International Student Guide 2017

International Student Guide 2017

IDS

A N I N DI A N A DAIL Y STUDENT S PE CI A L PUBL ICATIO N

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

LEGAL SERVICES

The terms to know before coming to IU, page 3

Where to go when you need help with the law, page 10

2

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS 8 10

3

Get familiar with all the key terms for campus and IU that you need to know

For those looking to celebrate different cultures, learn about six of IU’s diversity centers

Find out about how Student Legal Services can answer all your questions about the law

4

Hear from a current international student about what the transition from Mumbai to Bloomington is like

CAPS’s “Let’s Talk” program provides international students with counseling services

IU’s director of student and scholar advising discusses services provided to international students

9

11

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR IU is a huge campus, but before you know it, it will start to feel like home.

After three years here at IU, I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else for college.

Coming to a new place and transitioning to college life can seem daunting.

On the first few days, you’re scrambling to find where all your classes are, meeting new friends,

purchasing everything you need for your dorm room and adjusting to life in a completely new place.

That may seem like a lot, but we hope with this guide, you’ll feel more comfortable and be able to settle into life at IU quickly.

Inside, you’ll read about many of the different resources that are available to you on campus. We

highlight some overlooked, but valuable resources such as Student Legal Services and the “Let’s Talk” program, which is a collaboration between five of IU’s multicultural centers and the Counseling and Psychological Services program.

There are so many people here who are available to help you. All you have to do is reach out and ask.

You’ll also hear from a current international student from Mumbai, India on what it’s like to live in Bloomington and what the transition is like.

Your first semester here at IU will fly by.

Take time to explore different parts of campus and attend as many different events as possible.

Find things you’ve never

BE A PART OF THE BIGGEST TEAM ON CAMPUS! Get weekly news headlines sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe for free at idsnews.com/subscribe

NOW HIRING APPLY ONLINE at dining.indiana.edu

DEPARTMENT OF

RPS DINING SERVICES Bloomington

tried and go do them.

IU offers so many different opportunities outside the classroom to enhance your college experience.

I, along with the rest of the Indiana Daily Student staff, wish you all the best of luck.

Andrew Hussey IDS Summer Managing Editor

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

3

JUST F.Y.I Here are a few key terms that are useful to know around campus, so try and get familiar. Don’t worry, there will not be a quiz.

A&H Courses categorized as Arts and Humanities by the College of Arts and Sciences.

AI Associate instructor. Usually a graduate student assisting the professor in lecturing and discussion parts of classes.

Big Ten The collegiate athletic conference of which IU is a member. The other schools in the Big Ten are Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Northwestern, Iowa and Nebraska. Rutgers and Maryland joined in 2014.

Bursar The office that bills tuition, room and board and other fees. The bursar’s office is located in room W100 of the Poplars Building at 400 E. Seventh St. COAS College of Arts and Sciences.

Sometimes called “the college.”

Dead week The final week of classes before final exams.

Greek system The sororities (women) and fraternities (men) that make up about 20 percent of the IU student population.

The houses’ names are combinations of letters from the Greek alphabet.

HPER (pronounced “hyper”) The School of Public Health was formerly called the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. The term is commonly used to refer to classes offered through the school and the recreation and sporting facilities that are located in the same building.

IDS Indiana Daily Student. The student-run newspaper published twice a week, available free around campus and online at idsnews.com.

IMU Indiana Memorial Union.

Often referred to as “the Union,” located at 900 E. Seventh St. IUSA IU Student Association. IU’s student government.

IUSF IU Student Foundation.

A nonprofit organization that raises funds for the University. IUSF sponsors the Little 500 bike race and other events.

Little Five The famous Little 500 bicycle race and the week of events surrounding it. The women’s and men’s races will take place April 20-21, 2018.

MAC Musical Arts Center, located at 101 N. Jordan Ave. across from Read Center.

This venue is the site of the Jacobs School of Music opera performances and Ballet Department shows.

N&M Courses categorized as Natural and Mathematical Sciences by COAS.

CANVAS canvas.iu.edu. An online portal for IU faculty and students to use to keep in contact for classes.

