Talking Stick - January 2012 - 52

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WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE

accommodating. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is integrating international students with domestic students, according to Boock: “They come to a country where they are forced to take classes in a second language and interact with professors using a foreign language.” For this reason, international students may cherish the relaxing time they have to speak in their own tongue about issues that are pertinent to their cultural group or country, to the point where they segregate themselves from the general student population. “You tend to get tables in the dining room where Korean students will sit all the time or Malaysian students will sit all the time,” Boock notes. In order to counter this tendency, houses can design educational opportunities for students to learn about diverse cultures represented by an international house, as McCartney advises. At the heart of any successful international housing program is the fostering of human relationships. Creating a sense of community in a foreign environment can be as simple as having amicable personnel that students communicate with daily, like the dining staff or those at the reception desk. At Residencias UDEM, Fernández explains how a family environment can change the living experience: “The students love the receptionists. For example, in the morning we have a lady with a ‘motherly profile’ that tells them to have breakfast, to wear their jackets when it’s cold, take their medicine, and wishes them good luck on exams.” Patricia Tavera, a receptionist at Residencias UDEM and herself a mother of three, acts as a guide and resource by making sure that students keep up with their daily routines and make it home safely at night. Domestic students tend to play the host role as often as the housing staff do. Whether in Chicago, Illinois,
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or Auckland, New Zealand, domestic students take pride in their home country and are eager to show off a local museum or invite international students to share a meal with their families. One of the students who used to live in Weaver Hall describes her relationship with other residents: “The best part of living in Weaver has always been interacting with the international students. I have made some awesome friends that live in other countries, and I know we’ll keep in touch. The atmosphere also keeps our community tight. I knew everyone that lived on my floor, and there was always someone to hang out with.”

and respect for different cultural groups. Fernández advises campuses to develop this type of an international residence community: “Have a formative model through which students from different countries will have the opportunity to socialize and develop respect, tolerance, and mutual understanding.” Many international housing programs work to foster this type of environment through interactive programming, like intramural sports, culture appreciation nights, speakers, proms, and movie nights. At I-House Auckland, one of Boock’s favorite events is the international festival night, which features various ethnic homemade meals, where both international and domestic students participate. There is plenty of music and dancing, and the event tends to last for hours. “When the students do come together it’s such a joy,” he says. “It enriches both sides. It’s important for the international students coming to a new country to experience that culture.” Overall, programming for international housing integrates and educates them in the same way that any residential hall program would. However, the events tend to draw greater participation because of the inherent features of the international community. “Learning from each other and about one another is very, very successful, because the people are naturally interested and inclined to be a part of it,” McCartney says. Helping international students make a successful transition to a new country and a different way of living enriches both sides, host and guest, and can help an institution draw larger and more diverse populations of international students in future years. ts

Creating a Variety of Programs
Including a wide variety of programming is also essential to catering to individual interests, according to Fernández. The University of Monterrey has presented activities that range from salsa dancing class to museum visits, a photography club to a sustainability club, and holiday parties to human development events. “The one I really like is the bon appétit cooking club because it creates a community life spirit, a broad sample of international recipes,” Fernández says. “Since the instructors are UDEM’s staff and professors, it is a great opportunity for them to socialize in a casual and less structured atmosphere.” The University of Monterrey uses a formative model to provide these engaging activities for students, along with helping develop personal growth, community life, and academic success, according to Fernández. The team consists of the dean of students, student life coordinator, housing coordinator, live-in professors, a psychologist, and the resident assistants. Together, the team members focus on providing programming that helps students develop a greater understanding of

Kristen Lott

is the editorial intern for Talking Stick.

Talking Stick - January 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - January 2012