International Student Voice Magazine Fall 2015 by ISV Magazine

FALL 2015

THE FUTURE APPEARS

IN THIN AIR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ISV SPOTLIGHT WINNER: SID THATHAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI SURVIVING MY FIRST NIGHT IN THE USA UPCOMING SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RETURNS TO THE VILLAGE THAT INSPIRED HER JOURNEY TO STUDY IN THE U.S. PICTURED: NANDAR TEACHES HANDWASHING TO CHILDREN

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

Eron Memaj

WELCOME FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR When I started International Student Voice Magazine in 2011, it was established with the goal of encouraging international students and U.S. American study abroad students to have a voice. The opportunity to travel and experience different customs and cultures is a crucial component of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education, but being able to reflect and share those experiences openly is just as important. Part of being able to openly share experiences is the feeling of being part of a community. Through ISV Magazine we have a community of students across the United States and the world who not only share their experiences, but provide resources for each other. In this issue you will find a variety of students sharing different experiences, from first arriving in the United States to the reverse culture shock of returning home. Our featured international student is from Myanmar (Burma), who shares her experience of returning to the small village in her country that sparked her dream to study nursing in the United States. In closing, I would like to thank our continued supporters who have been with us from the beginning. Without you we could not be here today. If this is your first issue of ISV Magazine, I would also like to thank you for your support. Enjoy!

ERON MEMAJ Managing Editor ememaj@internationalstudentvoice.org Twitter: Eron.Memaj

Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/internationalstudentvoice Follow us on twitter Twitter.com/ISVMagazine Follow us on Instagram Instagram.com/ISVMagazine Watch us on YouTube YouTube.com/ISVMagazine Pin with us on Pintrest Pintrest.com/ISVMagazine

Our Graphic Design Team: Matt Benko Mee Vue 2

International Student Voice Magazine

CONTENT: International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

Welcome from the Managing Editor

Be a Voice

Be a Country Ambassador!

The Future Appears in Thin Air

My First Night in the U.S.A.

ISVMAG Margaret W. Wong Scholarship Winner ISV Spotlight Award: Sid Thatham

Healthy and Happy Recipes

Getting to Know: Malena Huy

Talk About Reverse Culture Shock!

Getting to Know: Sri Devarakonda

Upcoming Scholarships

A New Life Abroad: Bali, Indonesia

ISP and ISV Magazine Global Gator

I Will Never Forget...

Do It Yourself in the U.S.

Scholarship Winners

APPLY TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOICE MAGAZINE

COUNTRY AMBASSADOR! Are you committed, energetic, and dedicated? This is your opportunity to represent your country in the United States. WHAT IS AN ISV MAGAZINE COUNTRY AMBASSADOR? Ambassadors work with ISV Magazine to represent international students from their home countries studying at their universities/colleges.

WHO ARE ISV MAGAZINE COUNTRY AMBASSADORS? ISV Magazine Ambassadors are committed to upholding the highest standards and quality of ISV Magazine and representing their home countries. They are seen as exceptional leaders who show pride, loyalty, and knowledge about their home countries, universities/ colleges, and ISV Magazine. Ambassadors are expected to lead the way for current and future international students by being an advocate and voice. This is the opportunity to represent the international students at your university/ college who are from your home country.

WHO QUALIFIES TO BE AN ISV MAGAZINE COUNTRY AMBASSADOR? We are looking for the following qualities in students:

• Ability to take initiative, express independent thinking and accomplish goals

• A passion of giving through service • Organizational skills and the ability to stay on track of completing tasks

• Not afraid to reach out to international students and share resources provided by ISV Magazine

• Stays current with events in his/her home country • Willing to commit being a Country Ambassador for one year

• Current full time or part time international student at a U.S.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY TO BE AN ISV MAGAZINE COUNTRY AMBASSADOR BY VISITING www.isvmag.com

www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

THE SPIRIT OF AMERICANS By: Wei Zuo, China, The University of Findlay Wei Zuo was selected as the winner of the ISV Magazine Margaret W. Wong Scholarship for fall 2015. Wei received $500 toward her studies at the University of Findlay. Read her winning essay below.

am a Chinese student, currently studying economics. In order to chase my dream, I came to America to study MBA. What is my dream? Of course, it is Wall Street! It is believed that working on the Wall Street is every financial man or womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream. And now I am working on to get there. I want to be an excellent financial stockbroker to help more people with their wealth-management. However, I know that I still have a long distance to reach my destination. As we know there are mostly men and few women, for Chinese, it is fewer. Therefore, I am studying in the U.S. now and become professional. I have been here for 10 months. From my experience, the most useful achievement I got was not only English communication skills, but also the spirit of Americans. On spring break, I went to the Dominican Republic with American students to do service as a volunteer. We were to help build a church and a bathroom. At first, I was so excited because I would like to help people and I cherished that incredible opportunity to improve myself. And then I found that the

International Student Voice Magazine

working was not as easy as I imagined. After working for the whole day, I began to feel tired. But my awesome American members, even very thin girls could lift two big bricks by themselves and felt nothing! Then I noticed their muscular arms, I realized the importance of exercise. I never did that before; I am not used to do that. Then I conceived working in the Wall Street, if I do not have a healthy body, I do not think I can bear that heavy duty. So since then I began to work out and now I feel better and more confident to get my career goals. Besides that, I found that Americans do reflect every day. Every night after working, all of my members sat together and did summary and reflection. They wrote the questions down and discussed the answers, everyone described their solutions. At first, I did not get comfortable to do that, but I understood the meaning of doing that gradually. That is a process of developing thoughts. Through asking questions, thinking and listening to others, we can figure out the solutions to fix the problems and find out the meaning of doing. I believe

this custom I learned can help me go further on my career road. Because when I am working on the Wall Street, I can reflect myself every day and I believe that I can improve my working and help my customers more. In summary, I learned the spirit of Americans, keeping healthly and reflecting every day. In my opinion, health is the foundation for a person to do everything, and reflecting is a tool to improve selves. Therefore, I believe that these two things I learned in the U.S. must be the most significant keys to help me to reach my career goal.