Professors and students can post resources, set up message boards and more on pages made for each particular class.

RA Resident assistant. An upperclassman peer leader living on each floor of each residence hall. You can go to them for help with adjusting to college or problems with your roommate and advice on just about anything.

RPS Residential Programs and Services. The division that handles all things related to a student’s living environment, including dorm rooms, meal plans and programming.

S&H Courses categorized as Social and Historical Studies

by COAS.

NEW AND USED FURNITURE SOFA’S

$599 SOFA & LOVESEAT SPECIAL

Office hours Times your professors set aside each week to be available to answer questions you have about their classes.

ONE.IU.EDU A site that gives you access to your student email account, schedules, transcripts, grades and other University services.

UITS University Information Technology Services. Deals with all things computerand technology-related on campus, uits.iu.edu.

$39-99 EACH

SOFA’S SSO OFA OFA FA’S A’’SS

MATTRESS SETS FULL SETS $239 QUEEN SETS $279

CHEST

$139 AND UP

(BOXSPRING INCLUDED)

FULL QUEEN

$139 $169

(MATTRESS ONLY)

22 STYLES TO CHOOSE FROM WHITE, BLACK, MERLOT, OAK

BOOKCASES AND DESK SEVERAL TO CHOOSE FROM

SID Your 10-digit student ID number is used to access transcripts or schedules online. It’s also used at the Health Center and sometimes required by professors when taking tests.

SRSC Student Recreational Sports Center. Located on Law Lane, it is a 204,000 square-foot facility offering more than 400 workout machines in addition to other programs and courts for fitness.

BARSTOOLS

DINETTES

TABLE AND 4 CHAIRS $249

& SEVERAL OTHERS

2 MILES EAST OF THE COLLEGE MALL ON THIRD STREET OPEN DAILY 10-6 *OPEN 12-5 AUGUST SUNDAYS 6, 13, & 20 DELIVERY AVAILABLE

WWW.LONGSLANDING.COM 812 332 5888

LONGS LANDING FURNITURE

STUDENT furniture SPECIALS

3 piece Dinette Sets

$139

TV Stands

Comfortable Sofas

(assembled)

only

$159

$349

*minimum order required

Free Transportation to Thompson Furniture *call for details

Mattresses

Futons

Four Drawer $119

Twin Size

$99

Metal

$149

Five Drawer $139

Full Size

$229

$299

Queen

$249

Wood Futon Mattress

Choice of Finish

$189

Also Specials On: Bookcases • Couches • Desks • Lamps • Coffee & End Tables

THOMPSON FURNITURE 6431 Hwy 37 (4 miles North of the Stadium) 812-876-2692

www.thompsonfurnitureinc.com Mon - Fri: 10-7

Sat: 10-6

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

What is it really like?

Fast Free Delivery on Student Specials

Chests

4

Sun: 12-5

International student, Krishna Thakkar, reflects on his time and his life in Bloomington

By Tejus Arora | tarora@umail.iu.edu

Krishna Thakkar, a junior, is an international student who came from Mumbai, India, in the fall of 2015.

Although he initially pursued a degree from the Kelley School of Business, he now studies management in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

He says he believes that his failure to get into Kelley “has been a blessing in disguise.”

“I found my perfect fit at SPEA,” he said about the school. “People here are so driven and open.”

Mumbai is the financial capital of the country and is a metropolitan giant. It is disparate in many ways from the college town of Bloomington. Thakkar reflects on his experiences in Bloomington and the cultural differences he’s encountered.

What is the funniest thing someone has asked you after knowing that you are from India?

In my C-104 [business presentations] class, there was this

girl who asked me the funniest question. She asked me if we had air conditioners in India.

I chuckled and exaggeratedly retorted, “We have more air conditioners in our house than you have in a dorm.” And quite ironically, I was the most professionally overdressed person in the class.

What are some differences in the lifestyles you see between Mumbai and Bloomington or the US? Back in India, it is a more luxurious lifestyle.

