traveler - International House

TRAVELER
FALL
2013
Director’s Note
It’s amazing that we’re already at the end of the fall
quarter! And what an active, busy and productive fall
it’s been – which is precisely why we decided it’s time
for a newsletter. I-House, its staff and affiliated
organizations are active and involved in so many
programs that we felt it important to share the many
exciting things we’re doing with you.
First, a bit about our I-House community for fall
2013- I-House currently houses 348 residents from 32
countries. Our most well-represented countries include
China, United Kingdom, Spain, South Korea, Japan,
France Taiwan, India, Germany and Australia. But we
also have students from Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia,
Myanmar, Pakistan and Turkey. In speaking with staff
from Residential Life and with the RAs (Residential
Advisors), this I-House community is exceptional by all
accounts. We have just finished our application review
and selection for winter 2013.
I-House students enjoy a unique and life-enhancing
experience. We are reminded of this whenever we hear
from our many alums around the world. Because of this
ongoing connection with our alums we decided it would
be important and beneficial to have an ‘alumni news’
section in our newsletter.
In addition to our exciting community, made up of
current and past residents, I-House has been involved
hosting various engaging and exciting programs. In
this inaugural issue of our newsletter, we would like to
introduce you to our programs and overview some of
their many accomplishments.
Finally, deciding to have a newsletter and writing the
content was the easy part. What proved more elusive
was what to call it. After considering many interesting
and provocative suggestions the name “Traveler” rose to
be the most natural fit. In both its literal and metaphor
meanings “Traveler” captures the spirit and essence of
I-House. As Mark Twain stated, “Twenty years from
now you will be more disappointed by the things that
you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off
the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Dr. Henri Migala
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Language Conversation Tables
The International House Language Conversation Tables promote the different languages spoken and represented at
UC San Diego. This fall we have over 15 different language tables, such as Turkish, Japanese, Irish, and Tagalog. The tables meet every week to discuss various topics, watch films,
attend campus and community events, and even host cooking
classes together. Highlights from this quarter include Japanese cooking night, a joint Spanish & French cooking event,
and Halloween treats & pumpkin carving.
The language tables are important because learning a language is more than saying hello, how are you, and thank you.
It’s about connecting with people, expressing opinions and
ideas, and understanding the culture and context. The Language Conversation Tables emphasize the social dimension
of learning a language to create a fun and casual environment
for beginners, native speakers, and everyone in between. In
addition to language practice, the conversation tables are a
great way to meet students, scholars, and staff from around
the world. You might meet people who can give you tips on
what to do during your time abroad. Or you can be a resource
for someone else.
The language tables are open to everyone and it’s not too
late to join! Check out the Language Conversation Table calendar at ihouse.ucsd.edu/programs. Interested in learning more
or hosting a language table that isn’t yet available? Contact
us at [email protected] or stop by the I-House office
beneath the Great Hall in Eleanor Roosevelt College.
Malou Amparo
Programs Coordinator
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International Rescue Committee
The term “International Affairs” can be defined in several
ways. To a political scientist international affairs could mean
the relationship between countries. To an economist it could
mean global trade relations. To an anthropologist it could
mean understanding the various cultures in the world. The
International Affairs Group (IAG) recognizes the diversity in
“International Affairs” and the events we host reflect
this variety.
IAG’s mission statement is to heighten our understanding
of global issues and increasing our awareness of the world in
which we live. We achieve this by bringing experts to dispel
stereotypical notions and provide us with in-depth factual
information. IAG is a group that plays a leading role in the
international dimension of campus life through speaker
series, seminar discussions, student panels, film screenings,
and informal presentations. We host events every week at the Great Hall, typically on
Mondays at 7pm. Some of our events this quarter included
Global Opportunities (which provided students information
on how to intern with international organizations), Making
Human Rights a Reality (a talk about the human rights
systems) , A Taste of Africa (UCSD’s kickoff to San Diego’s
African Restaurant Week), and Music and Dance of Philippines (a “hands on event” for attendees). Looking forward,
we plan to host a talk regarding International Education,
host various Embassies from Washington D.C., as well as
have a film screenings.
