a message from the director - marietta...

V o l u m e 2 I s s u e 2 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 0

I n t e r n a t i o n a l P r o g r a m s • 2 1 5 f i f t h S t r e e t • M A r i e t t a • O H 4 5 7 5 0

Christy BurkeDirector of International Programs

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTORI am pleased to announce the arrival of our new International Student Coordinator Ms. Xiaotian Li. Xiaotian is a native of China, and studied at the Shandong Institute of Business and Technology in Yantai, China. In 2006, she completed Bachelor degrees in Computer Science and Technology in the school of Engineering and a Law degree in the school of Legal Studies. Xiaotian came to the United States in 2007 to pursue a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership at Central Michigan University. We are very excited to have her as part of our team and look forward to new ideas and programs she brings to the campus community.

Fall is an active time for the Office of International Programs because of campus events such as Homecoming, Global Palate and fall break as well as mid-terms and daylight savings. The annual Valley Gem cruise took place with our Mentor Families and students sailing along the Muskingum River. This year we had more than 15 families attend.

November signals the final stretch of many of our study abroad students’ programs overseas. They are preparing for exams, taking advantage of their final weekend excursions and will be home sooner than they realize. Check out our “Where in the World” article on some of their adventures.

What did you do for fall break?

“Went to New York City with friends.” _Jiaxin Quan China, Sophomore

“Went to Columbus with friends for a day. ” _Abdulaziz Bakr Saudi Arabia,Freshman

“Philadelphia, PA!!!” _Abdullah Albarrak Saudi Arabia, Freshman

“Dorm sweet dorm.”

_Mohammad Alshammari Saudi Arabia, Freshman



Top: Dr. Chaya Chandrasekhar (left) and Dr. Bob Chase in Rome; Bottom: Group picture of students and faculty on trip to Italy

SAILING

Guest speaker Dr. Victor Mora and Spanish instructors at the event.

Petroleum Program in Italyby Bob Chase

The Department of Petroleum Engineering

hosted a trip to the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Florence, Italy

September 19-23, 2010. It was the first time the annual

conference has ever been held outside of the United States. Dr. Robert W. Chase, Chair of the Petroleum Engineering

and Geology Department, coordinated a 10-day trip that began with 6 days in Florence followed by a 4-day trip to

Rome and Pompeii. The students who attended the 3-day

annual SPE meeting in Florence also toured the city of Florence and visited the Academia and Uffizi Art Galleries

while there. From there, it was off to Rome to see the Coliseum, the Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican

Museum and more. The last day in Italy was spent touring

the ruins of Pompey.

Working with Dr. Chaya Chandrasekhar,

Assistant Professor of Art History, Dr. Chase was able to organize a 3-credit art history course for the students in

partial fulfillment of their general education requirement in

fine arts. Chaya accompanied the group on the trip as well.

Global Palate is series of events featuring different diverse cultures. It offers a great opportunity for students to be exposed to different aspects of cultures, current issues, as well as individuals from different backgrounds.

On October 8th, we were able to enjoy a full exposure to the Latino culture. A total of seventy-four people attended this Global Palate at The Great Room in Andrews Hall. The guest speaker Dr. Victor Mora from Ohio State University shared the brief history of Latina and Latino culture as well as the changing demographic Latino population in the United States and the state of Ohio. After that presentation, guests and the audience had a meaningful conversation about the cultural impact on the current education. The authentic Mexican cuisine was the highlight of the night. Mexican Chicken, Chips and Salsa, Mexican rice, and unforgettable Flan dessert fulfilled participants’ appetite. Lupe Madrid, a Spanish instructor at Marietta taught Salsa lessons for students interested in authentic hispanic dancing.

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Upcoming Events Global Palate

November 11th, 2010 6 p.m.The Great Room - Native American

Mentor Family Thanksgiving DinnerNovember 20th, 2010 5:30pm

LAST DAY for Shuttle Sign UpNovember 30th, 2010

I-20 DAY (Mandatory Attendance)December 2nd, 2010 9am-5pm

AIA Members Enjoyed Indian Festival Celebration

by Katie Kuhn

On October 22, 2010, the American-International Association (AIA) attended a Hindu worship celebration in Parkersburg with around one hundred others known as Navratri, which literally means “nine nights”. This festival is celebrated multiple times throughout the year for different reasons. All Navratri celebrations are in honor of the goddess Shakti, in her various forms.

Navratri is divided into three-day sets, each devoted to a different aspect of the supreme goddess. The first three nights are devoted to Goddess Durga, who destroys vices and impurities. The next three days are devoted to Goddess Lakshmi, the

giver of spiritual and material wealth. In the final three days, offerings are given to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom. All offerings culminate with the holiday of Dussehra, in which an effigy is burnt to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Colorful clothing is a staple in Hinduism when it comes to

celebrations. The sari is a rectangular piece of clothing about five to six yards in length worn by women for centuries, symbolizing a facet of sensuality and luxury. Men’s clothing usually consists of the kurta-pyjama. Kurta is a knee-length shirt mostly in white but can be pastel in color and pyjamas are loose-

fitting trousers which you tie around the waist with a string. Other accessories are also added to men’s and women’s attire; such as the bindi, which is mostly worn on the forehead of a woman but can be seen on men too. Some believe the bindi is the “mystic third eye” which represents the central point of the base of

creation in Hinduism.

