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Show Westminster College Salt Lake City, Utah VOLUME XLI: ISSUE 6 OCTOBER 30, WWW.THEWESTMINSTERFORUM.COM 2007 A balanced, simple life is key to managing stress Counseling Center staff ready to provide support for the stressed student Chelsea DiFrancesco Kate Reed Staff Writer Waking up face-do- on a desk amid a pile of notes, wn textbooks and homework is sometimes a common experience for college students. As the number of assignments due before the end of the semester mounts, so do stress levels. In addition to the academic obligations required by classes, most students also juggle a variety of other time- - and responsibilities like jobs, sports teams, clubs and organizations, family life, energy-consumi- ng church commitments and making time for social activities with friends and loved ones. Senior arts administration major Kelci Ferguson is well versed in the balancing act required to manage the many responsibilities of life. Though she said that this is a quiet semester because she is taking only 15 credits, her life is far from quiet. "It's all about picking your battles each day. Some days are good, some aren't so good." Kelci Ferguson Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment Management Ferguson fits 40 hours per week of work at the Office of Admissions into her busy schedule. After transferring to Westminster in 2006, she said she looked for a job on campus that would accommodate her classes. She now works as the assistant to Joel Bauman, vice president for enrollment management Ferguson said she enjoys her job and appreciates its flexibility. As well as being a student and employee, Ferguson is also a wife and the mother of a girl. She admitted that sometimes she pays more attention to school while things at home start to slide, and sometimes she concentrates more on her family. She said she tries to prioritize by weighing which tasks are most important. Its all about picking your battles each day, said Ferguson, adding with a shrug that Some days are good, some arent so good. Continued on page 6 International student community gathers together network to celebrate from across the world create Westminster students diversity ences. The task force met once per week in June, July and August to discuss how Westminster can be more open to Manda Jacobs StaffWriter In a world where technology can span thousands of miles in an instant, Westminster is aware of the opportunities that can be developed in nations across the globe. In the April 2006 issue of the Griffins Door diver- -' sity newsletter, Associate Professor of Economics Michael Mamo said, Cultural diversity remains to be the exception to the rule in many educational and non-edu-catio- nal organizations in the Intermountain West. According to the Office of Admissions, seven international students this year, students were enrolled as first-ye- ar representing Afghanistan, Bulgaria, China, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. And Westminster continues making an effort to be more open to international issues. During the summer of 2007, an Internationalization Task Force was formed. The chairs on this task force were Mamo and Mary Jane Chase, dean of arts and sci internationalism and cultural diversity. One of the goals that came from this task force was to unite international students, which prompted Mamo along with Milko Markov, an international student from Bulgaria, as well as several others to form the International Student Association. Markov said that Westminster cares and provides for all the means to succeed in academics and life. He also indicates that there are many unique challenges that the international students must face if they wish to attend Westminster. The first hurdle international students must overcome, once accepted to their school, is obtaining an F- -l student visa. This visa and a valid passport are required to enter and remain in the United States. According to the U.S. Immigration Support Web site, students will be issued Form to apply for this visa, which has information on the dates expected to begin and complete the program of study, level and field of study, and ability 1-- 20 Athletics A&E Art faculty members Issue 6 Highlights display their work at exhibit. Page 4 1 to pay for the education. They will also be issued an ID card, which is the official form of identification in the United States. Markov indicated that Westminster Registrar Mindy Wennergren is currendy in charge of assisting the international students with these legal steps. As documentation of financial aid is required when applying for the F--l visa, scholarships and other aid can be crucial for many of the international students attending Westminster. Several of these students are from developing countries and cannot afford to pay for their schooling without aid. While they can apply for scholarships based on majors and academic merit, there are currently no scholarships at Westminster that are designed specifically for international students, and there are many that exclude them. With these and many other obstacles impeding them, why do international students choose to attend at Westminster at all? How did they come from across the world to a place like Salt Lake City? I came here because I Continued on page 1 1 i 4 Basketball teams prepare for the upcoming season. Page 5 1-- Beyond Campus Child care options for the community. Page 8 20 |