International Parent and Family Orientation 2012
Welcome! Dear Parents, Welcome to Northwestern University! My name is Jayshree Raghavan and I am the International Orientation Coordinator for 2012. I will be welcoming your children, the future class of 2016, to Northwestern when I meet them at the International Student Orientation (ISO) in the fall. I am so excited! I am a senior majoring in both English Literature and International Studies, and I’m currently interning in New York City for the summer with JWT. At NU, I’m happily involved in many things: I have served on the Executive boards for the Global Engagement Summit and Northwestern University Model United Nations; I am the Editor-in-Chief of The195.com; and I’m a member of the International Student Association. Though I am thrilled to be in NYC at the moment, I can’t wait to go home to New Delhi, India for a few weeks in August. The trip will give me a chance to spend some time with my family and my two dogs before ISO ’12! The International Peer Advisors and I know first-hand what it’s like to travel so far from home to attend university, which is why we strive to cultivate a community that international students can rely on. This begins at ISO. We answer questions, explain procedures, and have a lot of fun! Please feel free to approach me with any concerns or questions you have during ISO. I look forward to meeting you all in a few short months. Until then, good luck helping your child with all that packing! Don’t forget to include some warm socks – Chicago winters can get chilly! Best, Jayshree
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Table of Contents
HOTELS……………………………………………4 TRANSPORTATION……………………………...5-7 CAMPUS MAP…………………………………….8-9 MEET THE IO STAFF……………………………10-11 NU SOCCER GAME INFO……………………...12 PARENT ORIENTATION SCHEDULE………….13
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BOOKING A HOTEL IN EVANSTON
If you have not arranged for a place to stay, the International Office recommends you check out these hotels. They are located in Evanston and very close to Northwestern University’s campus. They may offer discounts to NU students and their families, so be sure to tell them your child is a Wildcat!
EVANSTON HOTELS Margarita European Inn 1.847.869.2273 The Homestead 1.847.475.3300 The Orrington 1.847.866.8700 Hilton Garden Inn 1.847.475.6400 Best Western University Plaza 1.847.491.6400
It is a good idea to book your hotel room as early as possible because Evanston hotels tend to fill up fast during orientation times.
There are also many hotels available in the city of Chicago, at a variety of prices. Please visit www.hotels.com to find more information.
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TRANSPORTATION
GETTING TO NU FROM THE AIRPORT Chicago O'Hare International Airport is approximately an hour from Northwestern's Evanston campus. There are several options for getting from the airport to campus, depending on time and budget: Go Airport Express Shuttle Airport express provides shared rides from the airport to campus, and as a Northwestern student, you will receive a discount. Reserve your spot online AT LEAST 24 hours before your flight. You must be able to show yourI-20/DS-2019 from Northwestern to receive the student discount. If you are attending our Undergraduate Orientation Program, they should drop you off at Foster Walker. Cost is about $28. Taxi/Cab There are Taxi lines outside of the baggage claim area. You should join the line of others waiting for a taxi, and take the cab at the front of the line. Make sure that you only take cabs from the official taxi line, and do not accept rides from anyone soliciting inside the airport. This will cost roughly $40-45 with tip. Public transportation—Pace and CTA You can take Pace, the suburban public transit system into Evanston, and switch to the CTA, Chicago's public transit system. Pace is $1.75, and the CTA is $2.25. To do this, take the airport shuttle (free) to long-term parking/Pace. From there, take Pace bus route 250 from O'Hare to the Davis Street CTA station in downtown Evanston, and then pickup the CTA bus route 201 to campus. Get off at Foster.
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Chicago and Evanston have fantastic public transportation systems; however, being able to come and go as you please has its advantages. Should you decide to rent a car, we recommend reading the information provided on the following websites. CAR RENTAL TIPS TRAVELING BY CAR IN THE U.S.
