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By Stephen M. Silver
Our staff is currently working hard to move Dartmouth's entire active population of over 850 F and J students and scholars and their dependents into SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System). Even more challenging is the work that the International Office must do to ensure that each and every one of our international students and scholars remain in legal status once entered into SEVIS.
SEVIS is the U.S. government real-time interactive database requiring compliance from every U.S. college and university that has even one international student and/or scholar. This real-time quality gives a daily dimension to the task of keeping files updated. The beginning of each term has Darcy Fifield, Office Manager, diligently working to register all F and J visa holders within SEVIS, and all new students and scholars must be "checked into" SEVIS after they arrive on campus. Anytime a student changes address, needs to extend her program of studies, takes a term of Optional Practical Training (off campus employment), or makes any change to her program, these changes must be entered into SEVIS. All of this we must do while simultaneously entering and keeping track of newly arriving students, scholars, and dependents.
Since August 2002, SEVIS has presented to our office a number of problems to solve and obstacles to overcome. In fact, the complexities of the system warrant a procedure manual on the "dos and don'ts" of SEVIS. The reality is that any mistake or failure on the part of the Office, academic departments and, yes, even the SEVIS Help Desk, can result in an erroneous decision that could very well jeopardize an international's status in this country. Ultimately, it is the students and scholars who put our struggles with SEVIS into perspective.
Justification for "The Aliens"
Each of us on staff is fortunate to have numerous reminders of why we continue to labor under such challenging conditions. My first encounter with Iga Czarnawska occurred during the International Student Orientation. A very ambitious and talented first year student, Iga was determined to pursue a degree in film studies from the moment she selected Dartmouth as her undergraduate university. Since the beginning of her time here, Iga's passion for film, her dedication to learning and utilizing Dartmouth's resources, and her interest in and concern for the greater planet have only increased.
My path has crossed with Iga's on many occasions, but recently I have had the great pleasure of working with her on a project that might just reach people across the country. Three years ago I enlisted Iga's support for a panel discussion held for a group of College colleagues. She then agreed to participate on an additional international student panel for a student-run conference dealing with diversity issues. Somewhere, somehow during the course of these two panels Iga began conversations with me that ultimately led to her filming international student peers and herself in the 2000-2001 academic year. She developed questions, encouraged discussion on the issues of adjustment faced by many international students when they elect to study in the United States, and began filming.
The Aliens: Being a Foreign Student was completed last year and premiered at Dartmouth to a standing-room-only crowd of students in the Spring Term of 2002. A panel discussion and question period followed the film presentation. The Aliens was then shown to the Deans and Directors group of College administrators during our August 2002 retreat followed by yet another international student panel which included Iga. The International Student Orientation held for new international undergraduates in September of 2002 also utilized the video for one of the orientation sessions, again followed by a panel and discussion.
The story does not end here. In May of 2002 I attended the NAFSA - Association of International Educators national conference in San Antonio, Texas. At the exhibit hall I met representatives from Intercultural Press, a leading publisher of books and videos dealing with the subject of intercultural communication. After viewing the video and sharing it with her staff at the Press, Ms. Toby Frank, former president of the company, informed me that she would be pleased to add The Aliens to the company's line of very successful publications. In March of 2003, Iga and I traveled up to Intercultural Press offices in Yarmouth, Maine, for a meeting with Toby and Judy Carl-Hendrick, Managing Editor. May of this year yielded a contract between Dartmouth's International Office and Intercultural Press. The film is already garnering some interest nationally, and is now available to the public along with a comprehensive guidebook for its use. Several copies have already been sold!
My hope is that the film will make enough of a profit within the first two years of sales to fully compensate Iga Czarnawska so that she graduates from Dartmouth debt free and has an opportunity to purchase special equipment necessary for her future career in film. Further profits from The Aliens will go toward International Office programming designed to assist future generations of international students at Dartmouth. I believe that Iga's talents and creative energy will take new flight in the upcoming academic year, for Dartmouth has awarded her a Senior Fellowship. She will be using her final year at the College to create a film on eating disorders - yet another project that should serve many people.
