Lane International Times LIT - Winter 2013 Week 9

What’s It Really Like At

?

NAIF ALBALAWI

AGE 20

SAUDI ARABIA

I wanted to be close to the bus station so I could get to school easily.

Plus the chance to share housing with American students is amazing!

I like that my living space came with new and nice furniture and that I didn’t have to buy any of it. Plus all the utilities like water, electricity and Internet are free.

As far as activities go, I participated in the Valentine’s Day event where we made cards to give out. We also plan to dance like crazy people just to have fun! It’s called the Harlem Shake. :-) We even had an event for all of the artists in the building where we voted on the best artwork that was displayed in the building as an exhibit.

Living at Titan Court for me is like having a family. My American roommate David is from Georgia. He used to have green hair but he shaved it and he’s an actor. We sometimes throw parties in our apartment; we like to go bike-riding together and go on Wal-Mart Trips or to the Valley River Center where we spend the whole day shopping and watching movies.

I feel very safe at Titan Court – I go out for a walk at 3 am sometimes and nothing bad happens.

I really strongly recommend that international students live at Titan Court; it’s been a wonderful experience for me. Some international students want to live with host families to practice their English but the reality is that in a host family, you will live far away from Lane’s campus and you may not get the attention or English practice that you want because the host family is busy with their own lives. Living with American and international students who are the same age as me allows me to practice my English and have fun! I can communicate freely and learn how young people actually talk, including the slang and expressions that they use.

DONG SHIN

AGE 23

KOREA

I wanted to be living in student housing and in a safe place that was close to public transportation.

I love the big-screen televisions, even though I don’t watch a lot of TV! At least every month the whole building gathers to watch a movie and to eat free pizza. So far we’ve seen Dark Knight, Lincoln and some other one about vampires.

I have three roommates – one from Alaska, one from California, and one from Saudi Arabia. We like to do things together like watch TV or movies. I even have in-house tutoring because they help me with my presentations for class!

My advice for students who want to move in to Titan Court? If you’re quiet and reserved like me, live on the 6th floor where it’s quieter. If you are loud and outgoing like Naif, live on the 3 rd floor for a more social atmosphere.

JJ BRIDGES

AGE 19

CALIFORNIA

I chose to live at Titan Court because of how near it is to public transportation. I can hop on the bus and get to U of O in 5 minutes and to Lane in 20 minutes. Plus I wanted to meet other students and I figured that living in a dorm setting would be the way to go.

My favorite thing is the people. They’re all really friendly and everyone’s open to meeting other people. My least favorite thing is that there aren’t enough social opportunities, which I would like to be more involved with if I didn’t have so much homework. I did participate in a Bingo game for free groceries, though, that was cool.

One of my roommates is Tiffany from Taiwan. I love living with Tiffany – she likes to sing and ask questions about the U.S. and American phrases. Sometimes I correct her grammar but mostly we just have fun and chat.

We’ve gone to the mall and I really enjoy getting to know her.

I feel very safe living downtown because there are always people around. Although it’s always a good idea to use common sense and not walk alone downtown at night by yourself.

For any international student who comes to the U.S. and wants to make friends, be open to meeting people and friendly to everyone you see. Try and get involved as much as possible and enjoy the time that you have here!

TIFFANY YANG

AGE 21

TAIWAN

I chose Titan Court so that I could live independently and also so I wouldn’t have to worry about being safe. Plus all the rooms are new and they include all of the appliances.

I live in a good environment. Living on the 6th floor gives me a beautiful view and my surroundings are clean and friendly. I actually don’t have a least favorite thing – I really like living at Titan Court!

Titan Court residents can participate in activities like Bingo, movie nights and International Programs activities to meet new people easily.

I really like Bingo and going on the Portland trip when they took us shopping at Woodburn.

I interact with my American roommate very well. Her name is JJ and she’s from California. We are able to talk and share about our days together and sometimes eat and watch TV together. She’s my first American friend here and I think we’ll be friends for a long time.

I feel safe at Titan Court but most of the time I stay at home and don’t go out after 6 pm because I’m at home studying or making dinner.

If you would like to have your own space and meet American students, Titan Court is a good option. The transportation is very convenient because you can just walk across the street to the bus station that will take you to school. Plus you can meet plenty of other students from different countries like Indonesia, Korea, and Japan in addition to American students. It’s a wonderful, welcoming and social atmosphere!