EVANSTON AND CHICAGO
EVANSTON
EVANSTON CAMPUS
O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CHICAGO CAMPUS
MIDWAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (CTA) THE EL TRAIN
EVANSTON
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY EVANSTON CAMPUS
MEET THE STAFF OF THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Ravi Shankar Director
Originally from India, Ravi, has been in the profession of international education for twenty odd years. He spent his formative years in the UK; moved to India to complete his undergraduate degree and graduate degrees in English Literature-specializing in Commonwealth Literature, with particular emphasis on 19th and 20th century British Literature. In the late 70’s he moved to Kenya to squander his time in ideal musings; much to his chagrin, he was rudely awakened by the realities of the socio-political issues in Kenya: in particular the dynamics of international monetary aid, and its impact on culture and society. He enrolled in graduate school at the U.S. International University in Nairobi, and completed a M.S. in Management and Organizational Development. His research focus was on intercultural communications and the value systems within organizations. To further his interest in this field, he came to the U.S. in 1982 to study at the School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont. The rest, as they say is history! He enjoys running; reading and challenging his three children to become global citizens!
Nick Seamons was born and raised in the wilds of Idaho, and completed his undergraduate degrees at Idaho State University. He has spent time living, studying, and teaching in France. Upon his return to the United States, he worked for NAFSA: Association of International Educators in Washington, DC, where he centered his passion and focused on the dynamic elements of international education. Since 2006, he has served in various capacities in the International Office at Northwestern University, including as the coordinator for campus and community initiatives. Now the assistant director in that office, he works with both regulatory advising and supportive programming for the approximately 3,000 international students who call Northwestern home. He lives in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago and travels as often as time and finances allow.
Nick Seamons Assistant Director
Colleen got the travel bug at the early age of 12 when she visited Kenya with her aunt. She continued to make travel a priority, traveling to France in high school and spending a semester of college in the U.K which made traveling all over Europe a breeze. After graduating college, Colleen moved to New Zealand to work and travel. She met her future husband who was also traveling but they moved back to Chicago to be close to family. Luckily the travel bug wouldn't go away! They've since traveled to Costa Rica, Honduras and have dreams of many future trips across the world. Colleen has a BA in Psychology and a MA in Counseling. Colleen has been at the International Office for 5 years and enjoys working with students from all over the world.
Colleen Seaton Coordinator
Adam is originally from Iowa. He has been in the profession of international education for 15 years and at Northwestern for the last five. Adam has a B.A. from the University of Iowa and a M.Ed. from Loyola University – Chicago. As an undergraduate, Adam studied abroad in Spain and traveled throughout Europe. After completing his undergraduate degree, Adam was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea. He enjoys spending his time with his son, attending Big 10 athletic events, playing sports, traveling and reading.
Adam Blough International Student Advisor Page 10
Coryn Shiflet grew up in New York and was first bit by the travel bug after travelling to England, Scotland and Wales with the Northport High School Tour Choir. During her undergraduate studies at Penn State University, where she received her BA Sociology and Women’s Studies, she traveled with the University Choir to Italy and Austria and participated in a London Theater Study Tour. Coryn also studied Brazilian Art and Culture and fell in love with Brazil after her trip to Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. She traveled to Israel before starting her Master’s degree in Human Geography at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During graduate school she focused on Brazilian studies, began studying Brazilian Portuguese and spent a summer in Salvador, Bahia. Coryn began working at the International Office at Northwestern University in September 2008 and has since had the opportunity to travel again to the United Kingdom to visit her husband’s family and participated in the Baden-Württemberg Seminar in Germany in November 2011.
