Grad News Forum

Every term, the Graduate Studies Office organizes an event for all graduate student leaders that helps develop team and leadership skills. On March 6, graduate student leaders from various groups, including the Graduate Student Council (GSC), the Dartmouth Graduate Outing Club (DGOC), the Dartmouth Argentine Tango Society (DATS), the International Graduate Mentoring Program (IGMP), and the Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWISE), participated in a rock-climbing event at the Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center (GMRCC) at Quechee, Vermont. The GMRCC is the tallest and largest indoor climbing gym in the area with 24 top ropes.

In the past, the Graduate Studies Office has organized several ropes courses for graduate student leaders, as well as Strengths Quest team-building activities. Both of these types of activities have helped graduate students in identifying strengths and developing group work and management skills. This is the first time that rock climbing has been offered.

During the climb, each climber was supported by a belayer, who holds the end of a rope attached to the climber and uses a belay device designed to apply friction as needed to prevent falls. The climber must trust the belayer to provide the necessary friction. However, in addition to providing support, it is the belayer’s job to allow enough slack for the climber to continue climbing. Climbing pairs learn to work together to coordinate climbing course and pace and trust each other.

Most of the graduate participants had never climbed before, so there was a lot to learn. After around two hours of climbing, most of the students were sore, but they learned a key aspect of being a leader: gaining and giving trust. Aarathi Prasad, a graduate student in computer science, commented on the event: “I was pretty terrified since I had never done rock climbing before and almost wanted to back out at the last moment. However, I am glad I went, because the event was simply so much fun, very safe, and I think I returned a little more confident about myself than earlier.”

Overall the event was fantastic, free of injury and simply awesome. Thanks again to Graduate Studies for organizing such wonderful, skill-developing events.

by Gilbert Rahme

Keri Wolfe and Nadia Cumbal

More than thirty students from across the globe gathered in One Wheelock Tuesday night to drink tea and forge connections with other Dartmouth students. The event was part of the Monday Night Tea series, and was the first official event of the school year sponsored by the International Graduate Mentoring Program (IGMP). The goal of the series is to provide activities for incoming international students that promote conversation and provide a socializing alternative to larger parties.

While some students appeared nervous at the beginning of the event, by the end, they were relaxed and jovial. Lively conversations of travel animated the room for several hours. Students sampled a selection of teas from around the world as they mingled and chatted. Some greeted old friends, while others met their mentors or mentees for the first time.

The IGMP matches pairs of mentors with two or more incoming international graduate students to help them with their initial transition to Dartmouth and, in many cases, to the United States.

Marie Onakomaiya, a student in Experimental Molecular Medicine and one of the IGMP coordinators, was a mentee during her first year at Dartmouth.  She said she found her mentor extremely helpful when she moved to the Upper Valley. From asking questions about campus, to getting a ride to her apartment when she first arrived on the Dartmouth Coach, her mentor served as a valuable resource to her. “My apartment was in Lebanon and I literally had no way to get there. My mentor was my first contact, and gave me a ride when I arrived.”

In subsequent years, Marie served as a mentor to new international students. Now, as a coordinator of the program, she is excited to facilitate events for mentors and mentees. “The aim is to hold [the Monday Night Tea series] once a month” to give mentors and mentees a chance to get to know one another, she said.

Nadia Cumbal, a first year Molecular and Cellular Biology student from Quito, Ecuador, said that the transition to Dartmouth was “quite a change.” Moving to Hanover is her first experience living outside of her family’s house. Living with parents, during undergraduate years, is common for students in many parts of South and Central America.  Not only are cultural changes difficult, but Nadia also said, “The education system [in the US] as a whole is very different.”

Adapting to cultural and educational differences, combined with experiencing language barriers can make some international students feel isolated.  “Sometimes it can get very lonely,” Nadia said.

However, Nadia also said that the Dartmouth community has been very welcoming to her.  “You should not be afraid of talking to people,” she advises other international students. “Everyone has offered me rides and has been really helpful.”

One of Nadia’s mentors is Keri Wolfe, a New Hampshire native and student in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program.  “I became a mentor because I wanted to meet new people, and make connections outside of the MALS program,” she said.  Keri has lived in the Upper Valley for several years and is excited to serve as a resource for international students.

The IGMP is planning to sponsor pumpkin carving, apple picking and a trip to a corn maze this fall. They also plan on holding a Thanksgiving dinner event. While the events are focused on mentor-mentee relationships, their programs are open to all Dartmouth graduate students and their families.

“These events are a great way to introduce people to New England,” Marie said.

For more information about upcoming IGMP events, visit their Facebook page.

by Jackson Shultz

The life of a new graduate student is tough.  Between advisors, lab meetings, and adjusting to a new town—not to mention classes—the shift from undergrad to a PhD or Masters program can be a daunting one.  For international graduate students, cultural differences complicate this transition.

The International Graduate Mentoring Program (IGMP) is the newest group officially recognized by the Graduate Student Council (GSC).  Led by graduate students Ana Draghici and Marcella Lucas, the IGMP serves as a vital ‘first contact’ for students coming to Dartmouth from other countries.

“The idea is for mentors to introduce new graduate students to different people, and invite them to events and outings to help integrate them into the Dartmouth community. Hanover gives the allure of a small town that doesn’t have much to offer, but there are actually so many things going on,” says Draghici.

International graduate students account for 30% of the total graduate population at Dartmouth.  For the 2011-‘12 academic year, there are approximately 120 incoming international graduate students from 17 different countries coming to Dartmouth, and 70% of these students have never studied outside of their home country.

This year, the IGMP assigned ‘mentors’ to each incoming international student.  These mentors come from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities—including the United States—and help welcome international students the moment they first arrive on campus.

“It can be an overwhelming experience when you first arrive to the U.S.,” says Marcella Lucas, co-leader of the IMGP.  “Having a friendly face to greet you at the bus stop in Hanover and help you to your new apartment after a long international flight is something small that IGMP mentors do that really helps these new students.”

The group held their first event, ‘Monday Night Tea’, on Monday, September 12^th, at 7pm in One Wheelock (the event space at the bottom of Collis). The event was well attended, and ‘Monday Night Teas’ will continue to be a monthly opportunity for students of different backgrounds to meet each other, and to taste desserts and teas from other countries.  The event is open to all graduate students at Dartmouth, as well as their friends and families.

In addition to the monthly dessert meetings, the IGMP will host receptions before larger GSC social events.  Stressing that “all are welcome” at IGMP events, Ana says that the aim of these events is to provide a cocktail hour alternative to larger parties, which help facilitate new conversation and friendships.

“We want to put on celebratory events that integrate the graduate community, not separate graduate student populations,” says Ana.

For more information on the International Graduate Student Mentoring Program (IGMP), visit their Facebook  group.  

by Erin O’Flaherty