THE NEXT ISV MAGAZINE MARGARET W. WONG SCHOLARSHIP WILL BE AWARDED FOR SPRING 2016. PLEASE VISIT WWW.ISVMAG.COM FOR DETAILS.

What is the ISV Spotlight Award? To put the spotlight on an international student who not only cares about his/her campus community, but who also takes an active leadership role and serves as a positive role model for all students.

ISV SPOTLIGHT! IN SID’S OWN WORDS: My time at UC has been an amazing time for self-discovery. Being an all-round student earned me the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges (Who’s Who) Award for the school year 2014-2015. I have had to encounter stressors inherent to being a student leader in addition to the stress faced by graduate students who spend more time in their labs rather than at home. But that did not stop me from striking a balance between my primary role as a student and that of a student leader; in fact, it has made the experience more enjoyable. I believe that the fruits of my labor may not be realized tomorrow or next month or even next year, but someday I am sure somebody will benefit out of it.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOICE MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHT AWARD WINNER IS SID THATHAM Nicole Jenkins, Program Manager, UC International Services at the University of Cincinnati shared the following about Sid:

id Thatham is a leader among students at the University of Cincinnati. Recently, Sid’s work with assisting fellow international students on campus caught the attention of our University’s President, Santo Ono, who has an enormous following on social media. President Ono tweeted “The sky’s the limit for Sid Thatham”. That single sentence describes Sid perfectly.

Sid is driven and enthusiastic. Most importantly, he is a genuinely nice guy. He is also very busy. He volunteers for events all over campus and spreads the word to his fellow students through as many means as possible: Facebook, Instagram, email, classroom visits, reaching out to various student organizations, and more. As an international graduate student from India, Sid has certainly made his mark on our campus.

I plan and organize events for international students. Sid first began working with me as a volunteer. He has now worked for me in a paid capacity for two years. He works tirelessly to encourage other students to get involved with on-campus groups and campus events. Sid has served our campus in numerous ways over his tenure at UC. The top three most influential positions that he has held at UC include President of the Indian Student Association, Student Orientation Leader, and Graduate Assistant (GA) at UC International. The GA position, which I supervise, provides full tuition funding and a stipend to cover living expenses. As you can imagine, these GA positions are very competitive. I specifically recruited Sid to work as a Graduate Assistant for my office because I saw his leadership potential. In early 2015, Sid sat on the Executive Board of TEDx 2015, which brought the first ever TED Talk to UC. Most recently, Sid cofounded a service called “UC Airport Ride”, which organizes free rides to the airport for students during spring and winter breaks at UC. It is evident that Sid is a self-starter and is motivated. Sid surrounds himself with other active people on this campus so that, together, they can meet the needs and requests of students. This is why he caught the attention of our University President!

www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

GETTING TO KNOW

›››

MALENA HUY

HOME COUNTRY: CAMBODIA COLLEGE: LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

1. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE?

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO IN YOUR FREE-TIME?

My cousins studied here before and they said good things. Before I had no idea about what college to go to. I had family in Long Beach that I knew I could stay with. I didn’t even know the difference between the different types of colleges in the U.S. before I came. I understand it better now and I really love the U.S. community college system because they offer students a lot of help and it is cheaper. Plus, you can transfer to some really good and famous universities.

I really love nature photography and to sometimes go on hikes. But I am mellow, and I like to stay at home, study, and sleep.

2. WHAT WAS YOU ENGLISH PREPARATION BEFORE STARTING COLLEGE? I studied English for four years in Cambodia. But before I started college at Long Beach City College I enrolled in their Intensive English program called the American Language and Culture Institute. This program was great at helping me improve my English, get to know the United States, and what the expectations are for starting college in the U.S.

3. WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER AMERICANS WHAT IS OFTEN THEIR PERCEPTION OF CAMBODIA? Well, I sometimes get the response, “Where is Cambodia?” It doesn’t upset me that they do not know where Cambodia is, but I will tell them that it is a small country in Asia and we have this really famous place called Angkor Wat. But there are also many Americans that know Cambodia and would like to visit Cambodia in the future.

5. WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT CAMBODIA? I miss my parents a lot and because of the time difference it can be hard to Skype sometimes. A lot of my Cambodian friends here miss the food in Cambodia, but I actually like the food in the U.S. and don’t really miss Cambodian food.

6. WHO IS YOUR ROLE-MODEL AND WHY? I would say Ellen Degeneres because she is kind, strong, honest, and she treats everyone the same.

7. WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT IN THE UNITED STATES? Language is the most difficult part for me because it is not my primary language. There is a lot of vocabulary that I still do not know. It takes me a long time to read articles and I often need to re-read them. I never really liked reading in my own language, so this is difficult, but I am learning a lot.

8. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? I am looking to transfer to a four-year college to get my BA degree. I don’t know where yet because I don’t know my major yet. I know I want to stay in Southern California because I love it here. Interview by Katherine Murrin Long Beach City College kmurrin@lbcc.edu

International Student Voice Magazine

GETTING TO KNOW

››› SRILAKSHMI DEVARAKONDA

HOME COUNTRY: INDIA COLLEGE: CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND, OHIO

SRILAKSHMI WORKS AS A SPOKEN ENGLISH MENTOR. SHE SAID THAT AS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HERSELF, SHE UNDERSTANDS THE STRUGGLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS EXPERIENCE.