When the current frustrations and challenges of the post-September 11th world of international student advising become almost unbearable, I reflect on the accomplishments of Iga Czarnawska and the great benefits that she and many other international students and scholars bring to Dartmouth and this country in general. Then I am able to log into SEVIS once again. Thank you Iga!
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By Aly Rahim '02
BIO: Aly Rahim of Vancouver, B.C. is a graduate of the Class of 2002, and presently a Master's candidate in security studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. His undergraduate thesis "When International Conflict Resolution Instigates Violence: A Phase-Structure Approach to Failure in Rwanda," was awarded the Rockefeller Prize for best thesis in International Relations and the Chase Peace Prize.
The majority of Dartmouth students embark on foreign adventures through our myriad FSPs and LSAs. Most graduating seniors recognize these experiences as having played an essential role in expanding their horizons beyond our beloved but isolated corner of Hanover, NH. With our study-abroad programs only an application away, few students realize that they can harness their academic curriculum to confront and engage the cultural and sociopolitical dilemmas of the world beyond Dartmouth.
A major culminating research experience such as a thesis can be much more than the re-sorting of dusty political documents or the exegesis of an arcane literary text. For those students who are so inclined, a senior thesis can be a unique and invigorating form of intellectual activism. Theses that explore the promotion of peace, the improvement of a social condition, or the safeguarding of our natural environment, should not be viewed as quixotic undertakings. Too often students compartmentalize their academic work away from their moral convictions. The value of moral conviction coupled with the intellectual force of analytic rigor is immense. As an undergraduate there are few opportunities to better discover this potent force than the experience of researching and writing a senior thesis.
Students are perhaps misled that academic excellence is demonstrated through focused attention on the obscure and esoteric. The fact is that senior theses can be harnessed to shed light on the vital dimensions of the 'great issues' facing the world. Coming to this realization early on in my collegiate life dramatically enhanced the meaning I found in my academic work. I chose to write my thesis on one of the most cataclysmic incidents of human suffering in the twentieth century; an incident whose bloody human costs were already fading into popular obscurity less than a decade after its occurrence.
The Rwandan genocide witnessed the most rapid pace of human slaughter in the twentieth century. Between eight hundred thousand and one million members of the Tutsi minority alongside tens of thousands of Hutu moderates were killed over the span of four months. Choosing to write about this tragically avoidable episode of human history was the most important choice I made at Dartmouth. Through my experience I affirmed that it was fully possible to meld my moral convictions with serious academic inquiry. It is a lesson that I hope will inform the rest of my professional and intellectual life.
Before, during, and after the writing of my thesis I often stated that my overriding moral conviction was that 'never again' become more than a pithy catch phrase resurrected at convenience from the history books. This conviction has not faltered, but the academic exercise of writing a thesis examining the failure to prevent genocide empowered me to move beyond merely a simple statement of indignation. Through the research and writing of my thesis I began what I hope will be a lifelong odyssey into translating my convictions into practice.
In Dartmouth's largest departments less than a fifth of students write theses. Frequently, our most socially conscious students claim that they feel the intense focus of a thesis would disrupt the balance they presently maintain between activism and academics. When students focus their academic inquiry on a major issue of concern, however, they do much more than enhance their abilities as advocates. Everyone around them - students, friends, family - can be spurred into probing deeper into the subject. Most importantly, professors often discover through their students' research that some dimension of the cause may warrant their own research time. Oftentimes, professors research and learn about a given thesis subject alongside their advisees and subsequently can bring their knowledge to bear upon their colleagues. Independent research, even at the undergraduate level, can have an important multiplying effect.
