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M World Magazine
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IGR: Breaking the Cultural Gap Xiaoruo and her If You Are the One Global Residence, Global Experience Impacting the World with Entrepreneurship
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR S
ince Keran, the previous Editor in Chief, first came up with the idea to found a magazine targeted at the international community in U of M, a year has passed away. During this whole year, so many things have happened. As the new leader of the magazine, I dare to say that no one could ever imagine the energy, time, hardship and even bitterness it takes to make a single issue, unless you are a ctually part of it. To be honest, on the day I became the new leader of this magazine, I had no idea at all how hard it would be to make out an issue. After taking it over from Keran, as an international student whose native language is not English and a starter in the field of publication, I once even thought about quitting. However, to make a successful magazine for international students is not only my, but our entire group’s united dream. And in fact, it is far more than just a dream, but a responsibility as well.
Fortunately, with every staff’s remarkable efforts, we finally made it. Different from the last one, this issue introduces some organizations, some of which are founded, composed by and targeted at international students; some provide services to this certain big group. This is exactly the goal of our magazine. I give many thanks to all the staff – our magazine might have a long way to go to achieve success, but what you have done has made it better, and has made it one step closer to our dream. More than that, our magazine is officially changing name to M World from now on. Besides the name, our broadening staff members, wider services and closer connections with other orgs must make it a brand new year full of goals and hopes. And more importantly, I should thank you, our beloved readers, for your support and attention, because that is the origin of our founding the magazine, and that is why we work this hard to make out issues. On behalf of the team, I wish you the best for the new academic year!
Wanruo Zhang EDITOR IN CHIEF
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OUR S AFF
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Editor in Chief
Wanruo Zhang
Advisor
Keran Shao
Managing Editor
Emily Ho
Assistant Managing Editor
Emily Tran
Managing Design Editor
Bianca Ng
Managing Photo Editor
Kenneth Lp
Business Manager
Sucong Cheng
IN THIS ISSUE ...
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IGR Breaking the Cultural Gap written by KERAN SHAO
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It is usually a big challenge for international students of different racial and cultural backgrounds to fit into American society, especially upon first arriving in the United States. Luckily, the University of Michigan is one of the country’s few universities with well-developed social justice education programs in which international students can participate. The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) is one of the well-known social justice programs at U-M. Since 1988, IGR has been engaging students, faculty, and staff to proactively learn about the complexities of living in a global, multicultural society. Through academic courses, workshops, research, resources and outreach, IGR provides opportunities for both the U-M campus and the general community to explore issues of intergroup relations, explicitly focusing on the relationships among social identity, social conflict, and social justice. IGR’s mission statement is: To pursue social justice through education.
As a university program, IGR offers classes in many fields. These classes include: • Intergroup Dialogue • Training Processes of Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation • Practicum in Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation • Foundations of Intergroup Relations • Intergroup Conflict & Coexistence The Intergroup Dialogue class is the most iconic and popular course in the program. This two-credit course (cross-listed under Sociology and Psychology) is different from many other U-M classes in that each course is facilitated by two IGR-trained student co-facilitators. Says Adrienne Dessel, the program’s Co-Associate Director, “Within a dialogue course, a small group of students learn with and from each other through sharing their experiences, reading and journaling, and using interactive exercises as ways to examine social identity and social inequality. Each dialogue class is centered on a particular topic such as gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, nationality, and social class. Students develop the leadership skills they need to communicate effectively and be successful in a global, multi-cultural world.”
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“One of the biggest attractions of the Intergroup Dialogue in IGR is its structure,” says Misbah Ahmed a past dialogue co-facilitator. “Different from the two-way dialogues in other multi-cultural programs, the Intergroup Dialogue is multi-angled. Through a placement process, we make sure the participants of the dialogue represent as many races, countries, and cultural backgrounds as possible.” Misbah is a senior in Sociology and Near Eastern Studies. She started to participate in IGR during her sophomore year at U-M. Misbah said the program changed her perspectives on racial identity so much that she took the training to become a co-facilitator last year. She wanted to help students like herself. Misbah is interested in working professionally with immigrant issues in the future.