ri is a graduate student from India who is now studying Master’s degree in nutrition science at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Sarah Dellinger, Assistant Director of ESS Spoken English Programming called her as “a wonderful and helpful student who is always willing to assist.” Sri began her program in Fall 2014. She said the first fall was challenging because she was not used to the American accent and too shy to talk in class. She also had her struggles with writing papers. However, she felt better when she started her second semester. She became used to the schoolwork load and received a scholarship. Sri has been an active student since she started working with the Office of Education Student Services (ESS). The ESS office was

also where she met her good friend, Ashley who helped her with American culture and pronunciation. Right now, Sri works as a Spoken English Mentor to international students. She said that as an international student herself, she understands the struggles international students experience. She wants to support students by helping them learn how to study better and embrace the exciting “global setting” of studying in the U.S. Sri finished her undergraduate education in India and her major was nutrition. She worked as a dietitian for two years before she came to America for higher education. She thinks highly of American education because she thinks she has learned more application of her knowledge than pure “numbers”. Sri is very thankful for the family

support she had for pursuing education in the U.S. She specially mentioned that she wants to thank her uncle and aunt for being supportive of her choice. Sri told me she wants to be a professor of nutrition science in the U.S. To achieve this goal, she wants to further her education and earn a PhD. Sri is from Kolkata in southern India, a tropical city without snow in winter. She said she had “snow shock” when she first saw the snow in Ohio. She said she was excited about the snow for one week before she realized the inconvenience that snow brought. Written by Lusi Cai Graduate Student Journalism and Mass Communication

www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | November 2015

A NEW LIFE ABROAD: BALI INDONESIA Over the past year, as the winner of our previous student photo contest, Olivia Crosby has been blogging about her study abroad experience in Indonesia. You can read all her entries on our website www.isvmag.com. Please enjoy a few of her blog posts and how studying abroad changed her life.

A VISIT TO THE BALIAN

ealing in Bali involves the traditional healer which is called Balian. A Balian is able to understand and treat problems arising from both supernatural and natural causes according to Suryani and Jemsen (1992). The Balinese generally go to the Balian first if there is any mental disorder that they feel comes from behavior or emotional symptoms. In my Culture, Psychopathology and Healing class we discussed how Balinese believe the mind and the body are connected. They feel that what they think is how they feel. This is the reason why many people give in when they are denied from a job or being able to get the spouse they want. This is a very different aspect of culture since I’m so used to seeing people having the mentality to strive for what you want or even fighting for things that will benefit you. I was very impressed at the healer while he was treating a family of four. As I observed the healer examining the family he automatically knew what the family needed. He told the husband and wife they needed more love within their family and to have patience with their daughter. The healer then focused his eyes to the daughter and I’m guessing his instinct told him what was wrong. Without even touching the young girl, he asked the parents if she had a problem with her side and the mother shook her head yes. At this point I was amused at how he can know her problem without examining her. The next thing he mentioned was that she would start to become aroused which I feel this was very universal. At her age, puberty is very common and having arousal is normal. The last thing I witnessed which I felt was impressive was when he examined her head and mentioned her having problems and a big imagination. The expression across the mother’s face simply told the audience the healer knew what he was talking about. The father responded by saying they went to many doctors that were not able to help. The healer then indicated that he was unaware if her imagination was good or bad because she was so young. I wish I could’ve stayed to hear more of what the Balian was going to say, however, we left for lunch. My intentions were to come to the healer before I got my menstrual cycle. I knew if I came while I was on it I would be tense and very anxious. I wasn’t uncomfortable during the healer visit, however, I was surprised when he didn’t mention anything about my sinus or my ears. I was expecting these comments because lately my allergies have been flaring up. Another shocking point occurred when I felt more pain with his fingers then with his needle. I believed I heard him mention that it was the power that made me feel the pain. Along with this I was astonished at how he relieved the pain so fast. Dr. Raghavan informed me that he said I’m unfocused and anxious. After pondering on the unfocused part, I’m unsure if he was referring to my next step in life such as what will I major in for graduate school or unfocused with my career goal. Overall, the visit to the Balian was useful and a great experience because it allowed me to take part in something a part of Balinese culture.

“I WAS VERY IMPRESSED AT THE HEALER WHILE HE WAS TREATING A FAMILY OF FOUR. AS I OBSERVED THE HEALER EXAMINING THE FAMILY HE AUTOMATICALLY KNEW WHAT THE FAMILY NEEDED.” 8

International Student Voice Magazine

VISITING A “GREEN SCHOOL” IN INDONESIA

he green school was a great experience. This school is a great way to save energy, money and resources. As we walked through all the different areas of the green school our tour guy, Chris, explained that each little hut was made from bamboo or some recycled item such as old window shields. Along the road we also came across the school kitchen. On the side of the kitchen was a natural stove which was built by the students. The stove was fueled by cow poop! The school itself is also made from bamboo. You can look at this as being a way to save indoor air quality. This is beneficial to help the lives of local people so they can learn to use their resources efficiently. Another part of this tour that amazed me was the vortex and the garbage collector made by the fifth graders. The vortex was amazing to see because it was built by bamboo and it helped the flow of the water through the whole school. This helps remove toxic materials from places where children learn and play. The kids also go learn about saving the environment as well as getting a good education. This is another way to look at how a different culture can help an environment because Balinese don’t usually recycle and this method is actually well known around Indonesia. The vortex is also an energy saver. It helps to conserve fresh drinking water and helps manage storm water runoff. Statistics state that green schools use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than constructed schools. One thing I noticed as well is the need to encourage recycling. In each of the bathrooms there were toilet bowls without water. The toilets were only operated to just use tissue. Lastly, the green school displayed a huge idea to promote habitat protection. Two species of birds by the name of Balinese Sterling and the Mitchell Larky lived around the school. There were six Balinese Starlings and these birds ranged from 5,000 rupiah a piece if caught and sold. The Mitchell Larky are nearly instinct. They had a female and male and the goal was to mate them, however, they were unsuccessful for six months. The green school is developing a way to help save a bird species and involving the kids which is a great idea because they can go to their families and friends and spread the word.

“OVERALL, THIS EXPERIENCE MADE ME REALIZE HOW MUCH ENERGY AND MONEY CAN BE SAVED WHEN YOU USE NATURAL RESOURCES.” www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

I WILL NEVER FORGET... In partnership with Dr. Robert A. Eckart, the Executive Director of the Combined ESL Programs 2.0 at the Ohio State University, current ESL students shared their essays with International Student Voice Magazine. Students wrote essays based on the theme, “I will never forget…” related to their experience in the U.S.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME I CRIED IN AMERICA

By: Yongdan Wang Country: China

’ll never forget the first time I cried in America. Unlike most international students, I arrived in America in advance to adapt to the life using English and then participated in a summer intensive language program organized by The Ohio State University. Before coming to campus, I went to my uncle’s home in Austin, Texas. As a result, I needed to transfer from the Los Angeles International Airport to Dallas International Airport on my own. Before I left my parents from Shanghai Pudong, I did not feel depressed, sad, or anything negative. Instead of that, I was eager to complete things on my own and would like to prove whether I was independent enough as the adults who can take care of themselves. Even though I found that I was really bad at speaking English fluently, I succeeded in arriving in the destination finally.

