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Show JUNE 5. THE SUMMER UTAH CHRONICLE 2002 3 v Jyk 4 V"( Craig Froelich 7rj " Chronicle Columnist Pop Goes the Culture: News International We Exchange Ingored... like me, you learn Perhaps, many current events cultural osmosis. This irritating process allows one to know the words to a Britney Spears song without actually listening to it. Although effortless, this haphazard method of knowledge acquisition often excludes some interesting items. I offer a few examples. In late May, Pygmy activists made an impassioned plea to the United Nations to halt the killing and eating of their people by Congolese fighters. Cannibals claim the flesh of these indigenous people harnesses magical powers. The part of Congo from which the Pygmies hail is just emerging from an extended civil war. I wonder if has a favorite food. junk A lieutenant of Osama urged terrorist attacks against the United States, Britain, Australia and Norway much to the chagrin of ::i ' 1 ! . 1 Students If ' IV Make a .... Home for Themselves v.. h - i ' i t . f f J 1 i,. S', ? I " LjK& t Mi w 1 1 - .:: 1 t I .V,- -J V Si I 1 t t At the U i 1 Insun Back, from South Korea, bags Brandon Petersen's purchase at the University Bookstore on Wednesday. J-- Bin-Lad- en Norway. Denmark, not Norway, offered support to the United States in the war against Iraq. A careless lumping together of Scandinavian countries by the Al Qaeda leader explains the inclusion of Norway in the list. More than 50 percent of Americans blame Iraq for the events of Sept. 11, 2001. You see, the hijackers allegedly spoke the same language as Sadaam Hussein. In local news, a melee over leaks in the Elizabeth Smart case claimed victims at the Salt Lake Tribune. Seemingly ignored was the fact that Michael Vigh and Kevin Cantera broke a cardinal rule of journa- lismthey Rita Sharshiner Chronicle Staff Writer Students who are startled when they overhear conversations in Swahili in the Union can breathe a sigh of relief: It's only some of the U's many international students speaking in their native tongue. 2 academic year, In the Utah ranked second out of six mountain states in the number of international students it welcomed. Utah also sent out more than 2,168 students abroad in 2002. There are currently 3,000 international students enrolled at the U, approximately half of whom are undergraduates. Mike Allcott, associate director of 2001-200- Yet within all these arenas, it still seems no one is reaching out to these students, Allcott says. "I think we have a lot of work to doj, and the Associated Students of the University of Utah needs to realize the international community is big," Allcott said. Jeff Mathis, ASUU chief of staff, said his staff does realize the increased numbers of international students on campus, and says the administration is taking measures to involve them in campus activities. "International students have become a more active part of campus over the last couple of years," Mathis said, pointing out the necessity of taking measures now. Mathis said the creation of the International Students Committee V revealed confidential sources. Some journalists go to jail to pro- tect their sources. These guys went lunch and sang like to a two-hocontestants on the newly resurrected "Star Search." June 4 marked the 14th anniversary of the massacre of student in Tiananmen demonstrators Square by Chinese troops. You can penalize the oppressive Chinese regime by not buying Chinese products. To accomplish this, one must vow never to buy anything from any store until the end of time. A citation for public indecency will follow my personal effort to rid my wardrobe of every piece of clothing "made in China." The Chinese Red Army turned on its own people as they peacefully demonstrated for democratic reform. The state of democracy in China remains dismal, but Wall Street investors treated former-PresideJiang Zemin to a standing ovation in 1997. They celebrated his regime's dalliances with capitalism. television-viewin- g America's public demonstrated democracy in action by voting for a new "American Idol." Call me apathetic, but I failed to participate in the voting. I was too busy getting excited about a movie that warns us of electronic manipulation while whacking us over the head with digital effects. Wow...Orange Mountain Dew. "V, ur nt cfroehlichchronicle.utah.edu V- - 5 , i . V Anurag Dikshit, an international student from India, rings up Bryan Jones at the University Bookstore on Wednesday. Like Baek, many international students live and work on campus. international student services at the U, says it's very important to recognize international students because "international students are our diversity." Most international students who come to the United States are here on student visa permits. These permits don't allow students to work off campus as the students are here strictly to obtain an education. Allcott says that because of this fact, most international students live, work, and study on campus, and identify better with their schools than many native U.S. under the Student Service Board is one of the steps ASUU is taking this year to accommodate international students. One might assume that communicating with members of the U's international community is not easy due to language barriers, but Allcott disagrees. All international students must pass an English competency test in order to be accepted into a graduate or undergraduate program at the U, he said. The biggest issue regarding the acceptance of international stu a new committee Non-tradition- al dents into the United States is security. With the passing of several recent laws, it's harder for international students to get visas. The irony, according to Allcott, is that interest in coming to study in the United States has increased since the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Allcott argues that instead of cutting back on international students, the government should welcome them as opportunities to improve the nation's security. "Part of national security is bringing international students here," he said. d Allcott also says experito ence allows students create their own perceptions of Americans and could dispel propagandized myths purported by other governments. Anisa Bulatova, a graduate student in the school of social work, came from Russia to study at the U nine months ago. She agrees it has been much harder to obtain a student visa since Sept. 11. She explains that most of the paperwork required to get to the U has to go through the English Language Institute here on campus. Unlike Allcott, Bulatova feels the language barrier is a huge communication dilemma. "I can't understand other people or express myself," Bulatova says, but she argues it's only a temporary problem. Despite the language barrier, she feels very welcomed by other students at the U. Bulatova says it's a very different culture than that of her native Russia. There, people are not afraid to insult others while walking around campus, but in America, college is not at all a hostile environment, she said. Bulatova says many students come to study in the United States to better understand a different culture, learn some valuable lessons and use their new knowledge to better their own countries. "I wanted to know the kind of education America had to offer," Bulatova said. Much of her reason for studying abroad, she admitted, was sheer curiosity for a new world. a U Ola Elenitoba-Johnsoin sophomore majoring biology, is also part of the U's international community. He came from Nigeria one year ago and says that his reason for studying abroad is to find first-han- n, "better opportunities." "America is where everything is happening. Nigeria is a static society," Elenitoba-Johnso- n said. Acceptance may seem like a very important factor for being happy as an international student, but Elenitoba-Johnson doesn't see it that way. "I didn't care about acceptance, but I feel comfortable. The teachers are accessible, and the place is quiet. It's pretty domestic," he said. Elenitoba-Johnso- n says "the U is doing the best it can" to reach out to the international community. He thinks in order to really involve the international students, ASUU and other student organizations need to recruit motivated international students to work inside them. This way, the international community will have a representative force to work for them and communicate to them effectively. Like Bulatova and Allcott, Elenitoba-Johnson says there is nothing like d experience. "There are certain things you hear about, but can only understand firsthandIndia and Pakistan are at war, but there are Indians and Pakistanis who are friends here at the U," Elenitobfirst-han- a-Johnson said. Firsthand experience is also a concern of the Association of International Educators, the world's largest nonprofit association dedi- cated to international education. From May 25 to May 30, the association held its 55th annual international education conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. Allcott says a big part of foreign exchange is building interpersonal connections with universities and colleges throughout the world. Relation building is the purpose of the association's annual conferences. This year's conference attracted more than 50,000 people interested in promoting international student services, including representatives from Spanish, French and Chinese universities. Six Utah colleges and universities, including the U, participated in organizing the event by providing student volunteer services and administrators willing to build international relationships. Next year's international student conference will be held in Baltimore, working yet again to promote study abroad programs. rsharshinerchronicle.utah.edu. |