NEWS
Michigan Tech Lode
Tuesday, January 28
Michigan’s Global Future Conference
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House hunting Continued from page 3
A presentation is given at the 2014 Michigan Global Future Conference last Friday, Jan. 24. Students from Michigan Tech, NMU and Finlandia were in attendance.
Photo by Pratik Joshi
TESSA MAUER Lode Writer Imagine yourself walking through the career fair: Resume in hand, you happen across a company that peaks your interest. You hop in line and wait for 30 minutes to speak with the employer, but shortly after shaking his hand you find yourself turned away because you are an international student. Now imagine the frustration you feel as your professional potential is dismissed simply because of your status as a student from another country. After working for 20 years with international students, Athena Trenton is well aware of the extra difficulties faced by international students as they seek career opportunities within the United States. More importantly, she is well aware of the incredible benefit that hiring such students can
have on the economy. But how will international students “taking American jobs” help the economy? Statistics show that for the 100 jobs filled by international students, 83 more jobs are created. This could partially be explained by the fact that these students tend to be “entrepreneuriallyminded.” They are six times more likely to start their own business within STEM fields than Michiganders, meaning that they are more likely to build companies that will require hiring of many new employees. Trenton recognized this potential source for economic growth and began developing a program intended to make international students competitive candidates for professional work in Michigan. She created the Global Talent Retention Initiative of Michigan, a program focused on providing career development resources to international students and connecting such skilled students with companies interested in hiring them.
While the GTRI began in 2011 as part of a strategy to rebuild the failing economy of Detroit, its early success led to funding for statewide implementation. Now, universities all across Michigan hold “Michigan’s Global Future Conferences,” which essentially function to ease international students’ transitions into the American workforce by offering crash courses in writing resumes, building interviewing skills, and navigating immigration policies. Last week, on Friday, Jan. 24, Michigan Tech hosted such a conference for over 100 international students from Michigan Tech, Northern, and Finlandia. Michigan Tech was chosen as the conference site due to its status as having the highest enrollment of international students of any school in the U.P.The GTRI is the first program of its kind in the US and it’s continued success could result in positive and well-deserved attention from other economically struggling areas of the US.
The Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) offers many tips on how to save energy. Investing in LED and fluorescent light fixtures is a great way to save on the monthly electric bill. To really cut costs, look for fixtures with an automatic timeout feature and occupancy sensors. Large appliances like washers, dryers, ovens and dishwashers also tend to suck up a lot of power. UPPCO recommends doing laundry and dishes with cold water and allowing everything to air dry. So, based on these tips, will you recontract on-campus or will you decide to hunt for a residence elsewhere?
If you choose the latter, the following sites can help you to make the right decision: UPPCO’s website: www.uppco. com/home/tips.aspx USG off-campus housing database: www.aux.mtu.edu/ usghousing/ Barkboard: barkboard.mtu.edu/ tools/public/main/ Craigslist: up.craigslist.org/hhh/
Chinese New Year Continued from page 2 people from different countries and cultures. “The challenge is to break your comfort level and explore the university dynamic,” said Keith Anderson, a senior Environmental Engineering student. “But integration doesn’t
need to be forced. It happens through campus every day.” As an American student, Anderson has been volunteering in many activities hosted by international associations since he first came to Tech. “I discovered tons of fun
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from learning and sharing different cultures with people. It’s an experience I would cherish for good,” Anderson said. “The student diversity at Michigan Tech is actually a potential treasure. I wish
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everyone could enjoy it and benefit from it to the maximum,” said Jessie Zhang, a PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering, giving her best wishes for the New Year to all Tech students.
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