However, good things did not last forever. After arriving in America, I felt

overwhelmed that I cannot understand Americans’ conversation at all, and I even cannot figure out their topics or themes. When I went to the Microsoft store, telephone store, and even restaurants, I acted like an illiterate who was not able to understand their language and was afraid of talking to people in English. Plus, sometimes I even got confused when my cousin who was only six years old said something in English. I mean her pronunciation was perfect and spoke almost like domestic kids. I began to feel unconfident and sad about my poor listening and speaking. More importantly, I felt homesick when I saw my cousin’s colorful childhood, harmonious family, and meaningful education. I started to wonder why I had to go away from my family and study abroad. I was at a loss about why I came here because I liked spending time with my family and apparently I was not good at English. When I kept thinking about all

these things, I cried hysterically and wildly without any control. However, I think this is a normal thing for everyone who will leave home for a long time. Eventually, I calmed down about my situation and understood what actions I need to take after crying. I would like to seize the initiative to talk with Americans, like consulting workers in the office and people in the front registration desk, dealing with the problem of my debit cards and becoming more active than before in the SILP class. In fact, what I need to do, and what everyone else needs to do, is just be ourselves, trying our best, and never putting too much pressure on ourselves.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME I LEFT HOME

By: Meredith Zhang Country: China

never forget the first time I left home. On my final day at home, I just woke up when my mom walked in the living room. In fact, I did not sleep well my last night. I got up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, and then checked that if I forgot anything. My sister and brother helped me put my luggage into the car. I just sat on the chair and did not know what I should do. After a bit, my brother-in-law told me we should go. I stood up and walked toward the outside. When I passed the room where my grandmother and

International Student Voice Magazine

I lived, I looked at my grandmother, who was still sleeping. She is the person I did want to leave the most, because we lived together since I was a child. In other words, she raised me up. She was 90 years old now, and she has dementia, so she did not even know I would leave for a long time. I felt so sad about that. When I was almost on the verge of tears. I just went on. I did not dare to keep looking at her.

My mom, my sister, my brother-in-law, and my brother would see me off at the airport, but my father would not go with

“THE FIRST WALK ON CAMPUS MADE ME FEEL LIKE I FOUND ANOTHER HOME A THOUSAND MILES AWAY FROM MY HOMETOWN.” I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME I WALKED AROUND THE OSU CAMPUS

We started our tour at the Oval, which is a big area of lawn in the shape of an oval and it is one of the landmarks of OSU. The Oval was quiet and there were many cute squirrels jumping around. The beautiful scenery on the Oval made me fall in love with the school immediately. Then we walked through the Oval to Thompson Library. The library was big and it is a good place to study. After that, we went to the RPAC, which is an amazing fitness center with all kinds of

workout equipment. We also went to see the swimming pool, and it was so nice that I want to spent a whole day there. At last, we went to our dormitory, Morrill Tower. On our way to the dorm, we saw Ohio Stadium. It is a magnificent structure with a long history, and I was excited by imagining the stadium filled with thousands of people watching football games there. Our dormitory was neat and tidy and it had a beautiful view outside the window. Everything was perfect and I couldn’t wait to move into the dorm. The campus was large, I was kind of tired after walking around for more than an hour, but I was more proud to

us. I did not know why. When we were on the way to the airport, I just looked outside without saying anything. I was afraid I would cry in front of my family. But finally, I could not control myself…I cried. My mom cried too. When we arrived at the airport, my mood was okay and I had also stopped crying. I found my friend at the airport, Jessica, who would go to the same college with me. Her family was also there. It was my first time ever going to the airport, so I did

not know what I should do. I just followed Jessica. After we checked our baggage, we moved to the security check. Jessica said: ”Let’s go there.” I was confused and asked her if my parents would go with us. She said no. At that moment, I felt shocked and cried again. I did not even hold that–I just cried out loud. My mom and sister asked me stop crying, comforted me while wiping my tears away silently. Finally we said goodbye to each other, and I went into the security check.

By: Yulan Yu Country: China

will never forget the first time I walked around the OSU campus. When I first arrived at the campus of The Ohio State University, I was very excited and curious about everything. My friends and I took a campus tour, and since it was still in summer break, there were few students on the campus. The weather was nice and friendly and the school was nearly empty, so we had a really great chance to walk around the campus and get to know the school we are going to spend four years at.

have such a great university. Although it was a completely new environment for me, I am sure I will get used to everything easily. The first walk on campus made me feel like that I found another home a thousand miles away from my hometown.

www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

‘DO IT YOURSELF’ IN THE U.S. By: Guanlin Lu University of New Mexico

hen I came to the U.S. two months ago, I didn’t know that most of Americans like to complete some work by themselves. I like to do some small work by myself, but I hadn’t filled up the tank or repaired my cars before I came to the U.S. To my surprise, I have to do such work in the U.S. I remember the scene when I just bought a used car and was driving home. I was excited but I found the tank was going empty, so I drove to a gas station. Then a big challenge came to me because when I arrived at the gas station I found no staff outside the office. I thought there should have had some staff to help me to fill up the tank because in China they all give that service but I was disappointed. Since I could not find any

International Student Voice Magazine

staff, I drove out of the gas station and called my friend to come to help me. He drove his car from home and taught me how to fill up the tank and how to use my credit card to pay the fee in the machine. Several days later, I found one of the lamps of the rear lights was out and I ought to change to a new one, or I would be fined by the police. When I asked one of my friends where I could get a service to change the lamp, he looked at me with a strange smile and told me that I had better do it by myself because in the U.S. almost all drivers know how to change a car’s lamp. So I searched on the internet to study how to change the lamp and bought a new lamp to replace the old one. It was not difficult to open the trunk and find the old lamp and

replace the new one, but it was interesting for me because that was the first time to do it by myself. I was glad when I finished it successfully. In China, it is very easy to ask for a worker of the repair shop to buy and replace a component part without paying any extra labor fee. But in the U.S., the labor fee is so expensive that drivers would rather do it by themselves. Nowadays I am driving my car every day and have learned many skills to check and repair the car. I like to study and do it by myself because this is an important part of the culture of the U.S. I have learned that everyone should learn how to ‘do it yourself ’ in the U.S.

