Wishing everyone a good day! Here are some things to know for today:

WEATHER: Increasing sunshine. Chilly and breezy. Stronger winds the further east you are. Highs in the low to mid 30s.

Business license re-application required in Great Falls. Click here.

High school students complete ‘MedAchieve’ at Touro med college. Click here.

Calumet will conduct a test of its new emergency notification system. Click here.

COMING UP: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21: Great Falls Salvation Army will host a “Give Thanks” Kettle Kickoff Luncheon from 11:30am to 1pm at 1000 17th Avenue South. The auction will include a silent auction, dessert dash, and information on the critical services The Salvation Army provides to neighbors in need in Great Falls. Cost is $15 per person. For more information, call Jody Rempel at 406-899-4640, or click here.

Here is today’s joke of the day! Share with your friends: What falls in the winter but never gets hurt? Snow!

Email your best joke to montanathismorning@krtv.com

For Behind The Scenes, Follow Montana This Morning on Instagram – click here!

BILLINGS — At Montana State University Billings, this semester’s cultural showcase is all about India—a celebration of its vibrant traditions, rich history, and the students who bring these cultures to life.

Each year, the Office of International Studies chooses a different country to focus on during the fall semesters. They host events to showcase that region through programming, movies, and free events for the community to attend.

“We decided to go to India predominantly because we’ve had a large influx of Indian students, and we really rely on local community to help put this on,” said the school’s Associate Director of International Students Abby Cook.

This is their fourth year of holding themed semesters that began in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help students feel connected to other cultures and feel less isolated.

“We were still on a bit of a hiatus for travel and bringing in new students due to COVID, so we were thinking about how can we bring the world and just different cultures to MSU Billings to the Billings community as well, so that’s kind of the brainchild of the theme semester program,” said Cook. “It is funded predominantly by a grant that we have from the Department of Education.”

On Thursday, they held one of their last events of the year, the Indian Cultural Showcase. MSUB students from India had the chance to show off various regions of the country through music, dance, singing, clothing and presentations.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“It’s just generally a really great event that brings the community together and celebrates culture and diversity in a very colorful way,” said Cook. “The community that comes, especially those on a regular basis, they adore it. It is all volunteer, I would say, and it is all something that is done on a very low budget, so it’s just managing the expectations. We are not bringing in people from India to do performances. Everything’s kind of homegrown.”

Over a dozen international students at the university are from India. Sophomores Mansi Luthra and Noor Deep Kaur are both from the northern Indian state of Punjab and have helped run the events throughout the semester. They said the year has been an opportunity to reconnect with their roots while sharing their culture with the local community in Billings.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“Most of my classmates, they love Indian outfits. When I wear these outfits, ‘Oh, I love your earrings, I love your bangles,’ so those compliments just rejoy my blush,” said Luthra. “These kind of events rejoy your life, make you feel like you are a part (of something), and you are worthy. That’s a great thing.”

“It’s exciting to tell them about our own culture, and sometimes we are not afraid about things which are really important to us and people might ask about it and then we have to explain them. It’s like, ‘Oh that’s really different. We do that thing in a different way,’” added Deep Kaur.

For many international students like Luthra and Deep Kaur, the transition to a new school in a foreign country can be a difficult and isolating experience. The first year is often filled with challenges.

“First year was crazy, adapting to new technology of assignments, being feeling loneliness, homesick, all those feelings together,” said Luthra.

Over time, the girls found comfort in their shared heritage, and through their Indian student group, they found a sense of community.

“Then you cope with classes, with making new friends, especially I have a very good group of Indian friends here, so it just feels like home now,” said Luthra.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

For them, the event and chance to perform was an important reminder of the strength and diversity of their cultural identity.

“We get to know each other’s culture and we grow as a community. That’s really I think one of the best parts of this multicultural club and International Office doing this stuff,” said Deep Kaur.

The semester has helped create a bridge between international students and the wider Billings community, and as a reminder that we are all more similar than we think.  

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“It’s important to showcase that we are all unique in our traditions and our cultures, yet we all still love to dance. We all still love music. We all still love to sing,” said Cook. “It brings a unique tone to the Billings community also because they can see, ‘Oh, this is in my community. We have people who are from India. We have a Japanese community. We have a French community,’ so I think that’s really powerful, and it helps them to get involved on a more personal level.”

For the students involved, the event is more than just a cultural showcase, but a way to reduce the isolation often felt by international students. By sharing their traditions, Mansi and Noor have been able to make the place they now call home feel a little bit closer to the one they left behind. 

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“I’m getting to know people and my friends. My bones are growing more stronger and so that’s why I’m feeling good now. Yeah, I’m feeling less homesick,” said Deep Kaur.

“I really love how people embrace Indian culture. Their eyes shine when they see us performing, singing, being in our outfits, they compliment us, and they make our day and nights,” added Luthra.

Their final two events will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Babcock Theater for a showing of the film “I Have Found It,” and on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the MSU Billings Rimrock Cafe from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for their Indian Cuisine Night. Click here for more information.

If you are in the market for a ski vacation with truly unique accommodations, you should definitely check out what Snow Bears Chalet in Whitefish, Montana has to offer. Snow Bear Chalets is a collection of three luxury treehouses located on Whitefish’s Hope Slope Trail with 100% ski-in/ski-out access. If you’re worried that sleeping in a tree would be roughing it, you will be pleasantly surprised that each of three treehouses comes with standard bedrooms and bathrooms along with luxury amenities including a private hot tub and a gas fireplace. Spend your day shredding the slopes and retire to your treetop turret retreat room to take in the incredible views. Sounds great!

About Snow Bear Chalets:

Snow Bear Chalets is a collection of three magical luxury treehouses located ON Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort’s Hope Slope and all 100% ski-in/ski-out. With no parking lots or treacherous staircases to deal with, you can ski to Chair 3 from any of the chalets and hit the slopes in under a minute! Hope Slope – is the first to open each season and a great option for night skiing on Whitefish Mountain. Plus, in the summer season, you’re only steps away from the mountain’s main mountain biking trailhead, connecting you to hundreds of miles of prime trails.

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There’s nothing like Snow Bear on any ski mountain in the US. Ponderosa Chalet sleeps 6 and is our highest in demand with its unparalleled slopeside location. Tamarack is identical to Ponderosa and less than 30 feet from the slope. Cedar is our largest chalet and great for groups, as it sleeps 10. Each Snow Bear Chalet is available for a 3 night minimum, depending upon the season, or for rent by the week during the holidays. Book all three treehouses and sleep up to 22 guests!

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PONDEROSA, our premier treehouse, is literally ON the ski slope, for unobstructed mountain and slopeside views. Watch the skiers fly by from your hot tub or while having coffee at the dining island in the morning. ZERO time to the slope, as you’re already on it!

TAMARACK, is the same size/layout as Ponderosa, but is located in the middle of the three threehouses. It has downhill slope views and is only about 30′ to the slope!

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