International students bring a unique openness to campus culture

walking into any place, regardless of if we know the people there or not. That said, I definitely believe that being far from home and discovering a new country together helps international students create deeper connections to each other much faster than a lot of American students. This usually happens when we talk about our home countries, being homesick, and what we have learned about the new country we're in.

But Penn is not an easy place to be for anyone, regardless of where you are from.

It's a place where everyone is always in a rush to get somewhere. Where every space seems to be designed for you to be productive. Where competition is always in the back of our minds. Where we are always vulnerable to feeling lonely, even when we are surrounded by thousands of people. This makes it more important than ever for students to be able to create genuine, close relationships to each other from the start of their college experience.

the people around you, it just comes naturally. You may share more vulnerable aspects of yourself with others, or take a risk and introduce yourself to someone new, even if you don’t expect to become your friends. You just have to be a little more welcoming.

For the most part, international students seem to be open to meeting new people. And, as students like Edgar and I have realized, we will most likely be the ones that take the first step to start an interaction with someone. We might go up to the people in our classes and befriend them. We might smile at the people we cross paths with everyday, even if we have never met them.

DESIGN BY INSIA HAQUE

People from all over the world come to Penn for a variety of reasons, whether for the quality of education, the job opportunities, or the romanticized idea of the college experience. And for a lot of international students, coming to Penn is also their first experience living in America. Sometimes, it is not at all what they expected.

“Mainly after NSO, it was harder to speak to more people in class and outside of clubs,” College first year and international student Edgar Rodríguez shared when talking about the openness of students on campus after the first few weeks of the semester. Similarly, I found that even though a lot of students are still open to meeting new people after NSO, it felt awkward for a lot of people to just approach others and introduce themselves.

Just like Edgar, many international students I know have realized that American culture is starkly different from their own soon after getting to Penn.

I did not realize this difference until after my first week at Penn. I was running around all day doing activities for International Student Orientation, which meant that everyone I met would greet me with a hug and a kiss or two on the cheek. When classes started, my American roommate told me that greeting people with hugs and kisses was not a normal thing here.

In general, I can say that the people back in Mexico are usually more welcoming to strangers than the people I have encountered here. For example, we will always say “good morning” or “good afternoon” when

Additionally, creating close relationships at Penn can make the college experience better because it's nice to have people to talk to about the things you’re struggling with. Going through college isn't an easy thing to do, and having people to rely on allows students to have a solid support system. In my first month here, for example, there was a big earthquake in Mexico and telephone lines weren't working. I had no way to contact my family. However, I had friends that I had just met a few weeks before, and they were the ones that helped me through this. They listened to me and consoled me, and they eventually became my family here.

I can confidently say that my friends have made my Penn experience better. These are people that I've known for about six months now, but for some reason I feel like I’ve known them for a lifetime. And although some might be surprised at how close we got so fast, I can say that when you decide to be a little more open to

So, this is an invitation for everyone at Penn to pay a little more attention to the small things international students do that make them seem more welcoming, and learn a thing or two about it. Regardless of where you are on campus or what you are doing, just the fact that you're at Penn is an open invitation to meeting new people. Maybe instead of just nodding your head at someone, you could go up to them and ask how they are doing. Maybe you could give someone a compliment, even if you don’t know them. And maybe then, you could surprise yourself and find a close friend in someone that would’ve otherwise never been anything more than an acquaintance.

Still, this is only the short experience of a Mexican here at Penn. And just as there are people here from all over the world, there are also a million different personalities and perspectives you might encounter when it comes to openness. However, you can always learn something new from everyone you meet.

ZARA TENA is a College first year studying political science from Puebla, Mexico. Her email is zaratena@sas.upenn.edu.

Philadelphia’s needle exchange programs are changing the narrative

CHOUDHRY CHRONICLES | Ending the stigma and embracing the solution

Philadelphia has long been synonymous with the opioid epidemic — the sight of discarded needles littering the streets is all too common. While needles have come to be the face of the problem, is it possible that they can also be the solution?

In efforts to promote modes of harm reduction, needle exchange programs first launched as an illicit street-based operation in response to the alarming rise of HIV and AIDS cases among intravenous drug users. Volunteers would provide sterile needles, alongside other supplies, such as cotton and alcohol wipes, that supported safer injections. Needle exchange programs (NEPs) have since gained institutional support, receiving sanctions and funding from both state and municipal governments.

In recent years, debates over their necessity as a public health measure have been frequent, with many questioning whether these programs are producing more harm than good. However, NEPs have been shown to be an effective public health intervention, and should therefore be implemented in more communities struggling with substance abuse.

In Philadelphia, needle exchange program Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) is the oldest NEP in the country. The Kensington-based program, located at the hub of the city’s opioid crisis, initially began as an underground grassroots movement due to the state’s drug paraphernalia laws. These laws, which are still in place, criminalize possession of any equipment used to consume drugs — including needles.

Prevention Point Philadelphia not only provides safe disposal of and access to needles, but also free medical care, HIV/HCV testing, as well as referrals and assistance to drug addiction treatment and recovery.

To better understand NEPs, I spoke with Anooshey Ikhlas, a junior in the College studying neuroscience with a minor in healthcare management and bioethics.

Ikhlas is a co-founder of SHaRC, the Student Harm Reduction Coalition, one of Penn’s newest clubs. SHaRC partners with PPP to provide support for individuals struggling with substance abuse.

Ikhlas shared her thoughts on some of the common misconceptions surrounding NEPs, emphasizing, “It’s one of those things that people will have their preconceived notions about, but it is something that can definitely change, and is changing.”

Through her work at PPP, Iklhas has seen firsthand how NEPs can benefit communities struggling with substance abuse. She notes that PPP provides not only syringe services, but a sense of community and a temporary escape from the harsh realities of drug use, sharing, “PPP is a safe and warm place to relax, watch TV, and chat with other people who understand their struggles.”

Needle exchange programs such as PPP have shown to reduce the harm associated with drug use, including the spread of blood-borne diseases, particularly HIV and Hep-C. In fact, the effectiveness of exchange programs has been investigated since 1991 by our very own University of Pennsylvania. In a study that recruited 415 intravenous drug users participating in exchange programs, researchers found an evident decline in needle sharing and HIV infections. In fact, over an eight year study following these participants, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health found a 34% decrease in the transmission of new HIV infections within the drug-injecting population.

PPP’s services go beyond harm reduction by providing case management services to increase individuals’ access to healthcare, housing, and other vital resources. This holistic approach is crucial in supporting individuals’ journey towards recovery and reducing the impact of drug use on their lives and community.

While open needles access has undoubtedly played an integral role in reducing harm among drug users, many have criticized PPP, accusing the initiatives of normalizing the administration of drugs. Other concerns include the increased disposal of used needles in public places, such as parks and sidewalks, as well as the general negative impression of exchange programs on youth and community.

Moreover, while programs often receive donations from healthcare and philanthropic organizations, most funding comes from state and federal government agencies. With limited resources, many individuals and groups believe that funding should be directed towards other initiatives, rather than