BE A VOICE FOR YOURSELF

AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

noch Sun sat on the airplane for his first trip to the United States very excited, but also very nervous. “Oh my God,” he remembered thinking. “I was so overwhelmed.” Enoch studies sociology of law, criminology and deviance at the University of Minnesota. He knew he would have to leave China to follow his passion, but it wasn’t easy at first. “I had to go through everything myself,” Enoch explained. “The first day I arrived in Minnesota I used the airport pickup service from the university. There was a lady who was trying to be nice to me because I was new. She was telling me lots of things about the university, but I couldn’t understand her! It was a struggle. That was the first day of my college life.” Enoch arrived a week before orientation to attend the iSuccess program. This is a preorientation program for new international students to help with their adjustment to the university. The program includes bringing in different people from different resources on campus, campus tours, how to succeed in the classroom, and much more. “I like the connections we made in that program,” Enoch said. “I still hang out with those people I met during the program, we are best friends. The connections really helped me adjust to the culture and practice my English.” Enoch is now a prime example of an international student leader on campus. One major involvement on campus is volunteering at the Aurora Center, a place that provides safety and confidentiality for victims/survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence or stalking. “I was so fascinated that in America they talk about these things, a friend and I decided to volunteer,” Enoch explained. “I am a direct service volunteer and I do on call shifts. I keep my cell phone so if survivors need help or if someone has questions, they can call the 24 hour phone line and the call gets transferred to me.”

By: Carrie Circosta Editor in Chief

Enoch also serves on the Minnesota Student Association, the student government at the university. His role is the International Students Subcommittee Director and At-Large Representative. “We focus on things important to international students,” Enoch explained. “Such as the international student fee, how to get more resources for international students, we let international students know how to get information about scholarships and career services.” Enoch learned about getting involved with student government from the iSuccess program. Though he’s not much into politics, he does enjoy helping others. “International students don’t have a close relationship with student government,” Enoch shared. “They needed someone to speak up for international students. If I wasn’t there, would there be changes to help international students?” In addition to volunteering and serving as a voice for international students, Enoch is a first-year experience class section leader, helping freshmen students adjust to the university. He also plans events once a month as a peer facilitator in Pioneer Hall, a residence hall on campus. “I really like living on campus, we have a living learning community called Student Crossing Borders,” Enoch shared. “This is where domestic and international students live together and learn about religion, food, and culture. It’s a great environment for people to learn. I feel like it’s home for me.” Having gone from being an overwhelmed international student to a prominent student leader, Enoch hopes other international students will become involved on campus as well, especially with student government. “We’re the minority on campus, there are not a lot of people who can speak up for us and there are still some issues that need our involvement,” Enoch explained. “Get involved simply because you can work out the issues you feel are unfair at the university. The changes can influence the whole international student population. If you experienced it, that means another international student experienced the same thing.” One thing that sometimes holds back international students from getting involved is the fear of speaking English in public. Enoch said that shouldn’t hold anyone back. “Be proud of your accent and your identity,” Enoch shared. “There shouldn’t be shame. We all have accents, but that is our identity. That represents your country. I am very proud of my accent and I would encourage others not to be afraid. Speak up for yourself and for other international students!”

THE FUTURE APPEARS IN THIN AIR

In January 2013, International Student Voice Magazine published an article written by Mya Yee Nandar entitled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Journey of 7,000 Miles Began with a Single Snakeâ&#x20AC;?. In this article, she described an experience in a small Burmese Himalayan village that resulted in her determination to become a nurse and to eventually open a clinic in the village. In this update, Nandar returns to the mountain village six years later while on her last summer break prior to graduating from the School of Nursing at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in May 2016. 14

Sometimes, maturity doesn’t seem to grow with age and experience. Dozens of times I have said goodbye to my 90-yearold grandmother and other loved ones before I leave Mandalay and Burma. It does not matter how much I try to cope and pretend to be cool, the uncontrollable tears rain in my eyes when the moment comes. There is an absolutely indescribable fear and sense of impending doom of losing someone while I’m away.

his phobia of not being able to see members of my family again plays in my head like a motion picture repeatng in a never ending loop. I remember clearly the miserable day that I found out that my mother’s life journey had ended. I was rushing to get back home from my overseas studies. My values, customs and traditions and strongbond to my family and to my country had been temporarily subordinated to my intense desire to obtain a good education and the sense of guilt that I had made the wrong choice was overwhelming. This conflict returns as I make my way to the Yangon International Airport. I am thrilled to be heading back to the University of Hawaiiat Hilo to my complete my final year as a nursing student, yet I leave Burma with sadness and reluctance. It is an unfair battle that I can never win and it makes me weary and stressed.

encourages me to think better thoughts. I pull out my recorder and listen to a lecture I recorded of one of lastyear’s classes. I hear familiar voices from my classmates chattering before the class begins. There she is, Dr. Davis describing the proper method to read an EKG. I listen while watching the beautiful white clouds drifting past the window.

INTO THIN AIR... My mind wonders back to a special trip I made during my summer holiday. I was also listening to one of Dr. Davis’ lectures while I flew over a different evergreen forest as I approached Puta O, a small town in the northern most corner of Burma situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. Puta O is the closest town my ultimate destination, the remote village of San Kaung. More importantly, it has an airport, although the thin air at this high altitude requires special skill by the airline pilots. The next closest ‘large’ northern town is Myitkyina, about 200 miles south. However, the roads are so rudimentary that it can take more than a month to travel by land between the two towns.

