By Fanny Essel — Arts and Culture Editor

Seven international students are exploring Sherbrooke to discover its murals. Lysange Gervais, coordinator and immigration advisor of Bishop’s International, guides the group. She explains the town’s history and culture depicted within the murals. This event was organized by Bishop’s International on Oct. 16 for international and exchange students. 

It’s a sunny Sunday morning, and seven international students from Mumbai, Germany, France, the north of China and Ukraine are investigating the murals in Sherbrooke. Gervais dares them to find an elf and maple leaves in the immense work of art named  “Mural des Jeux du Canada.” It was inaugurated in 2013 for les jeux d’été du Canada. When the students “observe [the elements of the mural] together,” said Alona Lypovsky, a Ukrainian student majoring in psychology, they “go to places [they] wouldn’t go by [themselves].”

Gervais guides the group to the heart-shaped mural on Wellington Street. She points out a drawing of “Madame Boo” on the wall, a woman who was living in this very building and scared passersby for fun. The group laughed at the news. “We make new friends, and we share things of our culture,” said Pratik Pravin More, a computer sciences graduate student from Mumbai, “it’s a bonding experience.” The mural made him think about garba night festivals in India, which are dance festivals that have both religious and social significance. 

Gervais asks the students to observe small details from the murals. By doing so, she encourages them to reflect on their current and past experiences. “During COVID, we didn’t get the chance to do anything,” said More, who is one of the many international students impacted by COVID. “Now [that] there are a lot more people, [it’s fun].” 

The Sherbrooke mural tour is an annual event organized by Bishop’s International. The event was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s now more attractive than ever. In fact, the office held multiple tours on Oct. 16 because so many international and exchange students registered. According to Lypovsky, international students want more events like the mural tour to feel more integrated into Bishop’s community.