Labor is cheap and everyone has housekeepers and maids. So even smallest of things like washing and folding my own clothes were onerous. But this experience of living abroad has made me a self-dependent human.

How is Bloomington different from Mumbai?

Everything shuts at 10 p.m. I come from a city which never sleeps

and coming from such a gargantuan metropolitan was a big transition, in a good way.

People are too nice here and there is no rush. Living in a college town makes me feel like IU is a one big family. It isn’t like it is back in Mumbai where everyone is on their own pace and space.

Why did you choose IU? The decision to come to the States was itself a very difficult one for me. I am very attached to my family and in a way dependent as well, emotionally and otherwise. I took a gap year to mull over it as well. But I talked to a guy in the senior cohort in my high school who was also at IU. The way he described IU made me

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

5

“Everything I am today, I owe to [Bloomington], the people I have met and the experiences I had here. I have been a failure my whole life, and then I came here, trying to explore the world and more importantly, myself. I got involved on campus — sports, organizations, everything. And I realize, it is all about reaching out for what you feel for.”

Fulfilling your language requirement?

IU offers a WORLD of languages this fall

Krishna Thakkar

fall in love with it.

I felt so connected to the city and believed it was best for me. And now when I look back, it really was.

What are some things you miss about home?

The three F’s— Friends, Fam and Food.

As I have insinuated before, I am very attached to my family, even my friends who are also like my family. Other than that, I am a big foodie, and Mumbai, being like a melting pot of India, has myriad of different kinds of cuisines and food creativity. I just miss it like mad.

What are some things that you would like to change about Bloomington?

People are very welcoming here, but not everyone is. People shouldn’t be very ignorant. If you don’t know about one’s culture, don’t ask them if they have AC’s or Wi-Fi. Talk to international students — they are amazing people and they’ll give you an unprecedented perspective towards various aspects of life.

What are some challenges you faced when you first came to Bloomington?

It was very arduous

leaving everyone and everything behind and come here to start everything over. It is hard to endure through the tough times when your support system is far away.

But it is also here in B-town where I made some lifelong friendships.

So, it is my advice to be open to people and meet with as many people you can here because IU has some of the best people from all around the world.

What is something you would take back from Bloomington?

First, courtesy. People are way too nice here, and so polite. It isn’t like the big cities like New York or Mumbai where people are always in a rush. Here, they would take time and share pleasantries with you.

Just feels real.

Secondly, Baked. Just love it. I still remember the first time I had those ambrosial cookies. I went there every day of my first month in Bloomington.

How different would your life be, had you not taken that leap and come here?

Everything I am today, I owe it to this city, the people I have met here, and the experiences I had here. I have

been a failure my whole life, and then I came here, trying to explore the world and more importantly, myself. I got involved in everything on campus – sports, organizations, everything.

And I realize, it is all about reaching out for what you feel for.

How do you feel about being an international student amidst current political circumstances?

We call it an age of information, and yet people are so docile and misinformed. During an activity in one of our classes everyone was supposed to make anonymous comments on words they see on screen. Professor read those comments aloud which were associated with the word ‘Muslim’.

There was a unanimous resonance to that word people felt—terrorism.

And that broke my heart.

Some of my best friends have been Muslims and incontrovertibly, they are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

It is because people are ignorant.

I would really urge everyone to not succumb to stereotypes or one’s notion of an entire religion. We are more similar than we are different from each other.

Once we look past the outside, we are all same inside.

Akan/Twi ASL Arabic Bamana Bengali Bosnian/ Croatian/Serbian Catalan Chinese Czech Demotic Egyptian Dutch Egyptian (Hieroglyphic) English ESL Estonian Finnish French German

Greek (Classical) Greek (Modern) Haitian Creole Hebrew (Biblical) Hebrew (Modern) Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Kazakh Korean Latin Maya Mongolian Norwegian Old Icelandic Pashto Persian Polish

Portuguese Quechua Romanian Russian Sanskrit Spanish Swahili Thai Tibetan Turkish (Modern) Turkish (Ottoman) Ukrainian Urdu Uyghur Uzbek Wolof Yiddish Yoruba Zulu

• Fulfill your language requirement with almost 50 languages taught each semester (and over 70 taught on a regular basis) • Leverage your major with professional proficiency in a current or a new language • Explore other languages taught almost nowhere else in the US • Add a new language to your repertoire See brochures for many of our languages: www.indiana.edu/~iucle/language-programs/brochures Check when these languages are being taught this fall: registrar.indiana.edu/calendars/schedule-of-classes.shtml

6

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

Coming Together Students from around the world come to IU to learn and share experiences. Here’s a look at some of the ways people from diverse backgrounds have engaged with the campus and community over the years.