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IGR also offers many other opportunities besides credit courses. The program offers opportunities for students to work with youth in public school and community settings. These students use dialogue facilitation techniques to engage youth in developing a better understanding of their own social identities in the context of a wider society. Research opportunities on social justice-related topics as well as other facilitation experiences (through IGR’s CommonGround Workshop program) are also available through IGR. This year (2013), IGR is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Since its creation at U-M in 1988, IGR has helped thousands of students to explore social and racial identities. The program has also been shared with and replicated by many other higher education institutions. “We look forward to many more international students joining us and sharing their unique perspectives within our courses and programs.” said Adrienne Dessel. For more information about the program, please visit IGR’s website at igr.umich.edu . You can also find IGR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/umigr.
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Xiaoruo and Her
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If You Are the One
written by WANRUO ZHANG
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On March 16th 2013, the Rackham Auditorium was filled with Chinese students in UM. The 2nd annual dating show If You Are The One was held on that night. If You Are The One is originally a TV show by Jiangsu Satellite TV channel in China. The TV show features 24 young single women who would show their best sides for male contestants coming one by one to the stage looking for girlfriends. In return, the young men would then try to attract the ladies onstage by telling stories, playing introductory videos clips, or even performing talents in front of the female contestants. The show is incredibly popular in China, so popular that many Chinese student associations of western universities also imitate the show and organize university versions. They are usually different from the TV station’s version; instead of really matching young men and women together, such dating shows, in the universities, are rather viewed as a good opportunity to make friends and to perform for a crowd. “To clarify, the ‘successfully matched’ couples won’t become boyfriends and girlfriends automatically. They just like each other and are willing to know each other further more,” said Xiaoruo. “Before the show is on air, we told all the contestants that it’s just a tool for them to make friends, so there’s no pressure at all.” Xiaoruo Gai is a Chinese student who just graduated from UM this year (2013). She founded the UM If You Are the One in 2011. Although If You Are the One is famous all over the world among the Chinese people because of its entertaining purpose, the aim of such an event in UM is not simply for fun. “It is not only a dating show, but also an event to raise funds for poor children in this year’s Dream Corps summer program.” Xiaoruo is also the founder of the UM chapter of Dream Corps International, which is a nation-wide non-profit organization aimed at promoting children’s reading levels in rural China. The program recruits student volunteers who can speak Chinese to go to multiple rural areas in China, and build libraries with donated books.
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In the summer of 2011, when Xiaoruo just established the UM chapter of Dream Corps, she tried to figure out a way to raise funds for the program. As a fan of the show If You Are The One, she joked about the idea of holding the show on campus in front of her members. Surprisingly, all the other members in the organization thought this was a great idea as well. Therefore, they started the first If You Are The One that year on campus. The show was so influential at UM that it attracted almost all the Chinese students on campus. In 2011 when they first planned the event, tickets were sold out within two days. For most Chinese students, the show is like a special sauce that makes the busy, stressful life abroad tastes a little bit more like home.
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Although the initial idea was welcomed by many students, Dream Corps faced many difficulties in launching If You Are The One in the first year. After going through so many things, Xiaoruo still got quite emotional when asked about her first experience. “We were just a small organization back then, not that famous among Chinese students. So we cooperated with two of the most popular Chinese student organizations - the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association (CUSA) and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA). Unexpectedly and luckily, they did us a big favor!” To convince the school in supporting them was also not easy. Xiaoruo had to convince the Student Service Center in the Michigan League that they were qualified enough to hold such a big event and to sell out many tickets. However, SSC only provided 350 seats for them. “On the first day, all the tickets that we had with us were sold out in 10 minutes. One of the members had to go to the Student Service Center to renegotiate for more chairs.” However, difficulties came one after another. The worst part was the audio system. “Even though we had rehearsed and double checked all the facilities before, the audio system at the League Ballroom was awful on that day”, said Xiaoruo, “Thus this year, the majority of our budget was spent on the venue. Rackham Auditorium is much bigger and equipped with better facilities, which directly led to this show’s big success! To be honest, we still didn’t expect so many people to show up.”
