INTERNATIONAL STUDENT NEWSLETTER
July 2015 Photo credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis
IN THIS EDITION OF THE SISS STUDENT NEWSLETTER:
Traveling
Summer Session II Mandatory Check-In
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Summertime GEM
July 4th City Event
Volunteer for International Orientations
International Festival
SISS University House
SPECIAL U.S. DATES: July 4th: Independence Day
CAMPUS DATES: \
July 14th: Last day to register for Summer Session II
July 31st: Last day of Summer Session I
*SISS will be closed July 3rd for Independence Day.
TRAVELING Will you be traveling home or outside the U.S. this summer? If so, please be sure to get a travel signature on your I-20 or DS2019 if it has been more than a year since your document was last signed. Also, please check out our travel advisory for more information and tips.
SUMMER SESSION II MANDATORY CHECK-IN The SISS Check-In is mandatory for all NEW international students. Date
Time
Location
Monday, July 27th
9:30am-11:30am
Services for International Students & Scholars
Tuesday, July 28th
1:30pm-3:30pm
Services for International Students & Scholars
Wednesday, July 29th
9:30am-11:30am
Services for International Students & Scholars
Monday, August 3rd
1:30pm-3:30pm
Services for International Students & Scholars
For NEW Students Starting at UC Davis in the Fall Quarter - please refer to Fall SISS Check-In as the meeting locations and schedules are different.
Events and Opportunities
Summertime GEM
Global Engagement Mondays Discussion Series
Do you want to share your experiences in a diverse setting? Are you interested in hearing the unique perspectives of people from different cultures? Do you want to share your American culture? Do you want to learn about American culture? If you thought ‘yes’ in response to any of these questions, then Summertime GEM offers you the ideal environment to have great discussions and to meet new friends! Global Engagement Mondays (GEM) is an opportunity for domestic and international students and scholars to share and learn about common topics of interest from different cultural perspectives. Participants engage in small group conversations on topics ranging from decoding American Slang to exploring the latest fads in pop culture. They can share their experiences with American culture, as newcomers or lifelong residents, and learn from each other’s stories and insight. We welcome all students, scholars, faculty, staff, and international spouses or partners to join and are always open to new topic ideas!
Do you want to join the discussions as a participant? All students, scholars (international and domestic), faculty, staff, and international spouses or partners are welcome to join the discussion any or all Mondays. Just bring yourself and your insight! Summer 2015 Dates and Topics July 6th: Subcultures: Punk, Hippie, Goth, Hipster, Etc. July 13rd:
Music: Discussing Fun, Catchy, Confusing Song Lyrics
July 20th:
Family Traditions
August 3rd:
Technology and Society
August 10th:
Trends in Clothing
August 17th:
Drink Culture: Tea, Coffee, Milkshakes and More
Location: in the CoHo, next to Swirlz Bakery Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Questions? Contact Jeremy Truong jgtruong@ucdavis.edu
Events and Opportunities
July 4th City Event
City of Davis sponsored Fourth of July activities: The 34th annual men's slow pitch ASA sanctioned softball tournament at Playfields Park with the championship game at Community Park. Signups are open until Friday June 26. Contact Lori Conrad at: lconrad@cityofdavis.org or (530) 753-7731 for more information.
Community Park food and drink concessions benefiting Davis nonprofit groups begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be open until 9:30 p.m.
Free entertainment at the Community Park main stage: The lineup includes: 5:00 p.m. - The Nickel Slots 6:30 p.m. - Be Calm Honcho 8:00 p.m. - Spirit Family Reunion 9:30 p.m. - Welcome by the Mayor of Davis, Dan Wolk, and City Council members. Reading by City of Davis Poet Laureate Dr. Andy Jones. National Anthem performed by a group of the Davis High School Madrigals. 9:35 p.m. - Fireworks Extravaganza
Events and Opportunities
Volunteer for International Orientations
Be the welcoming and enthusiastic face of UC Davis as we greet over 1500 new incoming international undergraduate and graduate students to the UC Davis campus this September.
When? Orientations and events will take place between Thursday, September 10th and Wednesday, September 23rd. Who can volunteer? Domestic students, international students, staff, faculty, retirees or members of the Davis community can help with the orientations. Anyone who is interested in helping and getting to know international students is welcome to volunteer! Is there training? Volunteers must attend a MANDATORY 3-hour training session in which we go over the logistics of orientation, job duties as a volunteer, and a short workshop on cultural awareness to prepare volunteers on how to approach and help international students with questions and cultural differences they may face. How do I sign up? Please fill out this form to let us know that you would like to volunteer and to tell us which volunteer training session you can attend: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z9Q8JD9. Please select all of the sessions that you are available for, and we will send you a confirmation email letting you know which training session you will be assigned to. Is there a deadline? The deadline to sign up to volunteer is Friday, July 24th.
After you complete the above survey, at a later time in the summer, we will send you a follow-up email giving you instructions explaining how to sign up for the different orientation activities on dates and times that work for your schedule.
Thank you, and we hope you join us in welcoming our new international friends!
Events and Opportunities
International Festival
How would you like to share your culture with the Davis community? On Sunday October 4, 2015 from 12 to 4pm, International House will host the International Festival. We are currently looking for eager volunteers to share their cultural pride in one of two ways.
1) Join the Parade of Nations where you can walk your country’s flag. 2) Join the Cultural Ensemble where you can showcase some ethnic attire from your country along with a song.
If you are interested or would like more information please contact the coordinator, Mary Clabaugh, at mclabaugh@ucdavis.edu.
Have a fun Fourth of July! Read next month’s Newsletter for upcoming events, updates, and more!
Sincerely, The Services for International Students and Scholars
Photo from the International Center Groundbreaking Ceremony in February. The new International Center is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2016.
(SISS) Monday—Friday, 9am—Noon and 1pm—4pm For appointments call: 530-752-0864 ext. 0 Our office will be closed July 3rd for Independence Day.
“Like” us on Facebook for continual updates on important information and fun events! “UC Davis Ser vices for International Students and Scholars” And now, SISS tweets! follow us on Twitter! You can find live updates and photos at @ucdSISS_events !
SISS International Student Advisor Contact Information Tammy Silver
tsilver@ucdavis.edu
Assistant Director
Mary Clabaugh
mclabaugh@ucdavis.edu
Student Advisor
Virag Nikolics
vnikolics@ucdavis.edu
Student Advisor
Emily Taylor
ejtaylor@ucdavis.edu
Student Advisor
Kathy Lighthall
klighthall@ucdavis.edu
Intake Advisor
Emi Kawahara
ejkawahara@ucdavis.edu
Intake Advisor
Thank you for reading If you would like more information on any of the articles, or have an upcoming event that you would like advertised in our next newsletter, feel free to contact Jeremy at jgtruong@ucdavis.edu.