V THE VIDETTE
SPORTS 8
WIU SURGES PAST REDBIRDS IN SECOND HALF TO TAKE SURPRISE WIN
NEWS 3
J.B. PRITZKER SHARES POLICIES FOR GUBERNATORIAL RUN FEATURES 6
FORMER POLICE OFFICER SEES FIRSTHAND ISSUES WITH GENDER EQUALITY
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2017
videtteonline.com
Vol. 130 / No. 23
SPECIAL REPORT: COMING TO AMERICA AN ISU PERSPECTIVE
Canales: ‘We were obviously concerned’ ISU has lower international enrollment in 2017, problem it faces is the perception of the United States ‘not welcoming’ foreigners
Natalie Stuckslager | Vidette Photo Editor
The Office of International Studies and Programs provided several resources to international students affected by political decisions, such as counseling services and forums. Pictured is student assistant Abbie Lewis.
STORY BY EMA SASIC | Editor in Chief | @ema_sasic EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third and final installment of a multi-part series exploring the 2016 election and the Office of International Studies and Programs.
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nternational students shared how the 2016 election affected them before and during their stay in the United States, and Illinois State University officials also found themselves concerned how the political climate would portray the country to newcomers. “We were obviously concerned due to the political discourse that we heard during the election,” Luis Canales, director of the Office of International Studies and Programs, said. “We were also concerned about specific events that reinforced the perception that the United States does not have a welcoming environment. In particular, the attack on two Luis Canales Indian engineers in Kansas, and the attack
on a Sikh man in Kent, Washington.” Enrollment numbers for 2017 took a small hit, according to statistics from the Office of International Studies and Programs. Total international student enrollment for 2017 is 387, down from last year’s 426. The number of new international students also decreased. In 2016, new students totaled 139,
while this year is at 117. It is not known if politics was a direct cause of lower enrollment numbers, but one of President Donald Trump’s biggest impacts on campus came in the form of the executive order he issued on Jan. 27. The order banned citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — from coming to the U.S. Two days later, ISU President Larry Dietz issued a campus-wide email stating he and the university “remain deeply committed to providing a safe, secure and inclusive environment.” “It’s not our job to determine who is here illegally and undocumented, that’s not within our realm,” Dietz said. “It’s to take students that meet our admission standards and do our best to help them meet their educational goals.” “That’s not grounded in what’s happening at the federal level; it’s just what universities do,” he added. Following the travel ban, ISU officials took a number of steps to educate themselves and others on campus. The offices of the president, provost, general counsel, student affairs and international studies and programs monitored the executive order and legal challenges that followed. Two forums were held to provide information to the campus community and how it would affect individuals. Counseling services were also available.
“As a former international student, I am focused on working with my colleagues to provide a full range of services, support, mentoring and engagement activities for international students on ISU’s campus, no matter where they are from,” Yimin Wang, associate director of the Office of International Studies and Programs, said. Larry Dietz There were several legal challenges to the travel ban, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that foreign nationals “who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” could enter the country. These include students who have been admitted to a university, and they remain exempt from the 90-day ban. Canales said the Office of International Studies and Programs was “dismayed” when the travel ban was issued, but “pleased” with the Supreme Court ruling. “The problem we face now is the perception that the U.S. is not welcoming to foreign nationals is out there,” he added. Similar steps were taken when Trump’s administration announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programs in September. see INTERNATIONAL page 3
ISU alumna donates $400,000 for transfer student scholarships Diane Ryon spent her college years working multiple jobs, wants to ease worries for Redbirds MASON MCCOY Senior News Reporter | @Real_McCoy18
Illinois State University alumna Diane Ryon is paying it back with a donation of $400,000 to set up the Diane Ryon Transfer Student Scholarship Fund. This scholarship will offer financial assistance to transfer students coming to ISU to take part in the College of Applied Sciences and Technology’s School of Kinesiology and Recreation. This scholarship is the largest individual award available to those studying in CAST. Ryon, who works in Bloomington-Normal
as a financial planner, knows all too well about the financial support that transfer students need. The first of her family to graduate from college, Ryon worked tirelessly in and out of school, working multiple jobs to help make ends meet. “I don’t want students to have to work three jobs to get an education,” Ryon said. “Or have to spread it out over 18 years to get a bachelor’s.” Throughout her college career, Ryon was the recipient of 15 scholarship awards, which made her education possible. This gift, along with a number of other
scholarships that Ryon and her husband, Roger, have helped support, attempt to share the gift of education with future transfer students. “Diane’s investment in prospective transfer stuDiane Ryon dents to the School of Kinesiology and Recreation is a genuine demonstration of paying it forward,” Todd McLoda, dean of CAST, said. “Over the years, Diane has demonstrated her support of numerous students through her financial contributions that make it a
little easier to pay for college.” “With this new investment, that support will live on in perpetuity,” he added. Nicole Derf, a geography education major who transferred to ISU last fall, experienced firsthand the difficulties of paying for school. “As a transfer student, I found it hard to get scholarships,” she said. “A lot of my friends who started at Illinois State as freshmen got scholarships for their success in high school.” “These opportunities aren’t as available for transfer students,” she added. see SCHOLARSHIP page 2