AIA took pleasure in learning about the rituals of the ceremony and fully engaged in various forms of dancing. Garba, a dance lasting thirty minutes, is celebrated by singing songs accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of hands. The second dance, known as rasa, is done by everyone dancing in a circle to instrumentals while keeping time and beat by striking sticks against each other. This proved to be very challenging and we were baffled by the fact that four-year old children got the hang of this faster than some of us did! One student shared what she thought of the celebration. “The ceremony leading up to the offering of the food is beautiful. The food itself is also very delicious!” said Emily Davis. AIA Members Dancing with the group

at the Navratri Festival



LINKA message from Xiaotian Li It is a pleasure for me to come to Marietta College and serve as the International Student Coordinator. It has always been my passion to assist international students to be successful in their study abroad experience, as well as promoting diverse culture on a college campus. Remembering when I first came to the US, I fully understand the excitement and anxiety you may have. I went to school at Mount Pleasant, Michigan, a college town that is very similar to Marietta in a lot of ways. Small town, nice people, very few local businesses, no public transportation, no huge shopping malls… Life is different, food, custom, social dynamics, academics, etc. It is different than what I was used to. It is different in a way that I never expected. Things happened too fast and it seems to be so overwhelming. Like many of you, I was unprepared for the shock I experienced. Besides classes, I found myself talking to my family more often than ever, it was boring and lonely at the apartment. Reflecting upon times before I came here, all my expectations, goals, and things I wanted to do, can I make them come true? Luckily I was able to breakthrough the situation. Although, I couldn’t be successful without many friends who kept me involved. My friendship family, roommates, friends from local church, as well as friends I met by being involved in different activities. At the end, I had a very rewarding experience. However, it was a challenging process.

Especially if it is your first time to live away from home, first time to live on your own, first time to take control of your own time. Much frustration was involved in the process of getting adjusted to life in a different culture. There are a few things that were effective in my process of adjustment that I would like to share with you. Get involved. It is very important for you to keep a busy schedule. I am not talking about a busy class schedule. I am talking about a busy schedule with balanced academic and social life. Academics are important, but it is not the only experience you have from college. The memory you have about your college experience will not just be the classes you took. The friendship you had, the events you attended, the activities you participated or organized would be so much more memorable when you think back of your college experience. There are tons of activities on campus. There must be something that you are interested in. Why not take advantage of it and get yourself exposed to as many different things as possible?

Step out of your comfort zone.You probably have to experience a certain level of frustration while you are making friends, communicating with your professors, attending social

events on campus, etc. However, if taking some risks could win you some friendship, I would say it is well worth it. If you are not used to starting a conversation with a stranger, going to a concert that you have never been to, playing sports with someone you just met, I would encourage you to try it out. You have nothing to lose.

Don’t be discouraged. It takes time to get better. Even if something you tried didn’t work, you can still try another

activity. Especially if it is not something you are good at. It is a process of sharpening your skills and it only gets better. If you are not confident about your language skills, it is absolutely fine to encourage yourself to use it as much as you can. Your language gets better in the process. Nobody will laugh at you because English is not your native language. If you went to a football game for the first time and didn’t understand it very well, it is worth trying again. You can’t learn a sport over one game. Maybe you will make some friends through football. Don’t give up on the expectations you had prior to coming to Marietta College. You can make it happen.

Xiaotian Li

International Program Coordinator

“Step out of your comfort zone and get involved on campus is

my best advice to every international student.”

Contact Info:Office: Thomas 214CPhone: 740-376-4505Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



LINKWhere in the World...by Christy BurkeJust as was the case with last semester, Chile

is proving to be a country in the news this year! Joe Williams was in Chile when the earthquake occurred in January that affected thousands of people throughout the region. This semester, Michelle

Tarracciano who is also studying along the coast, has witnessed local and national

reactions to a country’s successful efforts to free 33 men from a mine that kept them underground for 69 days. While we have not spoken with Michelle since the events in October, we are sure that she, like Joe, will return to Marietta College with stories to share. Tim Crandall, who is participating on the Education Network Abroad program to Thailand and Cambodia, said of his time at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand that “the school is very accommodating, the classes are definitely challenging, and the Thai students I have met so far are so nice!” Tim will leave for Cambodia in the beginning of November and remain there until his program ends. Rene Nikolopoulos and Emily Caris set sail for Paros Island in September. Rene, who has family in Greece, was able to travel one week early and spend time getting to know her Greek relatives. In addition, to excursions on the island, Rene will also travel to Turkey for ten days as part of her program coursework.

Tim Crandall in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Danielle

Stein

and Brianna Lanier in standing in front of a man

Michelle Tarracciano in Santiago, Chile

Robin Nelson on the South Island in New Zealand

Rene Nikolpoulos on the beaches in Paroikia, Paros Island, Greece.

Kristin Norton in Toledo, Spain

Danielle Stein and Brianna Lanier standing in front of a man made lake where Costa Rica gets 80% of their electricity


Valley Gem Cruise Dinner

by Katie KuhnOn October 3, 2010, families and students from the

Mentor Family Program gathered together for the annual Mentor Family Valley Gem Dinner Cruise. The Valley Gem set sail for an hour and a half and provided a wonderful environment for returning mentor families along with some new faces added to the program. Amy Arnold, the Records Office Assistant on the Marietta campus, was one of the new

families that participated. “My family and I thought the boat trip was a good opportunity to meet the students involved with the mentor program. We enjoyed the chance to speak with many students in a social situation. Grace and Emily, my two daughters, are especially interested in getting to know the students and learn more about a different culture,” Amy said. Many families look forward to this particular activity because it is a wonderful opportunity to engage with their mentees. There are other activities that the Office of International Programs plans for the Mentor Family program throughout the year and each one makes room for memories to be made.

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LINK NEWSLETTERMarietta College

Office of International Programs215 Fifth Street,

Marietta, OH 45750

Menqi Wan and his mentor family Mark, Lisa, and Peter Sibicky

Chinese international students Youyou Liang, Yuntian Zhang, and Tiantian Xie (start from left)

Yang Jing and his mentor family Ed & Nancy Osborne

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