While I was researching my thesis, many of my friends learned and became aware of the important details of a genocide they only knew by name. As I worked on my project I was able to present and discuss findings with students and professors eager to learn more about the subject. Upon the completion of my thesis, I presented my views on the critical issues of preventing genocide to an audience of non-experts who perhaps otherwise would have never encountered the subject. The following year, I returned to campus to participate in a panel with academic experts and political leaders in order to speak to an even wider audience about the unresolved dilemma concerning the mass slaughter of human beings. I can confidently say that through writing my thesis I was able to contribute to and foster a discourse at Dartmouth on the subject of genocide more effectively than I could have done as a mere activist.
To those undergraduates concerned about major political, social, cultural and environmental issues in their non-academic lives: strongly consider the added impact you might bring to your cause by allowing your activist and academic lives to intersect. It may sound trite, but for all the important causes of our day, knowledge is power. Writing a thesis may be the greatest academic empowerment you will find at the College on the Hill.
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By Alexandra Fleming, '05
During my LSA+ in Rome, Italy, last fall, I met with Sharon Lee Cowan, '78, who works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome. Largely through her contacts, I found an ideal spring internship with the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS), a data collecting organization funded by five sources, primarily the FAO. The Dickey Center for International Understanding made this opportunity possible with a funding award for my internship.
The GTOS staff works closely with the FAO scientists, researchers, and analysts to monitor scientific information concerning terrestrial ecosystems, with specific attention to changes in an environment.
My ten-week internship was to conceptualize the hydrology module for their Global Terrestrial Network, or GTN, an international database on the World Wide Web that lists long-term, global monitoring and research projects. The hydrology module, or the GTN-H, is a website (http://www.fao.org/gtos/tems/mod_hyd.jsp) with an overview of water issues and a directory of research projects for international hydrologists and policy makers.
As an Earth Science major and an Italian minor at Dartmouth, I feel lucky to have found such an appropriate internship! While Italian is not an official language of the FAO, familiarity with the language was essential to living in Rome. As the LSA program goals state, immersion is the best way to learn. My internship with the GTOS did just that, in Italian, hydrology, and the natural sciences.
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By D. Anthony Bider-Hall '05
A student at Dartmouth is both blessed and cursed by the institution's academic calendar. The D-Plan, with its "R"s, "L"s, "P"s, and "X"s, appears quite daunting to organize. I liken the whole system to a five-year-plan: very inspired and always subject to change. I confess that I did all I possibly could to avoid planning my time at Dartmouth and so took classes until my sophomore winter. I spent that winter trimming fruits and vegetables in a store. Looking back on this experience, it has been nothing short of fulfilling.
I suppose that any leave from Dartmouth after many consecutive terms is welcome. Dartmouth, a year-round operation, never sleeps (nor do its students). Pure exhaustion aside, there is another factor that gives the leave term its significance: "The Bubble." Dartmouth is a small place in a small town. Small is not necessarily a bad thing. What I find troublesome, however, is that Dartmouth is a place that is only half isolated from the rest of the world; it is easy to know about the outside without becoming involved in it.
My five consecutive terms at Dartmouth were a time of great change for me. I learned many new things and a lot about myself. This was a great feast of knowledge in need of serious digestion. It was only a matter of time before I was raising many questions such as "who am I in this world?" and "what am I doing here?" In search of answers, I looked beyond Dartmouth to a leave term in Canada.
My leave term did not unfold as I had imagined. I had been looking for internships and jobs in government offices and in no way had ever considered vegetable trimming. I started work at Fruiterie 440 just after Christmas, as it was imperative that I secure a cash flow sooner rather than later. Life for me has since not been the same.
The store at which I worked has character. It has the cheapest fruits and vegetables on the West Island of Montreal. Men work in the back of the store, stocking, trimming, and rotating the produce while women work at the front as cashiers and packagers for discount items. While I know little about the women who work at the register, I got to know the men in the back of the store fairly well. The older men have found careers at the store while most of the younger men are either students or have graduated but are unable to find jobs in their respective fields.