YULIN YU | INSIDE

IDS FILE PHOTO

WENQING YAN | IDS

IU ARCHIVES

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Students Cigdem Meral, Sarah Kawamleh, Yassmin Fashir and Sabren Abdulwahab share stories about wearing hijabs in a 2016 issue of Inside magazine.

The D.Force dance group members applaud and wave at the audience as the 2014 IU Chinese Spring Festival Gala comes to a close. D.Force performed two dances — one traditional and the other modern.

Members of IU’s Cosmopolitan Club gather at the Indiana Memorial Union in 1944. The organization was founded to foster understanding between international and American students with the hope of promoting cooperation. It was active on campus from 1916 to 1970.

Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center, talks to students about keeping New Year’s resolutions before a workshop on Jan. 13, 2017.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

7

IDS FILE PHOTO

YULIN YU | IDS

ANDREW WILLIAMS | IDS

IU ARCHIVES

ROSE BYTHROW | IDS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Students celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi by throwing multi-colored paint powder on one another in the Collins Living-Learning Center courtyard in 2013. Holi is a festival marking the beginning of spring and the triumph of good over evil.

Duo Xu and Haoming Liu transfer a bike during Little 500 race qualifications at Bill Armstrong Stadium in 2016. The Chinese team, Young Pioneers, qualified for its first ever Little 500.

Rocky Dawuni performs at the 2016 Lotus World Music & Arts Festival. The Afro-Roots Grammy nominee from Ghana was one of many musical artists from around the world performing at the annual festival that takes place in downtown Bloomington each September. For more information on this year’s events, visit lotusfest.org.

Alice Myers demonstrates stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey to Campus View Apartment residents Takashi Akera, Mri Akera, their mother Miyuki Akera from Japan, and Yern Seung Kim from South Korea in 1990.

Gabi Steenberger paints faces of IU students and Bloomington residents during a Dia de los Muertos event at La Casa Latino Cultural Center in 2016.

8

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

Centers showcase diversity IU has many resources for those looking to celebrate different cultures OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES 400 E. Seventh St. ois.indiana.edu The Office of International Services offers cultural, social and educational programs to support international students on the IU campus.

The office also puts on programs and events for all kinds of student groups.

LA CASA LATINO CULTURAL CENTER 715 E. Seventh St. indiana.edu/~lacasa The center promotes academic excellence, personal growth and cultural pride through support services. In addition, it works as an advocacy office and hosts film screenings, lecture series and cultural activities.

FIRST NATIONS EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL CENTER 712 E. Eighth St. indiana.edu/~fnecc The First Nations Educational and Cultural Center assists in connecting students and building a Native American community at IU. The center attempts to create a “free zone” where all supporters of the center, regardless of race, can come together.

The FNECC also plays host to an annual Powwow.

NEAL-MARSHALL BLACK CULTURE CENTER 275 N. Jordan Ave. nmbcc.indiana.edu The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center aims to raise awareness of issues black students face. It is named after the first male and female black students to graduate from IU, Marcellus Neal and Frances Marshall.

HELENE G. SIMON HILLEL CENTER 730 E. Third St. iuhillel.org The Hillel Center strives to make sure Jewish students on campus have a home away from home. The center contains workout facilities, learning resources and kosher dining facilities. It also provides Shabbat dinner and holiday meals.

ASIAN CULTURE CENTER 807 E. 10th St. indiana.edu/~acc The Asian Culture Center aims to promote understanding of Asian and Asian-American cultures, history and issues.