Like us on Facebook to know more about our upcoming
events: fb.me/iag.ucsd
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IAG is always looking for volunteers and
collaborators to help us achieve success in our program! If you believe you
can contribute to IAG, contact Christal
Simanski at [email protected].
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) at UCSD is
a vibrant, student-led organization that seeks to increase
community engagement and international awareness
among the UCSD population by facilitating volunteer
opportunities for students with the IRC in San Diego.
With more than 100,000 refugees from over 30
countries, San Diego has one of the largest and fastest
growing refugee communities in the world. The IRC is an
international organization that responds to the world’s
worst humanitarian crises by providing assistance to
refugees fleeing persecution. Thousands of refugees are
resettled in the U.S. each year, and the IRC serves to restore
safety, dignity, and hope to this vulnerable population.
UCSD students who volunteer at the IRC’s San Diego
offices are given the chance to work one-on-one with
resettled refugees from across the world including Iraq,
Burma, and Somalia.
Volunteering with the IRC students gives students
the rewarding experience of serving those in need, gain
unparalleled experience, build valuable networks with working
professionals, and bolster their resumes.
The IRC at UCSD has to established student-run carpool
programs to ensure community engagement is possible for
all students. Additionally, the IRC at UCSD is involved with,
and continues to host, a variety of on-campus events to raise
public awareness for the international refugee struggles and to
fundraise for current IRC projects around the globe.
Like our Facebook
page “IRC at UCSD” or
email us at irc.ucsd@
gmail.com to find out
how to get involved.
did you know?
Last year UCSD students donated
over 800 hours of their time and
effort working with over 500
refugees as:
- ESL Classroom Assistants
- K-5 Afterschool Tutors
- Student mentors
- Nutritional Educators
- Front Desk Administrators and
citizenship interns
- Tax Preparers
- Farming assistants
4
Alumni Reflections
Laura
Ross
Class of 2013
During my final year at UC San Diego, I had
the pleasure of living at International House. I’d
grown up in San Diego my entire life, but spending nine months with students from across the
globe gave me the opportunity to experience the
Nathan
Murphy
Class of 2013
My name is Nathan Murphy and I was a
resident advisor in Kathmandu House for 2
years and lived in I-House for a total of 3 out
of my 4 years at UCSD. I am currently living
in New York City and working as a digital web
producer.
When I lived in I-house, there was this incredible sense of community that I am not sure
can be replicated in any other place- nor am I
sure I would want to try to replicate it. I-house
is a life-changing experience that shapes people,
but half of the idea around I-house is that
those people then leave to go shape others, and
together we can eventually help re- shape the
world. So, while leaving I-house was difficult,
it was also a part of what makes it so great. I
am very fond of an old saying that comes from
a play written by Clifford Odets and the saying
goes, “…a place is not a place; a place is who you
are with.” To me, this is the essence of International House.
The impossibly wonderful community at
I-house is cultivated by its impossibly wonderful inhabitants who
live there. These relationships
are fostered by the layout of the
buildings, the events held in its
5
area all over again. I loved sharing my favorite haunts with people who had never been to
California and discovering new places together.
Being with other students who were visiting
from abroad made me really take advantage of
everything that San Diego has to offer and see it
all from a new perspective.
But my favorite memories, by far, are from
planning and attending Sunday Supper. I love
that International House was not just a place
for people to live together, but a community
where we were able to work with and for each
other. Being part of the Sunday Supper Committee allowed me to bond with my neighbors on
a different level. We not only got to see places
quaint spaces, and its inescapable friendliness.
I LOVED the fact that as I would walk home I
could see all the living rooms of I-house opened
up to I-walk and see some people studying, others gaming, others reading, and let’s be honestmost of the others were drinking. Yet, despite
the myriad of activities that went on inside
their individual apartments, there was never
a moment where people were not in constant
interaction with one another.
