags are colorful. When questioned why he chose to hang flags, Jim Benes said, “Flags are an instant visual reminder that we are not alone.” Jim Benes, the global exchange coordinator for the College of Education and Human Sciences, finished his long project of hanging flags from multiple countries, representing the international engagement in CEHS. Last summer, Benes, with the help of Valerie Crook, started the planning process of hanging flags from various countries. Benes and Crook worked with many people to help accomplish their goal of reminding everyone that we are but one nation among many. Once they had the flags, Emily Slattery, also from the Pixel Lab, helped hang them, which took about 3-4 hours.
The countries represented include Nicaragua, Belize, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, India, Finland, China, Zambia, South Korea, Estonia, South Africa, Japan, Greece, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Australia, Oman, and coming soon—Ethiopia, and the Netherlands. The 20 flags can be seen hanging in the Pixel Lab of Henzlik Hall on UNL’s City Campus. Benes is looking to expand international engagement for CEHS, thereby adding more flags. If there are other countries that should be represented, and are not currently, contact Jim Benes at jbenes@unl.edu.
Make sure to stop by the Pixel Lab to check out the amazing flags!