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“On the first day, all the tickets that we had with us were sold out in 10 minutes. One of the members had to go to the Student Service Center to renegotiate for more chairs.�
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“All of the funds raised were used for our program. I really thank CUSA and CSSA for everything they’ve done.”
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Even if the first If You Are the One was not perfect due to the audio system and the limited event venue, Xiaoruo said she felt happy. If You Are the One helped Dream Corps UM Chapter raised more than enough money for that year’s Dream Corps program. Neither did CUSA nor CSSA, as the co-holders, took a single penny from the money they raised through selling tickets. “All of the funds raised were used for our program. I really thank CUSA and CSSA for everything they’ve done.” Two years have passed away since Xiaoruo came up with the initial idea, and today If You Are the One has become the biggest fundraising event for Dream Corps UM. The 2nd show successfully matched 3 “couples”, attracted more than 900 people. It was a joyous occasion and extremely popular with Chinese students; most people loved the show, evident by the events’ photos that were all over Facebook and Renren (a Chinese social networking website). And more importantly, this year, the children in rural China will have more books to read. UM is not the only university that holds the show, but it is the only one where the entertainment show is combined with a charitable purpose. Xiaoruo hopes that If You Are the One will continue on, even after she graduates, as she holds on to her belief that “Dreams may vary with time, but values never do.” Judging by the success and love the show has garnered on campus, it seems like her legacy will carry on for much longer.
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Global Residence, Global Experience: ECIR’s Effort for a Multicultural Michigan Community
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written by KERAN SHAO & ROSANA LEE
On the far south side of Church Street, there rests a three floor building decorated with colorful canvas panels. This building, located on the fringe of central campus, is not at all a place where students visit daily for academic purposes. However, Michigan scholars and students who are originally from all over the world would come to participate its events and activities each week, and live inside for a better multi-cultural experience. This is where the Ecumenical and International Residence (ECIR) located. ECIR is a non-profit organization focused on providing multicultural learning and living experience for students of the world. It is one of few qualified non-profit organizations the International Center of University of Michigan would offer cooperation and provide liaisons with. It is also one of few residences in Ann Arbor specifically designed for international scholars and students to live in.
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For years, ECIR has been a base for multicultural and multi-religious activities. A series of Global Village Square events are held almost every week. Volunteering events to the Delonis Center of Ann Arbor and towards poor people are advertised and supported by the International Center. It is also the co-organizer of Alternate Spring Break trips, in which interested students are grouped to visit Indian tribes or provide help in house refurnishing for the poor. We wonder why ECIR is so dedicated to multiculturalism and what its goals are. GSM interviewed Rosana Lee, the residence life manager of ECIR to find them out. MWorld: What sets ECIR apart from other apartment buildings in Ann Arbor? Rosana: Many prospective applicants asked me this same question. This is a great question but it is also one that is very difficult to answer. We say that we are an intentional international intercultural interreligious living learning community. By this we mean that ECIR residents choose to live in the midst of cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity. They share apartments with people they have never met before and whose values, beliefs, lifestyles, and even fields of study are unfamiliar to them. We strongly believe that being exposed to differences do not only teach us about others but also about ourselves. Conflicts are only a natural result of such a setting. Yet residents manage to keep a sense of camaraderie. MWorld: What is ECIR’s goal? What events and activities does ECIR offer in order to achieve this goal? Rosana: ECIR strives to be a place where people can be who they are while appreciating who others are. For this reason, we organize different events to help students connect with and learn from one another. Weekly discussions, dinners, or presentations allow us to foster community and learning. We reach out to the larger international community at U of M too. International Picnic is the event that kicks off the academic year with over 150 people attending at Island Park. Further, visits to the Delonis homeless shelter open up a whole new understanding of living in America and what homelessness looks like back home for volunteers every