Nandar and her 90-year-old grandmother On the flight I dip my hand into my bag and I feel a small oily sack withsomething hard inside wrapped in a cotton handkerchief. I wonder what it is. I unwrap it to find that Granny has given me a surprise gift --sticky rice and fried banana with two eggs that she must have put in my bag the night before so that I would have something delicious to eat in the flight. I take a deep breath while looking out of the window and see endless green forest. I am chewing the tasty sticky rice and the sweetness

The airport at Puta O

I could see from the air that the forests were different here. Some small areas were like a marvelous green velvet blanket, where red rivers and creeks wound through the

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

mountains as if they were the veins of a beautiful green lady. Sadly, it was obvious that large tracts of that green velvet blanket had been destroyed through clear cutting. I could see that mother earth was displaying tremendous forgiveness by struggling to heal these wounds. Nature wants to heal. If only it could heal the distrust, fear, disparity, hatred, civil war and uncertainty that has torn at my homeland for so many decades. This large scale deforestation has placed the local people’s lives at tremendous risk. The landslides from erosion on the denuded mountains have caused great damage and taken many lives. To make matters worse, the seemingly permanent state of civil war has arrested any potential for economic and social development, seemingly for centuries. As a Burmese proverb says, ‘if you keep poking a wound, it will never heal.’ The civil war has been poking at the wounded lives of the villagers for so long that the idea that healing is even possible is beyond their dreams. Hatred, bitterness and distrust are abundant. Anything that might improve the people’s security, health, education, etc. are not.

LOOKING LIKE A DRENCHED MOUSE... I had been anticipating this journey back to San Kaung Village for more than half a decade. I was returning to this small mountain village where the inspiration and spirit that drives my pursuit of nursing skills and knowledge was born. My life’s mission began there and it will be realized there.

A bridge on the trek to San Kaung Village

However, instead of being a tour guide leading foreigners on a mountain trek as I was doing years ago, I was now returning as a fourth year nursing student, eager to assure the villagers that they hadn’t been forgotten.

International Student Voice Magazine

A villager welcomes Nandar back following a six-year absence

It’s getting dark. The cold monsoon rain begins. After trekking for a few hours, I arrive at my final destination. San Kaung Village is the second to last village before Pone KanRazi snow-capped mountain, one of Southeast Asia’s tallest. I am standing in the middle of a mud lane, soaked to the skin, looking like a drenched mouse. I squint, searching for a familiar face as if I am seeking a shadow in the dark. It all seems unknown and uncertain. The thoughts of cheerful times in Hawaii, my nursing classmates and the predictability of that life seems a solar system away. I am standing here alone in the red muck with large bags full of medications and books to donate and a blood pressure cup and a stethoscope to conduct some primary health observations. My honeymoon do-gooder fantasy is as drenched as I am. Wake up, this is real life. I see the shape of woman with a large bamboo hat walking towards me in the downpour. I greet her. While looking at me she seems to be probing the depth of her memory. Then she smiles broadly. Her cheeks rise up to her eyes and she says, “Ahhhh, hey, I know you. You were here six or seven years ago, right? We thought you were killed in the battles or arrested for being an activist.” I laugh with relief and joy and say, “Yes, it is me. I am back as I promised.” We hold

each other’s hands tightly. We giggle with rejoice and glee as if we were children. We forget for the moment that we are in the monsoon rain. She begins to call out the names as we pass each house and she brings me into one of them; others soon follow.

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE... More villagers gather in the open kitchen. Some of them clearly recognize me. We greet each other laughing out loud at their comments about my appearance such as, “You are fat” which is a compliment in Burma. We talk about how my life has been over the past six years, about my nursing school and my future plans to bring healthcare to this village once I have graduated from the University of Hawaii. I later discover that many of the people that I met years before do not live in the village anymore. Some of them died young from poor health or awful accidents. Some of them moved away permanently, seeking a more secure and prosperous life. Apparently, during these six years, the hatred between the minorities and the government troops has grown dramatically. As the majority of government troops are Burman, the ethic group that makes up 60 percent of Burma’s population, they harbor a strong hatred of all things and people Burman. Yet here I am, not only a

Traditional medicine

relative stranger but also a Burman, wishing to do whatever I can to assist them with their healthcare needs and listening with friendship to their voices. I can see the deep suspicion in the eyes of the Village Chief. In this dysfunctional and conflicted situation, I am fully aware that building trust is the most important task. Both during and since the British colonial period, Burma’s multiethnic society has been effectively controlled through a strategy of divide and conquer. These divisions are compounded through the extreme disparities between urban and rural and the resultant feelings of jealousy and inferiority. One school teacher in the village commented that he is sick and tired of these circumstances saying, “At the end of middle school, our students are not becoming anything but hard labor workers or housemaids or servants.” The local school where 300 students study has only three outdoor toilets with no running water or even a well. Animal droppings are everywhere. Along with the civil war, dysentery and gastrointestinal tract infections are part of the villagers’ day to day struggles. A villager tells me that she thinks that dysentery is caused by eating fresh bananas. My studies have made me increasingly aware of the essential value of preventative health education, even at its most basic. I was able to conduct a hand washing and hygiene education clinic at the school using gongs as a prop to engage the students, a modest but important activity. I had developed this idea as a class assignment and here I was implementing it 7,000 miles away.

However my studies at the School of Nursing at UH Hilo, in particular transcultural nursing, also taught me that cultural sensitivities and related challenges should stop me from imposing my own beliefs on others. Dr. Kinney and Dr. Daub stressed that I had to be aware of my own personal and cultural values and biases and to take the time to understand those of others as prerequisites to providing culture-specific nursing practices that promote health or well-being in culturally meaningful ways. Listening, observing and learning must be my very first steps in this Himalayan village. I learn that the male sitting at the top of the circle surrounding the open fire is the head of the family. I learn that the villagers have little understanding of or respect for western medicine. Virtually all of the villagers rely on local herbal leaves, roots and animals as the source of their medicines. They believe that eating soup made from porcupine stomachs can cure an upset stomach. They believe that drinking tea made from the leaves and branches of a particular tree that grows on the snowy highland lands can heal a fractured bone. It becomes clear that there are hundreds of such traditional beliefs and practices. I have so much to learn.