What I miss the most about International
House was the simplicity with which people
were able to find commonalities, and the
simplicity with which they could share and
discuss their differences. International House
is a breeding ground for open thinking and
human interaction, and in my 3 years there I
had some of the best conversations of my life
over a cup of coffee, or during a run, or on a
walk to the beach. International House exudes
a simplicity of life and compels even the most
linear personalities (hint hint- me my first year
in I-House) to expand upon their experiences
and dive into everything that the incredible
community has to offer. I-house did wonders
to shape me and helped give me perspective on
how big the world really is yet how everything is
truly connected within it. I have already opened
my NY apartment up to former residents and
former roommates from my years in I-house
and as more people pass through this great city,
I plan to continue to do the same. As Odets said
best, “A place is not a place; a place is who you
are with” and I plan on keeping the friends and
relationships I made in International House a
close part of my life for many years to come. and do things together, we also learned how to
organize together. We experienced putting in
hours of work and then having things go wrong
and experiencing frustration and problem solving and ultimately the satisfaction of success.
On top of that, we got to watch the rest of our
community enjoy the product of our labors and
enjoy it with them. My experience in I-House taught me how to
work productively with diverse and passionate people, but more importantly, it taught me
the difference that it makes to be working with
people that you are connected and feel accountable to on a personal level. Since my time at
I-House, I’ve graduated and moved north to the
Gary
Cooke
UCD Ireland
As I look back as an alumni of I-House and
my year spent there I have no regrets. I truly
believe it was my experience of I-House during
my study abroad experience that allowed me
to make the most of the study abroad opportunity. It was because of I-House that I got
the opportunity and motivation to get involved
with many of the activities, trips and organisations. It provided me with a bank of friends
both from California but also from across the
globe. Friend that even five months on I am
still in contact with regularly and current trying to organise a reunion in Denmark.
I-House allowed me to directly get involved
with the organisation of the language tables
and take a particular leadership role in the
Irish table. I got to share my native culture
and language with my peers from around the
world. I-House let me be involved in organizing the Quarterly Sunday Suppers and Culture
Nights. In which I learned more deeply about
the cultures we were studying and even how to
make some of the delious foods. I was involved
with I-Cares where we got to organise a trashion show and go into the heart of San Diego to
help the homeless.
San Francisco Bay Area. I’m currently living in
Oakland and getting involved with communitybased responses to violence and poverty. I’ve
always had a theoretical belief that when people
communicate openly and actively work to
understand each other they will be able to find
common ground and ways to work productively
with each other for a common benefit. My life at
International House gave me a plethora of practical experience to support this and empowered
me to continue seeking community-based solutions to community problems. But more than
that, it gave me a global network of close friends
that I’ll have for the rest of my life.
I-House also allowed me to get to know
other international students and Americans.
All with a passion for exploring cultures and
the wonders of California. This made it is easy
to form groups to travel with and I was able to
go on a major road trip to north Cal and then
on another one to Death Valley and Santa
Barbra. These opportunities allowed me to
explore the wonders of California and all
the different sights. Through meeting these
people I got to learn a lot about their cultures
and their languages. I hope to visit all these
friends across the world someday.
I-House I feel has changed me so much
for the better. I grew as a person from it and
helped me better understand myself. I thank
all the staff of I-House for their tireless work
in making this organisation great. It is a great
service for all of the students living there and
truly allows them to make the most of their
experience. It was because of I-House and its
work, that helped me settle in and make the
most of my time in the US.
share your story
If you’re an I-House alum that wants to
share how their I-House livving experience
has shaped their post- I-House lives, we
want to feature you in the next issue of the
Traveler! Send us an e-mail at
[email protected] and
make sure to include in
the subject line: “Traveler
Alumni Reflection.”
6
Prospect Journal of International Affairs
at UCSD is an undergraduate publication
that publishes online at prospectjournal.
org. Through our work, we aim to expand
our individual understanding of topics that
affect the world around us, while at the
same time facilitating conversation among
our peers. While many of our articles focus
on international politics and economics,
we also discuss topics ranging from human
rights to the natural sciences.No matter the
area of interest, and no matter the format
we work within—opinion pieces, research
essays, interviews with visiting speakers
and more—our goal is to engage with the
world around us and lead our readers to do
the same.
Beyond the page, Prospect interacts
with the student population through
quarterly on-campus events. While the
format of these events vary, they are
meant to inform and increase the amount
of campus conversation about a certain
topic. For example, last spring Prospect
hosted “The Changing Shape of Modern
Warfare,” a panel discussion on how
traditional forms of warfare have been
transformed by new technologies. “AIDS:
The Forgotten Epidemic,” another panel
discussion this October, brought in three
speakers, including the former head of the
CDC in China, to discuss current scientific
and social aspects of HIV/AIDS globally.