Look for the ACC to be represented around campus and watch for its programs during the year — a celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month and a free Asian language learning program.

IMPROVE YOUR PHYSIQUE

WORK WITH THE BEST NOW HIRING APPLY ONLINE at www.eateries.indiana.edu

Private training sessions with bodybuilder

BRIAN BOURKLAND Great for both men and women!

812-345-0804 brianbourkland@att.net brianbourkland.com

IDS FILE PHOTO

Dancers perform a traditional fan dance during the Chinese Spring Festival Gala on Feb. 20, 2015, at the IU Auditorium.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

9

Let’s Talk Program brings CAPS services to international students

By Emily Eckelbarger eaeckelb@umail.iu.edu @emeckelbarger

Dr. Wilson Hsiao remembers being afraid of telephone calls. After coming to the U.S. in 2004 to study abroad, he would avoid making phone calls.

With no facial expressions to read and the potential of not understanding the other person, Hsiao put off talking on the phone for his first year in the U.S. “I can somewhat see myself needing help at that moment,” he said.

In this moment, he knows intimately the anxieties and stresses of international students.

Now, 13 years later, he works to help students who are in the same position as he was. Working as a clinical psychologist at the Counseling and Psychological Services program at the IU Health Center, Hsiao is part of a program called “Let’s Talk,” which works to reduce the barriers between international students and CAPS resources.

“We work very hard to understand a variety of cultures,” CAPS Director Nancy Stockton said. “We try to learn in every way we can, including from students themselves.”

Let’s Talk, a multicultural outreach program, started in 2016.

It’s a collaboration between CAPS and five culture centers on campus to make counseling services as accessible to multicultural students as possible.

Students are able to walk into the culture centers for free for a friendly chat about problems they may be having. The second half of the program, Let’s Keep Talking, allows students to continue talking with professional counselors.

Currently, counselors are

available to help international students at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, La Casa Latino Cultural Center, Asian Culture Center, Office of International Services and First National Educational and Cultural Center.

Dr. Wilson Hsiao, a native Mandarin speaker from Taiwan, and Dr. Luciana Guardini, a native Spanish speaker from Argentina, help break down one of the biggest barriers for international students — language. Fifty percent of international students at IU speak Mandarin, Hsiao said.

Since it first started in the fall of 2016, Let’s Talk has had 153 visits and 53 clients. Clients had an average of three visits each. Hsiao has noticed that his calendar of clinic hours has been getting steadily more full. Word of mouth has contributed to this.

“Some of the students come to see me and they start to tell me they know someone else who might benefit from the service and they ask me for my business card,” he said.

“And then they try to give the information to other people.”

International students experience many of the same stressors that domestic students experience.

But for international students, the stressors of college life are compounded by the difficulty of adapting to an entirely new culture.

“A lot of things take time, when they feel isolated, when they feel frustrated, I think I can understand and let them know that it’s a process,” he said.

Cultural differences can be a source of emotional distress for international students.

Many Asian countries deliver final grades in the form of points, while American grades are by letters. International students can stress over

the difference between a 96 and a 97, Hsiao said, because each point counts in the system they were raised under.

“I just try to help them look at the grades in a more realistic way,” he said. “If you look at these scores from a baseline of zero, you will see it as a big achievement. If you view this from the baseline of 100, you will see it as a deficit.”

Hsiao also helps international students deal with problems they might have experienced at home but haven’t addressed yet.

“This might be a better place to explore,” he said. “[In] their own country, their mental health system might not be as well-established as here in the United States.”

Counselors like Hsiao also bridge differing perceptions of mental illnesses across cultures. For example, although the rates of depression are similar worldwide, it might not be recognized as a phenomenon in some cultures, Stockton said.

“It depends on the culture,” she said. “Emotional disturbance is more a part of some cultures than others.”

But a diagnosis is only part of Hsiao’s mission to help students understand themselves and find solutions to their problems.

“My job is not to understand them best by the diagnosis,” he said. “My job is to understand them by their individual background.”

Hsiao wants international students to know that they can be healthy and succeed while they study abroad.