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month. We provide service learning and cultural engagement trips over spring break. In addition, we offer to match international students and scholars with American families and individuals through our Global Friendship Program. Participants meet for coffee, dinner, and other activities to promote cross-cultural exchange. There are lots of offerings and opportunities throughout the academic year that students can take advantage of. MWorld: Tell us more about the building itself. Why is ECIR a good residence for global scholars and students? Rosana: The building itself and the amenities are designed to help residents relax and mingle. There are several common areas where residents can get together to watch TV, drink coffee or tea, study together, and play. In addition, the apartments come fully furnished and equipped with cooking and dining ware so that residents can fully focus on more important things while in Ann Arbor. Each of them receives a useful information packet with recommendations on transportation, grocery stores, entertainment, shopping, and more. Also, volunteers drive residents every weekend to go grocery shopping. MWorld:: Why is grouping international and American students together in this residence so important? Rosana: A lot of the growing, learning, and bonding happen through residents reaching out to their roommates and neighbors. And here is where ECIR’s role ends and the members of the community shape their own experiences. There are countless untold stories behind each of these walls that attest to the power of the human heart to go beyond differences and embrace the unknown. It is impossible to describe, as each path is unique. You have to experience it for yourself. And this is what sets us apart.
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Impacting the World
A Special Report on the China Entrepreneursh written by Y I D A N Z H A N G
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with Entrepreneurship
hip Network
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Entrepreneurship has always been a focus of the University of Michigan, and CEN-UMich is riding the current wave of entrepreneurship in the mid-west, led by the school’s initiative to promote the entrepreneur spirit in Middle America. Founded in February 2009 by a group of MBA and graduate students, the China Entrepreneurship Network (CEN) is a university alliance with twelve chapters in the U.S. and China, backed by an extensive network of industry, academia and government professionals. The CEN at the University of Michigan is the very first chapter. When it was first founded back in 2009, it was only a small student club where general member involvement was very miniscule. In merely 4 years, however, it has grown into a full-fledged organization with defined values and goals, attracting more and more students interested in business and China. As pointed out by Benny Wang, current co-president of CEN-UMich, “Throughout my time here I saw a gradual change as general members were becoming more inclusive to our projects. I hope we can continue to better the participation of all our members and help them build interpersonal and career skills that they can utilize throughout their lives.” Today, CEN-UMich has spent 4 years in cultivating leadership, and built four core activities: China Entrepreneur Forum; Early phase consulting and development projects; seminars and workshops that focus on entrepreneurship development; and China Business Challenge competition. The organization focuses on networking and entrepreneurship development, and aims to bring together people from different backgrounds but with a shared interest in exploring business opportunities both in the United States and in China. To build a collaborative and win-win mindset among tomorrow’s leader looking at US-China relationship and to push for action toward China’s growing opportunities, CEN launched the 1st China Business Challenge (CBC) at the University of Michigan in 2011. The China Business Challenge is a business model competition designed to challenge UM future leaders’ entrepreneurial abilities to tap
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into China’s exponentially growing market and to solve world’s problems. With more than 50 participating teams, supported by 20+ entities, including U of M office of president and AT Kearny, the 1st CBC has proven to be a great success. Since its launch in 2011, the China Business Challenge has become CEN’s signature event that is held every fall semester at the University of Michigan. The CBC participants are to come up with models for their new and innovative business solutions to social and environmental problems that persist today. “Wherever lies a problem, there lies an opportunity.” Bearing this in mind, CEN continued its journey of self-improvement and successfully hosted the 2nd China Business Challenge last fall, manifesting its role as a more experienced organization with greater global network and more profound determination. The unique element of the CBC is that it’s a University of Michigan event that’s not only opened to U of M students but also students from all over the nation and China. During the 2nd CBC, participating teams included students from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, University of Chicago, Michigan State University, and Universities in China. “There is no international organization on this campus that provide China related events on such a big scale,” says Benny, “It’s really great to see people coming together and trying to make a positive impact.” During the competition, CEN helped out five teams to implement their entrepreneurial business ideas by giving out $22,000 as startup fund. Along with this startup fund, CEN also provided the finalists the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of venture capitalists and angel investors in hopes of getting further investments on their business models. The competition has proven to be a great learning process and sound first step of launching their business ideas for participants. One of the finalists said after the competition, “I am a science PhD. Before this competition, I knew nothing about business. Thanks to this competition, I began to understand the market and could even do a financial plan for our business. What is more important is that I can think in a more practical way. I feel so happy and grateful for things I’ve learned and my own growth.”
