Connection
Issue 20 | Volume 02
June 29, 2011
In this issue: Access Kicks Off!
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Get ready for a fun two weeks! Reminders/Announcements
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Reminders for the coming weeks IP Picnic
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Photos from the recent IP Picnic! Student Feature
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Honglip Park - Student Extraordinaire!
Upcoming events: Annie’s Farewell Thursday, June 30th Avery Park • 6pm 4th of July Monday, July 4th
Hellos and goodbyes Last week we said goodbye to our instructors and staff who went to join our colleagues in the UK for the annual conference. Two weeks past, we said hello to Nathan Warren, our new Finance Manager. Sadly, next week we will also say goodbye to Annie Kelly, as she embarks on her
No class! Access Arrival Tuesday, July 5th Becca Oien’s Shower! Wednesday, July 6th
journey back to Australia. It’s a time of great transition at INTO OSU.
11:30am
On top of all that, we’ll be moving into our new building in just a short
Wii Party!
time! While we’ll miss some people, we’re excited for what’s ahead!
Wednesday, July 6th Heckart Lounge • 5-7pm
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Access Program
Students in Jackie Watterson’s class got her a cake with her picture on it to wish her farewell. On the whiteboard, they had written the message, “We will miss you, Jackie! Without you the campus will be dark.”
Reminders and Announcements •
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Farewell, Annie! This Thursday, June 30 we’ll hold Annie’s final First Thursday! It’ll take plane in the Avery Park Maple Grove Shelter. The festivities start at 6pm and beverages and appetizers will be served. We hope you can join us in wishing Annie the best of luck and a bright future! Don’t forget, this Monday the center will be closed! We hope you enjoy a day of celebration on Independence Day!
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On Tuesday, our English Access Microscholarship group arrives. They’ll participate in two weeks of events around the center, so exepect to see some new faces!
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Join us on Wednesday, July 6 to celebrate Rebecca Oien’s upcoming nuptials! We’ll have a potluck at 11:30 in the Reed Kitchen. To sign up to bring a dish, enter your information on the document located here: \\Cn-share\osu-into\Admissions Documents\Potluck.docx
Every summer OSU welcomes English teachers in the English Access Microscholarship program from all around the world. These instructors will arrive on July 1st and will spend two action-packed weeks in Corvallis. Planned activities include specialized classes, such as Best Practices in TEFL, U.S. Culture, and Technology for Teachers, field trips around the beautiful Willamette Valley, and volunteer work in the community, to name a few. They will also also have the opportunity to meet with a conversation partner twice and visit a host family for dinner. After their stay in Corvallis, they will travel to Washington D.C. where they will continue to learn about U.S. culture and civic education in an exciting, fast paced environment. Culture: Face to Face is just one of the exciting activities planned for this year’s Access participants. Held at the Corvallis Public Library on July 13th from 7 to 9 pm, this event provides the visiting instructors a chance to share special items and aspects of their own culture with each other and the Corvallis community. We hope you’ll join us to learn and meet with these fascinating people.
CHECK OUT THIS INTO OSU EMPLOYEE! Congratulations to our very own Fatemeh Fakhraie on her recent involvement in the Oregonian Journalism Institute! The Institute recently interviewed Fatemeh as part of its High School Journalism Institute, composed of underrepresented teens aspiring to be journalists. Read the final article by clicking here! You can read more about the Oregonian’s journalism institute by clicking here. g
INTO OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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International Programs/ INTO OSU Picnic Check out photos from the recent IP Picnic! A gathering of staff from both International Programs and INTO OSU and their families enjoyed some sun and BBQ at the park.
Bob Gilmour grills some dinner!
Peter Betjemann, Julianna’s husband, helps out on the grill!
Baby’s first grilling lesson! Everyone pitched in!
Amy McGowan shows the fruits of our labor!
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INTO OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Honglip Park: OSU Student Extraordinaire These days, Honglip Park knows how to put things in perspective. After all he’s been through, he understands the importance of stepping back and taking a deep breath. “Whenever I get frustrated, I recall my first term in OSU,” he says. “Taking classes, I felt left out. Nothing was easy. I struggled to interpret even a trivial funny joke in English. I would see my American classmates finish their study within 2 hours, when the same assignment took me 12 hours. However, it changed me. I was not nervous when I took exams because I already had studied as much as possible. I could concentrate on the exam without a regret.” Honglip, a former INTO OSU student from South Korea, has seen his hard work paid off. At the end of spring term, he was awarded the WaldoCummings Outstanding Student Award for his excellent scholastic record. Only 12 students from the first-year (freshman) class receive the award each year. As a memorial to OSU graduates Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings, the select undergraduates are chosen on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence and outstanding extra-
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curricular achievements during their college careers. Although a WaldoCummings Outstanding Student Award holds no monetary value, it is among the most prestigious awards bestowed by the University. Honglip’s experience and commitment to volunteerism certainly contributed to his candidacy. “I volunteered as a member of Suyeongroe medical service team,” Honglip describes. “I volunteered for 5 years for Cambodia. Since I was the one of the youngest members in the team, I had a chance to communicate with other students and young people in Cambodia. Different from professional doctors and nurses, the works that I had to do were visiting patients who needed medical services and treatments and inviting them to our temporary hospital with local students.” These experiences, along with his experience as an INTO OSU student, shaped who he is today. “INTO OSU’s Academic English curriculum helped me a lot for preparing to study at OSU,” he explains. “The goal of curriculum of INTO OSU focuses on improving English skills for studying or research. I was afraid of making some mistakes in my speaking and writing essays. However, I wrote a lot of essays when I was an INTO student.”
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He also credits his experience at INTO OSU with helping him make friends and build confidence. “Making other international friends is a really good merit of INTO OSU. Since there are diverse students from diverse countries, it was good time to establish my identity as a Korean.” Looking back at his academic year, Honglip can clearly remember the moment he felt his efforts had paid off. It was the moment one of his teachers said, “You did a wonderful job, Mr. Park.” “I remember that moment vividly,” Honglip recalls. “It was the first time that I was praised. I appreciated that someone exists who knows my efforts. Finally, I received a 4.0 GPA at the end of the term.” He modestly adds, “It was an ordinary term for average student. But it was an unforgettable memory for me.” I think we can all agree, the achievements of Mr. Honglip Park are far from ordinary. We look forward to the extraordinary achievements that are certain to come in this young man’s future.