Coryn Shiflet International Student & Scholar Advisor
Debbie Kaltman was born and raised in the Chicago area and first traveled outside the US at the age of 14, when she went to the UK for a family wedding. She received her BA in Performance Studies and History from Northwestern and studied abroad in the Czech Republic and Ireland during her undergraduate years. After graduation, Debbie worked at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then returned to the Czech Republic for another year, teaching ESL in Prague and traveling throughout Europe. She is very proud of all of her passport stamps, especially those from her travels to Costa Rica, Peru, Israel and Italy. Debbie returned to Northwestern for her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, focusing on international education. She began working at the International Office in October 2011, making her the newest member of the team. In her free time, Debbie enjoys cheering on the Wildcats, spending time with friends and family, exercising, exploring Chicago and planning future travels!
Debbie Kaltman International Student & Scholar Advisor
Theresa was born in Kansas, moved to Illinois, and grew up in Arkansas before heading east to attend college in Washington, DC. She has a B.A. in International Studies from American University and an M.Ed. in International Education from George Washington University. During her time at AU she studied abroad spending a semester in Brussels and a semester in Paris. Although she has a minor in French, her language skills have become quite rusty. She is trying to fix this by taking classes at the Alliance Francaise here in Chicago! Theresa moved to the Windy City in August of 2011 to start working at the International Office. Before that she worked at the Institute of International Education with the Fulbright Scholar Program. Theresa loves that the IO is so close to the tennis courts since she loves to watch and play tennis! She also enjoys travelling, especially exploring new places on her bicycle!
Theresa Johnson International Scholar Advisor
Emlyn Torres Program Assistant
Emlyn grew up in Los Angeles, California. Her childhood travel involved ambitious road trips staged by her parents, traversing the lonely highways of the American Southwest and Pacific Northwest. Besides the whopping 2.5 hour trek across the border into Mexico, and a few trips to British Columbia, her first international experience was as a People to People Student Ambassador in the UK and Ireland when she was 13. In high school she had the opportunity to spend a summer living and volunteering in Kenya and Ethiopia, which has, one way or another, influenced most everything she has done since. While studying at Northwestern University (go ‘cats!) she lived in a garbage village in Cairo, Egypt, pitifully attempting to string together sentences in Arabic all the while, and working with a number of organizations in that community. Emlyn has a passion for service-learning and global education. She has volunteered with homeless shelters, disaster relief services, and Native American reservations all over the U.S. including Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and Oklahoma and worked on five different AIDS Walk campaigns in three American cities before finding her way into the field of international education where she loves having the opportunity to work with students from all over the world on a daily basis!
Despite having been born in Evanston, Cara has managed to maintain her impressive Australian lilt, which she acquired through living 12 years on the beautiful shores of Sydney. It was also on those beautiful shores that she taught ESL for Cambridge University Sydney, finished her Masters in Linguistics at Macquarie University, became a mother and spouse, and attempted to learn how to surf like someone not born with natural surfing abilities. Prior to living in the land of Sunshine, Cara acquired another accent, this one from the Alsace region in France, while studying at Strasbourg University. It was here that she learned to drink her coffee black, while pontification over poems by Baudelaire, and traipsing across Europe with nothing but a map and a Eurail ticket. Currently, she can be found digging around her garden, tending to both children and plants, and plotting her next overseas adventure…
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Cara Lawson Program Assistant
INTERNATIONAL PARENT & FAMILY ORIENTATION
Monday, September 17, 2012 11:30 am-8 pm While your son or daughter is attending International Student Orientation, please join us for our second annual International Parent and Family Orientation! Meet other international parents and the IO staff, and learn about academics and student life at Northwestern. Schedule 11:30 am-1:30pm 1:30-1:45 pm 2:00- 3:00 pm 3:15- 4:15 pm 4:30- 5:00 pm 5:00-6:00 pm 6:00-8:00 pm
Lunch Welcome Academic Information Student Panel Immigration Information Parent Reception Parent and Student Barbeque Dinner
Questions? Please email Debbie Kaltman at d-kaltman@northwestern.edu, or visit our website: northwestern.edu/international
RSVP here!
International Student Orientation September 15-19
Wildcat Welcome September 20-26
SEE YOU THERE!