Many of the men and women here have invested their lives in this operation even though a good number never imagined they would be working where they are. They labor between fifty and eighty hours per week keeping the store clean and welcoming and do so with a profound stoic resilience. I understood how my forty-five hours per week made a difference and I realised that I have a place in the real world, even if it is not to be found in vegetable trimming.
As I write this, however, I am reminded that I returned to a family, a job, and a peaceful country. I am lucky. I know that a good number of our international students hail from places where they have known war, oppression, and poverty in their lifetimes. I dare say the same even of some students who live within the borders of the United States. My experience is only a very small and privileged portion of the real world.
Nevertheless, dipping my toe into the real world has reminded me and given me an appreciation of life outside The Bubble. I am very grateful for this. On the other hand, I have also developed an appreciation for Dartmouth as an institution. While the College has much to offer, I believe that what it asks of us is far more significant. We are challenged to try new things, to set out on FSPs and LSAs, to find exciting internship opportunities, to partake in community service, and so on. We are challenged to do these things not only to learn about the things themselves, but also to become involved in them.
Montreal has changed my impressions of the world and my own sense of how I fit in it. I believe that working in a fruits and vegetables store has been a very important term in my Dartmouth education. My message to First-Year students is that you should not worry about what you do during your first leave term because you have two others.
What is important is that you leave campus for some duration, find something interesting, and try to invest yourself in whatever it is that you do. It can be difficult, especially if you are from overseas, to find work away from the College. You may also be concerned about how much OPT you have left. Nevertheless if it is at all possible to burst your bubble, do it. That voice crying in the wilderness will then seem much clearer to you.
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By Nikhil Bharadwaj '03
In many respects, South Africa is at the forefront of conservation. Over the years, the South African National Parks have succeeded in rejuvenating elephant, rhino and wild dog numbers from the brink of extinction. The driving force of conservation efforts has been to utilize the economic value of wildlife. Private parties have been allocated wildlife ownership rights while the government acts as a regulatory body. Conservation policies are based on the assumption that wildlife, and the associated biodiversity, must be competitive with alternate land use options. While eco-tourism is wildlife's primary use, trophy hunting is considered an important component of a monetarily successful tourism venture. In addition, live animal capture and sale for reintroduction purposes is practiced.
To further understand this, I spent some time at the Madikwe Game Reserve with Dr. Paul Funston of the Pretoria Technikon. Dr. Funston is a mammal biologist and is widely regarded as an authority on lion behavior. A three-hour car ride from Pretoria, through Sun City (the South African equivalent of Las Vegas) brings you to Madikwe. The reserve is in the North West Province of South Africa. It is bordered by Botswana in the North and Marico River to the east. The Dwarsberg mountains form the southern boundary. Madikwe is famous for its successful wild dog reintroduction program. Initially, our goal was to capture some video footage of the pups in the wild dog den. After spending the early hours of the morning in the veld, we realized that the dogs had relocated to another den. We spent the rest of the day looking for the den. Although unsuccessful, the drive through miles and miles of dry African savannah was a thrilling experience.
The Madikwe Game Reserve was established primarily for socio-economic reasons while still aiming to achieve conservation objectives. Settlement Planning Services (Setplan) was commissioned to conduct a feasibility study of alternate land use options. Setplan explored three principle options: cattle farming, irrigation and sale of water from the Molatedi Dam to Botswana, and wildlife tourism. The commission concluded that the development of wildlife-based tourism is in the best interests of the region. The advantages outlined included 1) an income two to three times higher than that obtained from cattle ranching and 2) secondary benefits to the economy arising from tourism related business opportunities.
Currently, Madikwe is run as a three-way partnership between the State's Northwest Park's Board, local communities, and the private sector. The private sector develops and manages a variety of tourism developments and activities in the reserve. A portion of the revenue generated is paid to the Board in concession fees. These concession fees are used partly to maintain the conservation infrastructure and game stocks in the reserve on which the private sector has based its own investment and operations. A portion of the concession fees is also paid to local communities to help finance a variety of community-based development projects. In addition to the projects, communities also benefit from jobs and business opportunities that are created both within and outside the reserve.