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In the fall of 2013, the student body president Manish Parikh along with Scott Christopher, president of one of the biggest student club MPowered, founded the Entrepreneurship Commission, a committee of all entrepreneurship related organization on campus. CEN is honored to be part of this pioneering project and, along with tons of other student entrepreneurship organizations, has contributed profoundly to the entrepreneurial spirit in the school. “As an entrepreneur organization, nothing brings us more delight than to spread the entrepreneurship gene, to be able to collectively gather as one and promote similar causes.” Benny commented after one of the E-commission weekly meeting “The E-commission this semester has accomplished something that has never been done before in any other university across the country. We were able to hold entrepreneurship related events all throughout the month of March. We have raised the bar for entrepreneurship for all universities across the nation.” Though entrepreneurship is an integral part of CEN, for many, CEN is not merely a place where entrepreneurship takes place. Its focus on China is also a big attraction. Since its initial founding, CEN has launched various projects that focus on China’s development, with particular concerns on poverty and environmental problems. Particularly, CEN focuses on commercializing appropriate technologies in the base of the pyramid (BoP) markets in China, alleviating poverty through sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship. In the summer of 2010, a team of four from the University of Michigan worked on a social enterprise project to improve the lives of organic tea farmers residing in Guizhou, one of China’s poorest provinces. The majority of the residents are farmers who, despite the development of the Chinese economy, have not benefited from the increase of the country’s wealth and economic expansion. When asked what difficulties do the farmers in Guizhou faced, Rob Liou, an UM MBA and Project Leader of this Organic Tea Project pointed out that “There is no working union, therefore no legal way for those farmers to argue for the price of the tea. There is no platform for those tea farmers to explore the potential market. In addition, some businessmen
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gather the tea at a very low price and sell them at a price hundreds of times higher than that, resulting in a bad distribution of profit.” In order to help tackle these problems and uplift the livelihoods of the farmers, the team took the initial step of understanding the stories and daily challenges of the farmers behind the productions of tea and how tea is grown. They engaged in interviews and discussions with various teahouses, distributors, and organic food markets throughout one of the main target regions, the US. The team then synthesized this information and prepared strategic marketing plans, which included the specific customer segments to target and ideas for communicating the stories of the farmers to these segments, thus “humanizing” the project. “What I enjoy the most about CEN is the sense of community,” says Benny. “The progressive environment here enables our members to constantly challenge and innovate our thinking to find new approaches to better solution. ” CEN has provided a social platform where those with the entrepreneurial drive gather, network, share and evolve their ideas. The extraordinary entrepreneurial impact CEN has made and continue to make on this campus is astonishing. “I’m really looking forward to hosting the 3rd CBC this upcoming fall semester,” Benny says with excitement. “Even if we only influenced one of the over 2000 past participants and those who will join to pursue a career in entrepreneurship, I believe we have done our job.”
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