“I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONNECT THE LEARNINGS FROM MY WESTERN EDUCATION TO THE REALITIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITTLE RESPECT FOR THIS KNOWLEDGE.” CONNECTING HAWAII AND THE HIMALAYAS... I am less than one year away from the completion of my BScN degree, a journey that began with a deadly snake bite in this remote mountain village so many years ago. The challenges ahead are many and I know that I will encounter a great deal of resistance and many barriers at all levels of Burmese society. I have to figure out how to connect the learnings from my western education to the realities of people who have little respect for this knowledge. I have to find a means to collaborate with doctors in Burma who often seem to treat patients with distain. I have to navigate a system in which nurses are considered to be a little more than servants. Will the government grant me a permit to open a clinic in this village? Will the villagers even accept a Burman in the midst of ethnic civil war and acrimony? Somehow I am both very fearful and extremely optimistic.

Villagers at home

www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

MY FIRST I

have a story to share, an Aggie story.

My first night in the United States was full of adventures and so is my journey after that night. But before I start, here is a little background you need to know. During my first year of Bachelor of Technology degree back in India, I realized that engaging with people on an international platform and exposure to other cultures would give me an opportunity to enhance my long term career prospects and the experience would also give me additional self-confidence, independence, and cross cultural skills. So I decided to transfer internationally to finish my undergraduate degree. I researched universities and colleges around the world and finally choose to come to the United States of America. I ranked Texas A&M University among the top five universities for Electrical Engineering in the US. I received other offers, and had everything in order to go to IIT Chicago – including my visa, airline tickets and $300 nonrefundable deposit. I was about to depart when at the last minute I got my acceptance letter from Texas A&M University. I was accepted! However, I had to retake my TOEFL exam because TAMU requires a score of 100, so I was just three points short. I did this, then I petitioned the U.S. Embassy in Hyderabad to change my visa from IIT to TAMU – they were bewildered why I would make a change like this when couple weeks before I made my case for IIT Chicago. I explained to them why coming to Texas A&M University was

International Student Voice Magazine

By: Yashwant Prakash Vyas Texas A&M University

NIGHT so important to me. I not only had to repeat the entire process but I also had to cancel my initial tickets. And now that I was finally ready to embark on my journey there were hardly any plane rides available and barely any time to reach out to current students at Texas A&M University for any arrival help. But this was least of my concern as all that I was worried about was not to miss the last new student conference of the fall semester. So I worked with whatever options I had and started my journey. So, after a 15 hour train ride, five airports later (approximately some 35 hours), jet-lagged and a whole new world away, I reached the Easterwood airport in College station the night before my new student conference. Also, this was my first time travelling on a plane. Early that day there was a shooting near college campus killing a student. While waiting for my connecting flight at Dallas airport I thought, what a warm welcome. I arrived in College Station already scared and in addition to that, an hour later after midnight, the airport authorities informed me that the airport was closing and I had to leave. I was shocked as I never heard of an airport closing before in my life and I had nowhere to go since I could not check in at my temporary accommodation since the office didn’t open until 7 a.m. However, I took a taxi from the airport

IN THE

USA and decided to wait in the waiting area outside the leasing office. After waiting for an hour, a guy approached me and started questioning. “Are you an international student? Did you just arrive? Do you need a place to spend rest of the night?” At the end of his little investigation he asked me to wait there for him while he comes back with his friends to help me. Although I agreed to wait for him, I was scared half to death thinking that him and his friends were planning to rob or kidnap me. A couple minutes after he left, I dragged my two, 64-inch bags, a carryon bag, and a laptop bag two blocks away from the leasing office. I have no idea where I got the energy to do so. Next, I requested a pedestrian to call a taxi for me. I loaded my luggage into the taxi the minute he came and asked him to take me to the campus. While he was driving, I realized that there was an African American lady smoking cigar in his front seat and the driver

was Mexican American. Provided that all I knew about America was from the media and Hollywood movies, I was scared to death thinking that I was better off on street than in the taxi. In the span of that short minute, I thought of all possible bad things that could take place. Although scared, I requested the driver if I could borrow his phone to call the international student services emergency line. He kindly allowed me to use his phone, however, I was told that the emergency number was to be used only if I was bleeding or getting deported. I had no idea where to go from there. However, the kind lady suggested the driver to drop me at a hotel close to the campus. I felt very stupid after she made the suggestion thinking why I did not think of that option myself. Maybe I was too tired to think. The night ended and with the sun rising, I started my journey as an Aggie at Texas A&M University. I am sharing this story with you because I learned a valuable lesson that night. There are so many stereotypes in our community. It is foolish to even consider these stereotypes. Life is too short to believe in something that the society has made up instead of experiencing first-hand the truth. If not for these kind people, I do not know what I would have done that night. This incident strengthened my belief that no matter what people are kind and good at heart. Who knows, the guy I first met had pure intentions of helping me and I regret I will never know. That night I learned never to be afraid to ask for help.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING THAT THE SOCIETY HAS MADE UP INSTEAD OF EXPERIENCING FIRST-HAND THE TRUTH.â&#x20AC;? www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

HEALTHY AND HAPPY WITH GABRIELA LAGUNA LEON My name is Gabriela Laguna Leon and I am an international student from Venezuela. I came to the USA with a tennis scholarship and I went to Stillman College (Alabama). Now I transferred, so I’m currently playing for Walsh University (Ohio). It’s has been a beautiful disaster, with many ups and downs, but overall a wonderful experience. With my blog I share my lifestyle, all my experiences with the food when I first came, those “freshman 15”… yeaa I was there for a while too, and my passion for tennis and fitness. I started to get very involved with fitness, so I’ve been with this I won’t say very consistently in the past until NOW! Now is the real deal… I really want to see some abs… I want to also become a personal trainer and an IFBB Fitness Bikini model and for that I need a lot of DISCIPLINE. I want to share a few recipes here and be sure to follow my blog! Visit www.isvmag.com