Currently, Prospect is working with the
UCSD chapter of the International Rescue
Committee to host an event focusing on the
large refugee population in San Diego.
Students can get involved with Prospect
in several ways. We have a large group
of staff writers and senior editors on the
writing side of the organization. Staff
writers come to weekly meetings, cover oncampus events, interview visiting speakers
and publish throughout the quarter; senior
editors manage small groups of these
writers and edit their pieces. Prospect
also has a marketing staff, which focuses
on expanding the reach of the journal’s
publications as well as publicizing
Prospect’s quarterly events. Our finance
team handles all of the organization’s
fiscal affairs, especially funding for
quarterly events. All of these teams
have a hand in planning our quarterly
events. Our journal accepts applications
on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Application information can be found on
Prospect’s website (prospectjournal.org).
All applications and inquiries should be
directed to [email protected].
Model United Nations is a student-run
organization which emphasizes the spread of
awareness of international affairs and works
to teach students to develop their skills at
diplomacy and negotiation. Model UN at
UCSD reaches out to both the student body
and the surrounding community in our pursuit
of these goals. Each year we invite local high
schools to participate in TritonMUN. This is a
large student-run event that encourages high
school students to learn about international
affairs by having them represent a country’s
position in a competitive debate with other high
school students, each representing a different
country. Another opportunity that we offer to
UCSD students is to participate in our Travel
Team, which sends UCSD delegates to other
universities across the nation to compete at the
collegiate level.
We are always looking for new staff for
TritonMUN and for new members of our Travel
honored
7
read more at
prospectjournal.org
The delegation to the Santa
Barbara Intercollegiate
Model United Nations Conference at UC Santa Barbara
November 8-10 took home a
Best Delegate Award.
Team, and we have opportunities throughout
the academic year for students to get involved.
Our Fall TritonMUN conference ta on November
23rd, and we will hold a second conference in
Spring Quarter. For our Travel Conferences,
there are several that are open to newcomers
and interested students in the Winter and the
Spring. We are planning on attending another
conference in LA and San Francisco in the
Winter, and plan on traveling to New York City
where we will have the opportunity to debate in
the actual United Nations building.
Model UN at UCSD holds open weekly
meetings on Sunday at 1pm and Monday at 7pm
in the Asante Classrooms. If you are interested in
participating in either our Home-Conference or
our Travel Team, or if you would just like more
information on the club, then you can email us
at [email protected]. You can also like us on
Facebook! Either search Model UN at UCSD or
go to fb.me/1eNaPf4.
visit
UCSD MUN
online
modelun.ucsd.edu
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Visiting Scholar Spotlight
Scholar:
Wolfgang Alexander Moens
Country of origin:
België / Belgique / Belgien
Home university:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Favorite marine animal:
I don’t have any particular
affinity for marine mammals.
But I’m dying to try the Galapagos tortoise. (Don’t tell me
an animal surrounded by that
much water is terrestrial.) And
by now my feud with those
scallywagging seagulls
is legendary.
Hallo! I am a visiting scholar and a mathematician at the math department of UCSD. I
am doing a three year research project in the
area of algebra. (To be precise: I study certain
algebraic objects, their representations and
their gradings.)
I am also happy to be an active part of the
I-House community, most of all because
I-House gives its residents the opportunity
to meaningfully interact with people with
very diverse backgrounds. I spend much of
my spare time with the other bridge dwellers,
who can almost be said to form a community
within the I-House community. I would like
to note that am a big fan of the idea behind
I-House’s Language Conversation Tables and
that I try to do what I can to contribute to
the program’s organisation and execution. In
addition to having hosted the Dutch and German tables, I have also attended the French
and Italian ones.
I would like to conclude with two more
things: (1) Eurovision is a spectacle that is
tragically underrated here at UCSD and we
must do something about that; (2) Nitwit!
Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
About the Visiting Scholars Program:
Here at UCSD, we are lucky enough to be a
part of a thriving academic institution—one
that stands as a leader in funding world-class
research in a number of disciplines. In order to
live up to this lofty distinction, our departments
regularly attract visiting scholars from around
the globe for post-doctoral fellowships and
other research/exchange opportunities. Unfortunately for the majority of us, our interactions
with those responsible for conducting this
research are precious few, and often limited to
our specific field of study. Here in I-House, we
have a unique program intended to bridge(!)
this divide. Every year, we are fortunate to
invite a small, yet dynamic cross-section of this
talented visiting scholar cohort to live in the
bridge apartments that span the divide between
Asante, Kathmandu and Geneva over I-Walk.
This living arrangement affords undergraduate
I-House residents a window into the groundbreaking research that happens
on our campus every day, and
also provides an arena for
visiting scholars to interact
with UCSD in a more intimate
9
capacity—to experience the campus as a hotbed
of social, intellectual, and programmatic activity; as more than a workplace. Currently, the IHouse Visiting Scholars in Residence hail from
Spain, Belgium, Germany, China, and Italy, and
represent the intellectual vanguard in fields
such as Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Comparative Immigration Studies, Oceanography,
and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. The
visiting scholars are enthusiastic participants
in a number of I-House programs, from the
Language Conversation Tables to Sunday Suppers to International Affairs Group meetings,
so don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to
engage with some of UCSD’s best & brightest!
Adam McKinney
Events Coordinator
A word from
the Residential
Life Office
Hello from ERC Residence Life at Eleanor Roosevelt
College. After a successful summer of planning and over
4 weeks of training, including opening and move-in, we
have begun! We are excited for another year in I-House,
especially since the entire college (including I-House) will
be celebrating its 25 year anniversary. Residence Life and
Student Affairs have put together some special programs
and projects just for the occasion, including quarter wars
between buildings to collect money for the International
Rescue Committee. Building residents competed by putting
quarters and change into decorated collection bins with
their building names on them throughout the Fall Quarter. The winning building that collected the most coins received
recognition (in the form of their favorite food)! We are also
encouraging students to complete 25 hours of service to
honor 25 years of scholarship, leadership, and service
at ERC. International House Residence Life staple programs such
as I-CARES (the community service arm of I-House) and
I-HOP (the International House programming boards) are
off to a great start. The newly minted (!) I-Sports & Fitness
organization held a wildly successful a new program this
Fall called I-Olympics. Language & Culture Cafes, SLAM
open mic nights, and I-Publish are all doing fantastic as
well. We also created an I-Center Liaison position for the
Residence Life staff, which came out of staff and resident
feedback, to connect with other international student
programs on campus.
We look forward to continuing the tradition of active and
engaged residents of I-House and with the newly revamped
I-House application and review process we know this year
will be one of the best! If you are ever interested in attending or collaborating with one of the I-House Resident Life
programs, please feel free to contact myself or one of the
International House Resident Advisors.
Lauren Jane Hartig
Assistant Resident Dean
[email protected]
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Contact Us
Phone:
858-822-1791
Email:
[email protected]
Fax:
858-534-0550
Web:
ihouse.ucsd.edu
Located under the Great Hall in Eleanor
Roosevelt College, M-F 9am-Noon, 1-4:30pm
International House awards scholarships to
deserving undergraduates every year that run
on donations from generous sponsors. Give
now and help support resident-based
scholarships at ihouse.ucsd.edu/giving.
To receive weekly emails with info about
upcoming events, send an email (No Subject)
to [email protected]. In the body write:
add [youremail] ihouseevents-L
Editor’s Notes: Well, this was certainly an undertaking, but the result was better than I ever could have dreamed, mostly because my
dreams are always me showing up naked to school. A huge thank you to Malou for wrangling writers so this newsletter wouldn’t only
be a bunch of colorful boxes and pictures. Simon, Jenny, Nikki, Jamie, and Cindy, sorry I took up so much time at the back computer.
Henri, your support and positivity were always helpful. Thanks also to my fellow interns Elly and Eva for always brightening up tough
design days just by being there, to Jenny for your edits, and everyone who wrote something for this newsletter. Finally, thanks and solemn
salutations to Adam, who came in at the eleventh hour with the Visiting Scholar Spotlight, an intense editing crunch, and all those Boggle
breaks. Hope Colorado treats you well. Don’t forget to write.