As described above, when Madikwe was established in 1991, the needs of the people were put before conservation. Last year, the reserve made a profit of 2 Million Rand (approximately 264,000 USD). However, the three-way partnership has not been implemented without flaws. The community did not receive its share of the profit. The money goes to the Northwest Parks Board coffer and is used to sustain other reserves that are not as profitable. In 1991, the goal was, over time, to convert the reserve into a Section 21, parastatal, organization. This way the reserve could work independent of the State, allowing the local community to realize complete benefits. This goal has not been met.
To address their needs the Molatedi community, in partnership with Barry York, a Zimbabwean farmer, has decided to form a joint venture conservancy called the Madikwe People's Park. The park will adjoin the existing reserve. Livestock will not be excluded from the conservancy; participating landowners will be encouraged to keep those animals that have the greatest economic value. The People's Park will be used by the community as a vehicle for economic development of the area.
I hope to extrapolate my South African experience to other developing nations, especially India. In these countries, particularly when other land use options are limited, conservation with a people focus may play a pivotal role in economic growth.
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By Stephen M. Silver
Over 80 countries are represented in Dartmouth College's international student and scholar population, and one of them is the little known country of Kyrgyzstan. Aselia Kupueva is Dartmouth's only citizen from this Central Asian land that is approximately the size of South Dakota. Aselia just completed her final term at the Tuck School, and I offer a safe prediction that she will make a very positive mark on this world. She has already put Kyrgyzstan on the map for me. Although Aselia is quick to note that she hales from a poor country, in fact one of the poorest in the former Soviet Union, its free spirited people are a most valuable resource.
Before the Russians annexed the Central Asian region, the Kyrgyz were primarily a nomadic people. The traditional Kyrgyz home is mobile - a reminder that Aselia's ancestors were constantly on the move. She noted that it takes approximately 20-30 minutes to be assembled, and is very similar to those found in Mongolia although she added with pride that, "ours are prettier," and constructed of very thick lamb's wool designed to keep people warm in the very cold, mountainous climates. Mongolian influence dates back to the conquests and invasion of Genghis Khan in the 1200's, and the Kyrgyz language includes many words of Mongolian origin ("Kyrgyz Profile", The UCLA Language Materials Project, 2000, http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/profiles/profk05.htm).
Aselia comments on the unusual and sometimes difficult situation in which her country finds itself. As a former member of the USSR with strong Islamic roots, and a people who historically have participated in a nomadic lifestyle, Aselia appreciates "the challenges of bringing in democracy and initiating a free-market economy." Indeed, the State must be suffering from an identity crisis as it attempts to blend all of its distinctive qualities and modernize. The leadership of Kyrgyzstan, for instance, is trying to maintain a secular government in the face of a strong Muslim fundamentalist influence in the south (the north being more secular). That said, Aselia believes that the government of Kyrgyzstan, with only 10 years of democratic rule behind it, is still the most democratic among Central Asian countries including Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The challenge is to take the best of the west and the former USSR and combine it with the traditional nomadic life and modernization.
Developing democracy in Kyrgyzstan is also hampered by the fact that its natural resources, mainly water and gold deposits, are severely limited - especially when compared to other Central Asian countries. In addition to these economic handicaps, Kyrgyzstan is the smallest of the Central Asian countries. These factors, Aselia remarks, have forced the State to be very flexible and very adaptable. Such a small republic can make critical changes quickly, although the changes can be painful. Fortunately Kyrgyzstan does possess resources such as hydroelectric power, an opportunity for tourism, and the potential to become a financial services center.