CHOCOLATE BANANA PANCAKES Ingredients: 1 large egg (usually I would add 1/4 of egg whites, but right now I don’t have) 1 medium banana 1/2 cup of oatmeal 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder 1 teaspoon of flax seeds Optional: Syrup sugar free (when is sugar free it tastes the same with a third less of calories, this will add up around 35 calories per tablespoon) Directions: 1. I put everything in the blender and wait about 10 minutes and add water (eye measure) so I get more :D! Another option is that if you like them very sweet you can add sweetener, but for me it is enough with the sweetness of the banana. Also, if you buy the oatmeal already as flour you just put everything in a bowl and there you go! 2. Make sure you use a non-stick pan so you don’t use any oil and wait until it heats to a medium temperature so when you put the pancakes in the pan they can cook without getting burned. Then turn them when you start seeing bubbles on the top! 3. This is very versatile recipe because just with the egg and the oatmeal you can get a pancake. I have made pancakes and waffles of everything with these two ingredients, which I will keep sharing plus many other breakfast recipes! 4. Considering breakfast is HIGHLY important this will keep you full longer because it has good carbs, it has protein and it has a lot of fiber!

SHREDDED CHICKEN FAJITA STYLE Ingredients: 1 Bag of chicken breast (5 pieces) or if you just want one, just boiled one (1 piece) 4 medium bell peppers (red, yellow, orange and green if you like) 1 medium white onion 1 tablespoon of diced garlic Salt and Pepper to taste (I added Mrs Dash without sodium) Spray Pam Directions: 1. First of all, put the chicken to boil in a big pan. You will know is ready because it’s very white and floating on the surface, when it boils you will see some white foam on the surface and I recommend you remove this foam. It will be fat anyway. 2. Cut all the veggies and feel free to add more. I really love veggies so I add a lot of them. 3. Put the veggies in a pan in medium heat and wait for a while. When they are somewhat cooked, add the chicken. I like to leave it for a while so the chicken gets a little bit toasted. Add some water and the rest of the ingredients, which are the condiments. 4. This recipe is versatile, you can put in Ziploc bags and freeze the ones you would not use, you just need to take them out and heat them so it will be ready to eat. If you cannot cook everyday then this is a good option for you to consider.

International Student Voice Magazine

TALK ABOUT

REVERSE CULTURE

SHOCK! I

t’s been a month since I got back, and talking about the reverse culture shock! Yes, I did find some things hard to readjust. 1) Hard to believe, but I’m not used to crowded grocery stores and crazy traffic in my home city of Shanghai anymore. The crowd makes me anxious sometimes. I don’t know what’s going on, but it looks like everyone is just so hyped and talking really loud. I drove in America, but I’m scared to drive here. I’d rather take subways and buses or even ride a bike. 2) The internet. Too many limitations in China! I cannot get on Facebook, Twitter, Google as I want. It really prevents me from contacting with my friends and keeping up with the news from all over the

By: Chuchu Xu Home Country: China Currently works as an administrative and visa officer at the Australian Consulate General in Shanghai, China.

world. Even though I found some ways to use those websites, it always takes forever. 3) In America, I liked to play sports and grab a drink at a bar with my friends. But here, my friends seem to be more interested in hanging out at KTVs, singing songs and playing card games. My friends had to teach me all the KTV games since I am so ‘outdated’. 4) Physically, it took me some time to get used to the humid weather in Shanghai. I got a little bit of a rash the first couple days. But it’s all good now.

www.isvmag.com

International Student Voice Magazine | Fall 2015

APPLY FOR OUR UPCOMING SCHOLARSHIPS! EVERY TWO WEEKS WE GIVE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT $100!

Microscholarships $100 Microscholarships begin January 25, 2016! Visit www.isvmag.com

How does it work?

An international student can enter to win by writing a short essay answering a question asked by ISV Magazine. Essays are generally 1-2 pages, double spaced. Previous essay questions have been related to learning English, health insurance, food, etc.

Who can apply?

An international student (college/university student on a J1 or F1 visa) studying in the United States during the 2015-2016 academic year. Students can be part time, full time, undergraduate, graduate, PhD seeking.

ONE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT WILL RECEIVE A $500 SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORED BY MARGARET W. WONG AND ISV MAGAZINE. We award this scholarship through an essay competition. Essays are generally 2-3 pages, double spaced. We award this scholarship to one student in the fall and one student in the spring.

ISV Magazine Margaret W. Wong Scholarship $500

Who can apply?

The topic for the essay will be announced January 11, 2016. Please visit www.isvmag.com

How does it work?

An international student (college/university student on a J1 or F1 visa) studying in the United States during the 20152016 academic year. Students can be part time, full time, undergraduate, graduate, PhD seeking.

International Student Voice Magazine

CONGRATULATIONS! WINNERS OF THE ISP AND ISV MAGAZINE GLOBAL GATOR SCHOLARSHIP For the second year, International Student Protection and ISV Magazine teamed up to award the Global Gator Scholarship. Three international students at the University of Florida eached received a $2,500 scholarship. Students had to submit a video showing the cultural and lifestyle differences between their home countries, the U.S., and the University of Florida. The videos were judged based on creativity and quality. The winners were recognized during International Education Week at the University of Florida campus.

SHICHANG LIAO

YING HE

ARNAV BHARTIYA

Home Country: China Major: Mechanical Engineering

Home Country: China Major: Digital Art

Home Country: India Major: Computer Science

www.isvmag.com

FIND AN INSURANCE PLAN RIGHT FOR YOU! Affordable, flexible insurance plans for international students! ISP plans are short-term health insurance policies designed to meet or exceed U.S. State Department insurance requirements. Find the plan that’s right for you! •International student or scholar traveling to the U.S. •U.S. student or scholar studying abroad •Temporary visitor traveling to the U.S.

Get started today by visiting us at www.intlstudentprotection.com Or contact us at info@intlstudentprotection.com 1-877-783-5787