extraordinary ddin While Harding was often seen as the starting point for students to find Mr. or Mrs. Right, one couple's Harding wedding marked the conclusion of a love story that began many miles away in China. Sophomore Benjamin Wu and junior Mos Li met a little over three years ago in China at a program called Two Plus Two, during which they spent two years at a college in China, with plans to transfer to Harding in order to finish their last two years of schooling. They met during their freshman year on the first day of school and began dating the next month. When Li came to Harding to continue her education, leaving Wu in China, the couple realized they could not be separated for long. "I was here a semester before he was," Li said. "So in that semester, we decided to get married. He proposed online. Our parents were really surprised; they weren't expecting it, but they supported us." The engagement was only three months long. Over Thanksgiving break, wedding plans skyrocketed with Li's club sisters in Zeta Pi Zeta helping her plan the wedding that took place Feb. ll, 20 ll. "Mos came home with me over Thanksgiving break," senior Alicia Miller said. "We started planning the wedding, who would be in it and what all she wanted. Mos wanted to embrace the traditional American wedding since she was in America, after all." Steve Shaner, assistant professor of communication, agreed that he knew of no couple more deserving. "They're made for each other," Shaner said. "If any of my Chinese kids were to get married, it would be them. I applaud any young couple that wants to break a culture. They seem to be very in love and seeking God." The couple's parents were unable to attend the wedding due to the time required to obtain a visa; the couple instead had family representatives. Miller's family represented Li's parents, with Miller's father walking Li down the aisle. "My sister was able to come," Wu said. "She lives in Los Angeles, so she represented my parents at the ceremony." The two were married in Cone Chapel with friends and club sisters surrounding them. "It was special for all of us in Zeta Pi Zeta," senior Lauren Kinney said. "We just got her as a part of the ZPZ family, and we were giving her away because we were her family here." Li and Wu still planned on returning to China in the near future for a more traditional Chinese ceremony so that their other family members could be present. Although the couple was not sure if they would remain in the U.S. permanently, they knew that wherever they went in the future, they would go together. Mallory Davis 36 International Students
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