The population of Kyrgyzstan is approximately 4.8 million people with 80 ethnic groups and nationalities represented, including Russians, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, and Koreans. Aselia described the strategy of the former USSR as deliberately creating artificial borders for the Central Asian Republics so that many minorities could be found within each state. This in turn would lead to both political and economic interdependencies among the Central Asian Republics. With such a diversity of peoples, the government has historically done its best to ensure equal opportunities for every citizen. After the Soviet Union dissolved, the government did its best to prevent a backlash against the Russian minority. In fact, the Russian language is still one of two official State languages - the other is Kyrgyz. Jeremy Bransten, a staff member of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc., had the following to say in 1997 regarding political difficulties inherited from Soviet days: "Today in Kyrgyzstan, all leading government posts are occupied by former Communist officials. In the absence of conflict of interest laws, many have direct ties to the business world through personal investments or extended family ties" ("Kyrgyzstan: A Democracy Only for the Rich," Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Inc., Kyrgyzstan, October, http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/1997/10/F.RU.971014134805.html).
Yet, Aselia Kupueva is one citizen who is proof that Kyrgyzstan's greatest resource is indeed its people. Aselia first came to the U.S. to complete her secondary schooling in Arkansas. Sponsored by the Government of Kyrgyzstan, she then went on to earn a BA at Emory University. Returning to Kyrgyzstan to repay her debt, she worked as an economist for the Economic Policy Department of the Office of the President of Kyrgyzstan.
Aselia plans to return to Kyrgyzstan and commented modestly that she would like to be an agent of change for her country. Her mother always told her as a child that she would go to Oxford or Harvard. This was quite a radical thought - bold and progressive considering the vice grip that the Communist Party then had on its former Soviet Republics. Today, Aselia feels that the Communist Party is most influential among the elderly and "used as almost a replacement for religion." When the USSR disbanded the elderly lost everything hence their desire to return to Communist rule. Aselia, however, is confident that such a regression is impossible.
Aselia's parents are from the South and are practicing Muslims. The dissolution of the Soviet Union allowed people the freedom to practice their own religions and resulted in a spiritual awakening. However, the danger of future conflicts between those leaning towards a secular and those leaning towards an Islamic state within Kyrgyzstan is real. Although the Central Asian governments try to suppress efforts to create religious governments the rampant corruption within current governments unwittingly helps nurture opposing fundamentalist views. In neighboring Uzbekistan, for instance, this is an issue.
Aselia is grateful for the educational opportunities she has received from Emory to Dartmouth, and she is deeply committed to putting her knowledge to good use. She would like to work at the World Bank to add to her work experience and education, and to further sharpen skills that she hopes will enable her to implement needed changes in her country. Aselia intends to build an extensive network of contacts worldwide that will lead to future foreign investment in her country, in turn raising awareness about Kyrgyzstan. While she hopes for outside assistance, she believes that it is most important for the people of Kyrgyzstan to help each other.
Aselia came here not only for an education but also for greater credentials and status to eventually better affect change in her home country. She often wonders whether her dreams are too grand. Yet we need only remember her mother's dreams to know Aselia has exceeded them - for she was at Dartmouth and not at Harvard!
"I am accepted here, I am loved"
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By Oyebola Olabisi '06
Leaving home to attend college is considered to be one of the informal indicators of adulthood by many people. First-year students are typically excited by the increased independence regarding their personal choices, such as the way they spend their time and money and with whom they associate. This autonomous lifestyle, however, comes with its challenges. I am reminded of one of my friends who slept for about 14 hours every day early freshman fall because, in her words, "it makes the loneliness and boredom go away." The frequency with which students make long distance calls and check their Hinman boxes indicates that a good number of Dartmouth students desire the intimacy and comfort of their families and friends at home. This phenomenon is even more pronounced among the approximately two hundred and fifty undergraduate international students at Dartmouth.
Every year a talented group of first-year students comes to Hanover from all over the globe. A fair number of those students remain in the US for at least a whole year before visiting home again. One of my friends who has not seen her mother in two years comes to mind. These experiences may seem unbearable to many yet they are nevertheless a reality. Sensitive to these realities, the Dartmouth administration, particularly the International Office, takes pains to ease the adjustment of international students to life at the College. I believe that the International Friendship Program, among a wide variety of other programs, offers invaluable benefits to international students throughout their time at Dartmouth.
