Volume 3, Number 4
WINTER 2017
West End Living
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Dan Amouyal
ON CAMPUS
Muhlenberg College fosters sense of family for International Students By Olivia Hurtado
Muhlenberg College has introduced about 100 international students to life in the Lehigh Valley. Thomas Janis, Director of the Office of International Student Support at Muhlenberg College, Said, “International students bring diversity to the campus at
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Jouman Barakat
Shuxiu Huang
Muhlenberg and they also bring a diverse set of perspectives too.” Muhlenberg College, being a small liberal arts college, fosters a close-knit community, which allows students to learn from each other. Janis describes what Muhlenberg brings to international students lives. “The students themselves gain a broader sense of life, culture and values of the USA” said Janis. A senior at Muhlenberg College from Afghanistan, Narges Mahdi, said that she, “expected Muhlenberg to be a community, but now it’s more of a family.” You often hear students on campus refer to “the Muhlenbubble”, to describe the way in which the campus has become an insulated word of its own that students are hesitant, or even afraid, to leave. Mahdi has made strides to leave the Muhlenbubble and explore IN THIS ISSUE 1 International Students 2 WEL Online 3 Holiday Arts Focus 4 Focus on the Arts
Shelby MacPhail
the surrounding Lehigh Valley by volunteering in Allentown. She said the Lehigh Valley has played a big part in her experience at Muhlenberg due to the community and diversity it offers. Before coming to Muhlenberg College, Dan Amouyal a senior from Jerusalem, served in the Israeli Army for there years as a part of mandatory service. After his time served in the army, Amouyal began the college search and found Muhlenberg through his uncle’s dentist who also had a son searching for colleges. Amouyal said that Allentown is a good place for international students to adjust to an american way of life. Shelby MacPhail, a senior at Muhlenberg College, is from Medicine Hat a city in Alberta, Canada. MacPhail explained that she is from a small community at home, so when looking at 7 New to the Neighborhood 8 Mink’s Candies 10 All-American Graphics 11 The Spirit Stores 12 Two Thanksgivings
Narges Mahdi
Muhlenberg she liked the small community it offered. When asked about her impression of the Lehigh Valley, MacPhail said she has seen improvement of the downtown area and even close surrounding areas of Muhlenberg’s campus over her four years at Muhlenberg. “This has been a good community to use as a stepping stone to live in a new city,” said MacPhail, who plans on living and working in New York City or Boston after graduation. Shuxiu Huang, a sophomore, is from Guangzhou, China. Huang said that during her freshman year of college, she did not leave campus often because she was not familiar with the area. Visits to the Allentown Farmers Market down the street from campus were her first impressions of the area surrounding Muhlenberg. Huang said she likes the ability to
13 Sleepy Cat Urban Winery 14 Mike Donnelly Remembered 15 Where Is It? 15 Important Numbers WINTER 2017 WEST
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