“First, I want to congratulate them. They made such effort to come here,” he said.

“Adjusting to life here in the United States could take time, could be intimidating. If they feel a need for help, I want to let them know they are not alone.”

10

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

Student Legal Services offers help, information

By Emily Eckelbarger eaeckelb@umail.iu.edu @emeckelbarger

COLLEGE DOESN’T LAST FOREVER.

BETTER MAKE IT UNFORGETTABLE!

PREMIER STUDENT APARTMENTS

3 MILES FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY Spacious 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartment & Custom-Built Home Options Roommate Matching & Individual Leases Close to Bus Line, Grocery Stores & College Mall 2 Pools, 2 Fitness Centers, Business Center & So Much More!

T H E F I E L D S . C O M

8 1 2 . 3 3 7. 9 0 0 0

President Trump’s travel ban—which prevents people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from traveling to the U.S.— was partially reinstituted on June 29, 2017. However, people who are able to prove that they have a relationship to the United States may still travel from those countries.

Eligible relationships include a close family member living in the U.S., a job offer or enrollment at an American university.

It’s the university attendance caveat that allows students from those six countries to travel to the U.S., at least for now. Despite the caveat, Stacee Williams, the director of IU Student Legal Services, says SLS must be careful in advising international students as they travel to and from the U.S..

“I think that it impacts what we do here in that we have to be very mindful of what we’re saying to students,” she said. “We just have to be careful to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s and think about all the contingencies.”

SLS started in 1971 after students on campus wanted to form a service on campus to help students whose security deposits weren’t being returned by landlords.

Although SLS can’t represent IU students in criminal court or against other IU students, the service does provide assistance with a broad range of issues, from name and gender changes to reviewing car purchases and rentals. The bulk of its cases, about 40 percent, are landlord cases. Students who encounter landlords who enter rental properties without notice or don’t return security

deposits can take their case to SLS. All students pay $8.80 in their semester fees for SLS, but Williams says that students aren’t as aware of the program as they should be.

“We help students focus on their studies,” she said.

“When you find yourself in a situation where you need a lawyer, it’s not a situation you expect to find yourself and most people don’t really have any tools for helping them deal with it.”

For many students, receiving a drinking or drug violation can be their first brush with the law.

“It’s absolutely terrifying for them,” she said. “Taking that stress off of students’ shoulders is one of the biggest services we provide to IU.” Although international students make up about 14 to 15 percent of the IU student population, they make up 22 percent of SLS clients.

SLS handles immigration cases for international students, but also handles the same types of cases for them that domestic students have, like reviewing car rentals and purchases and making sure landlords don’t take advantage of students.

A criminal charge can have a more serious effect on international students than it would have on domestic students. Working at a job that is unrelated to an international student’s course of study could also endanger their visa. For more complex cases, SLS may refer some international students to local attorneys who specialize in immigration law.

“We’re the type of office that helps students to deal with the outside world so that they can do what they need to do when they’re in the campus world,” Williams said.

SLS also helps bridge cul-

tural differences between international students and the law. Currently, SLS is working with prosecutors from around the state to educate police officers about international driving permits. In the past, students have been charged with driving without a license even though they were carrying a valid international permit, Williams said.

“How to conduct yourself during police interaction if you’re pulled over by a police officers, these are really important issues that international students need to learn,” she said.

SLS is working to translate some of its website material and pamphlets into Arabic, Mandarin and Korean to help international student understand the nuances of the law.

The Office of International Services also helps international students with their encounters with U.S. law, specifically visa laws.

SLS and OIS are conscientious about communicating with each other, said Rendy Schrader, the director of international student and scholar advising.

OIS and SLS work to ensure international students are compliant with visa laws, but they also help create a welcoming, navigable environment for students when they arrive on campus.

After the travel ban was initially announced in January, OIS organized an online hashtag called #YouAreWelcomeHere. They’ve also planned airport welcomes to greet international students.

“It’s made us better at what we do in an ironic sort of way,” Schrader said.

“We redoubled efforts to make students to feel welcome,” she said. “We want them here. Students are a vibrant part of our community.”