The International Friendship Program matches a new international student (first-year undergraduate or graduate student) with a host family (or individual), that will remain with the student throughout his/her Dartmouth career. Host families offer students the opportunity to join dinners, holiday celebrations, an occasional family outing, or any event that adds to the richness of the international students' experiences in the United States. In addition, host families also provide emotional support for students during their time here. Attending students' major performances on campus, going shopping together, and giving winter survival strategies are a few of the ways in which host families support their friendship students. When the excitement of orientation is over and student mentors are neck-deep in school work, a student often finds that the person to call is his/her host parent.
On a personal note, the friendship program has had a significant impact on my adjustment to life in Hanover. Coming from Ibadan, Nigeria, I was hardly prepared for life in Hanover, New Hampshire. At first, with the sun shining brightly in early September and everyone smiling at me and offering to help in so many ways, all was well. By the beginning of October, however, life here had changed. It had started getting chilly, I was missing home badly, I had not made many friends yet, and all the friendly faces that had welcomed me to campus were gradually becoming more and more distant, hidden behind books and offering only a quick wave in the library. I expected no different on my mid-October birthday. Yet to my surprise my host family organized a birthday dinner for me. My host mom's invitation to her home and her reassurance that she was glad to perform any parental functions suddenly made sense when I saw my home-made birthday cake with my name written on it - just like my mom makes it every year. I realized that I am accepted here, that I am loved. While I understand that not all host family-student pairs are similar to mine (and they are not expected to be), I strongly believe that having both a "space" and relationships beyond the conventional life at Dartmouth can have a positive influence on the lives of international students at Dartmouth. This is my motivation as the student intern coordinating this year's International Friendship Program.
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By Ryan J. Tan '05
Hanover was a culture shock. The first time I came to this beautiful campus I did nothing but admire the scenery all around me and get lost in my thoughts as we, the student who met me at the airport and I, cruised up Main Street. "Look," said the student, "that's Dartmouth up ahead. See the Baker clock tower? And, of course, that's the green in the middle of the campus—that's why we're known as The Big Green."
That was how I came to first see The Big Green, complete with people playing Ultimate Frisbee and members of the local Hanover community basking in the sunlight. "So, this is Dartmouth," I thought, "my home for the next few years of my life." Undoubtedly, many international students have similar experiences when they set their eyes on Hanover.
The International Student Mentor aims to ease the transition for international students to life at Dartmouth. Some adapt better than others but everyone needs a little help and advice. To this end, each incoming international student is paired up with an upper-class mentor who is selected through a competitive application process. The mentors arrive early on campus for training and international student orientation. Although correspondence between mentors and protégés begins over the summer, it is during the orientation period that the primary bonds develop.
Each mentor is given a small budget that he/she uses to program activities for his/her protégé. These activities range from individual meals to collaborative events. I have enjoyed organizing a dinner at Panda House, brunch at Lou's, and even a larger gathering at Brewster International House. Placing the emphasis on carefully tailored and specialized initiatives instead of resorting to a one-size-fits-all mentor program allows for more meaningful interaction to take place between the mentors and their protégés.
I have enjoyed the program immensely because it allows me to interact with my protégés. My group of first year students included a rugby player from Hong Kong, a Korean who has been studying in Massachusetts for much of her life, a student on a Monetary Authority of Singapore scholarship, and a graduate of the United World College in Singapore. They are very inquisitive and I've come to realize that the infamous Dartmouth D-plan, LSAs, FSPs, Bannerstudent, etc., while second nature to those who now bleed green, are indeed confusing and overwhelming at times. I've given advice on a broad array of topics, covering everything from academic course selections to social options on a weekend. My training as an Undergraduate Advisor also comes in handy and allows me to direct my protégés and even their friends to the various resources on campus as well as put them in touch with those who can answer the questions I cannot, be they academic or otherwise.