KEVIN PUDWILL AGE 19 JAPAN I wanted to live at Titan Court so I could meet other international students at Lane and live close to public transportation.

The good thing about living there is that it’s new and clean with all of the appliances included. I like the nice view with trees. The only bad thing is that the walls are kind of thin and so I can hear whatever my neighbors are saying.

There’s always something going on – once or twice a month they host an event, in addition to Halloween or national holidays. On President’s Day they showed the movie Lincoln.

I live with two Saudi Arabian students and one Chinese student. It’s been fun to hang out with them and learn about their cultures.

My advice is to choose your roommates wisely and maybe consider living in an individual bedroom so you have your own private space and can socialize with roommates when you want.

Karim Kevin

KARIM ABOHAIMID AGE 20 SAUDI ARABIA I chose to live at Titan Court to learn English because I knew I’d be interacting with other American students.

I like how Titan Court has everything I need like furniture, TV, microwave and appliances so I didn’t have to buy any of it when I got here. The beds aren’t big enough, though.

My favorite event was the curry dinner for Halloween and the Haunted Corn Maize. I’ve also been to a movie night where they showed Dark Knight.

I live with one other Saudi Arabian student, one Chinese student and one Japanese student. Kevin helps me with my homework and we hang out and sometimes cook and eat together. I really lucked out by getting Kevin as a roommate!

The only safety concern is that you should always lock your door to your room or car so no one takes anything.

LANE POLICIES & DEADLINES Don’t Lose the Spring Classes You’ve Registered For! The Registration Payment Deadline for winter term charges is Thursday, March 7th at 11:59 p.m. Make sure to check your bill on MyLane and pay any outstanding balances before then – even if it’s a library fine or parking citation. If you have a winter term balance and don’t pay it by this date, then all of the spring classes that you’ve registered for will be dropped!

Final Exams are approaching!

Be sure to check your final exam schedule on the Student Detail Schedule in the My Enrollment tab in MyLane or by checking your class syllabus or asking your instructor because it could be different from your regular class schedule.

Coffee Talk Tuesday

Lane Foundation Scholarships Apply for your chance to earn one of many Lane Foundation Scholarships worth $1000 each! The deadline to apply is March 14. Hint: you do NOT need to apply for FAFSA in order to fill out the online Foundation scholarship application. Click here for instructions and to apply.

Get Into the Class You Need that Used to be Full!

If you’re looking to get into a class that is full, try checking back at 7 am on March 11 because that is when registration reopens after dropping many students from their classes who have not paid their prior term bill.

Registration will be closed from March 8-10 following the winter term payment deadline of March 7.

11:30 am-1:30 pm Bldg 1, Rm 206 ..Free Snacks.. ..Free Drinks..

Best Place to meet new friends, and enjoy a relaxing time.

IMMIGRATION UPDATES Online Classes Remember, you cannot register for more than one distance education (online) class as part of your 12-credit minimum!

Travel Signatures Traveling over the break? Don't forget to come in to fill out a Leave Request Form and get your I-20 signed before you go. Just fill out the Leave Request Form and drop it off with your I-20 in 11/235 and we'll have it ready for you to pick up the next day. Click here for Leave Request Form

International Programs Office Closed on Fridays at 2 pm Starting March 1st the International Programs office will be closed at 2 pm every Friday, so be sure to take care of anything you need help with before then! Most other LCC departments close on Fridays at 2 pm as well so keep this in mind as you plan your schedule if you need to meet with anyone to resolve an issue you have.

Dead Week At any major college or university, this is the name for the week before final exams and projects are due. The late night working and hardcore studying for finals gives students a zombie-like appearance and leads to an eerie silence, blank expressions and lack of sleep.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK If you have any creative, fun, or event photos that you would like to publish, please submit them to harej@lanecc.edu

March 4 — March 16, 2013 Sun 3

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ISC Meeting

Coffee Talk

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Prior Term

TGIF

Payment Deadline

11/208

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ISC Paintball Event

Registration reopens 7 am

Special Sushi

TGIF

Coffee Talk

12-1pm

11:30am1:30pm

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3/17/2013 — St. Patrick’s Day

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IP Office Closes at 2pm

10 2pm @ Paintball Palace

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ASLCC documentary night: Out In America 5-7 pm 1/222

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IP Office Closes at 2pm

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Finals Week: 3/18/13 — 3/23/13 | Spring Break: 3/24/13 — 3/31/13