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE 2017

11

Five questions with the Office of International Services

By Grace Palmieri gpalmier@indiana.edu @grace_palmieri

With the new school year comes IU’s newest class of around 1,500 international students. The Office of International Services helps these students not only with academic advising, but with adapting to an unfamiliar environment.

The Indiana Daily Student sat down with Rendy Schrader, IU’s director of student and scholar advising, in 2016 to talk about the upcoming year and the services provided to international students.

Schrader graduated from IU with degrees in political science and French. After spending 16 years in Washington, D.C. working with the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs, she returned to Bloomington, the place she said she feels most at home.

What kind of help/ services does the Office of International Services provide?

I think if we want to put it in two words it’s immigration assistance and engagement opportunities. But to expand beyond that, it’s making sure that they meet all the federal requirements international students have to make. And that they’re aware of what those regulations are so they can use them to their advantage, to work in the United States and get as much experience as possible.

In terms of the student

engagement, it’s kind of a dual approach. One is making it easy for them to celebrate their own culture and being proud of who they are, but also looking for increasing opportunities for them to engage with U.S. students — and just feel like they’re fully part of the university community.

It’s that fine balance of helping them be themselves and yet not be separate.

Community Amenities • 24-hour upgraded fitness center with strength equipment, cardio machines, and free weights • 24-hour clubhouse with billiards, gaming systems, and community kitchen • Swimming pool and sundeck with scenic views • Outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts • Full-size tennis courts • Pet-friendly community

Don’t miss out on the music!

COURTESY PHOTO

Rendy Schrader

What do you think is the biggest challenge for students coming in the U.S. for the first time?

There are classroom adjustments. Most of the systems outside of the U.S. operate differently. There’s not as much student engagement, there’s not as much original thought encouraged. It’s more memorization and recitation. I think that’s a big challenge academically.

Socially, I think it’s really becoming sort of a part of this culture without losing your own. So how do we make it so they’re not just hanging out with their friends, but they’re making American friends and learning American culture?

Help them find where their comfort level is with that.

What’s the hardest part of this job for you in helping them adapt?

For me, it’s keeping up with the latest trends and social media. How do we reach the students in ways that they respect and enjoy?

With the incoming class arriving on campus in just a few weeks, is this your busiest time of year?

Apartment Amenities • Ice machine, microwave, and cable with HBO package in every unit

I feel like it’s always busy.

Beginnings and ends of the semester are the busiest.

There’s a flurry of activity in November for international education week and the world’s fair, which really keeps us hopping.

But it’s anytime there’s transitions.

• Individual bedrooms

In your years here at IU, what is your favorite part of the job?

• All utilities included

It has to be the students — just watching their excitement and their growth in bringing their culture to the U.S. I feel like we’re doing the whole university a service by bringing that diversity and exposure to world issues and thinking outside the American box. Just being able to facilitate that and make that work for everybody is really rewarding.

• Furnished with modern, leather-style furniture in select units • Fully equipped kitchens • Full-size washer and dryer included (electricity up to a monthly allowance)

Learn more about the many musical opportunities you can enjoy – most are FREE: music.indiana.edu/events.

Five operas, three ballets, and one musical are all available to YOU! Learn more: music.indiana.edu/operaballet.

Enroll in a Music Course Round out your IU experience with great music courses for non-majors in the Jacobs School of Music. Visit music.indiana.edu/ generalstudies.

Perform in an Ensemble Did you play an instrument or sing in high school? Want to continue performing? Join the Marching Hundred, Singing Hoosiers, or explore other possibilities. Learn more: music.indiana.edu/music-for-non-majors.

812-323-1300 TheMonroeLiving.com

music.indiana.edu

GO GREEN! WITH BLOOMINGTON TRANSIT! Visit our live bus tracker at bt.doublemap.com

ROUTES TO: Most residence halls Off campus apartments Shopping complexes Bike racks on all buses Free w/Campus Access Card No parking hassles No traffic stress

FFor maps andd schedules h d l visit: ii

www.bloomingtontransit.com customer@bloomingtontransit.com