It is my hope that years from now this mentor program will still be doing the valuable work that it has done since its inception. If I were to have my druthers, I would like to see the budget allotted to the mentors expanded in order to improve both the frequency and quality of mentor-protégé interactions. To this end, I hope that the various departments around campus will continue to support this program with the necessary funds. Perhaps even more effective would be a set allocation of funds from the College that would provide further financial backing for this program.
Kudos to the International Office and to those who took the first intrepid steps to set up this program; it has been a resounding success and an immensely beneficial experience for both mentors and protégés alike. The challenge that faces us now is to expand the program and give it the necessary financial boost to ensure that it remains a relevant and positive experience for all those who are involved in it.
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By Min Cissy Zhang '05, President
With the war in Iraq at the beginning of the spring term and SARS rampant in some of our home countries, the International Students Association continues to develop a caring and supportive community for our members. The spring term saw more involvement of international students in ISA programming events. We are delighted to have a larger representation by the class of 2006 in the new executive committee.
In order for the campus to better understand the implications of the SARS outbreak for the international students and the Dartmouth community at large, the ISA organized a panel discussion entitled "SARS: Still Far Away?" The panelists included Director of Health Services, Dr. Jack Turco, Director of Off Campus Programs, John Tansey, Director of the International Office, Steve Silver, and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Dr. Kathryn Kirkland. Many of the concerns on campus were allayed by the announcement that the SARS situation will not affect access to the College.
The ISA hosted two dinner discussions as well. Based on the interest expressed by our membership, we invited Professor Diederik Vandewalle of the Government Department to talk about international trade and development over a Brazilian dinner prepared by the members. We held a separate dinner discussion with Associate Dean of Admissions Ellen Parish to bolster our understanding of the international admissions process. The discussions were informative and thought-provoking, and everyone attending enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the guests.
The ISA also assisted with other events, including co-sponsoring an International Dance Party with the International Office and helped the Admissions Office contact and recruit admitted international students via e-mail. We look forward to meeting the incoming '07 class. The ISA will continue to meet the expectations of the international community and contribute to the diversity on campus with more meaningful social and educational activities in the terms to come.
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This past spring, we at the International Office wanted to hear the graduating international '03s' last words as undergraduates of Dartmouth College. The following are questions and a selection of answers to each of these. Congratulations to the Class of 2003!
What was your most memorable moment or experience (positive or negative) at Dartmouth?
My first date with the girl who was my French drill instructor at the time. She's now my fiancé. — Steven McConnell '03
What do you believe has been your greatest achievement at Dartmouth?
Becoming independent, meeting people who have left a lasting impression on me, growing exponentially both mentally and spiritually, and defining a future for myself by landing a job in the Big Apple - all thanks to Dartmouth. — Mobarka Ansari '03
What do you believe was the most important thing that you learned at Dartmouth?
That I did not want to spend the rest of my life in the U.S. — Svante P. Horn af Aminne '03
You have the chance to give one, solitary piece of advice to the Class of 2007. What is it?
Challenge yourself always. Its so much easier to limit yourself to your comfort zone- plunge into Dartmouth life headlong and explore all the aspects of being here, even when it frustrates you. Thats the only way to get the maximum out of it. — Mobarka Ansari '03
Work hard and play hard. But, as one of the best professors I've had at Dartmouth says, always remember that "work" can also be fun and enjoyable. — Reiko Imai'03
Take advantage of all the opportunities Dartmouth affords you. Especially the free meals. — Steven McConnell '03
If you could have done one thing differently at Dartmouth, what would it have been?
A language LSA. — Svante P. Horn af Aminne '03
I would have spent more time taking advantage of all the extra stuff that Dartmouth has to offer. I wish I had spent more time enjoying the outdoors, going skiing, seeing more performances/plays, making jewelry at the Hop... But alas, 4 years seem to have gone by very quickly. — Reiko Imai '03
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