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ISOSU IN THE NEWS! |
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Cultural meals help students mix at OSU By Mary Ann Albright Preparing a meal, coming together around a table and breaking bread help unite people in a universal ritual of friendship. At Oregon State University, the Cultural Meal Program, an offering of the Office of Student Involvement, brings the campus together to share foods from different countries. Next week, Robin Ryan, coordinator of Student Involvement, and eight students on the Student Involvement and Peer Advising Team will attend the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in San Francisco, where they’ll present on the Cultural Meal Program. Other OSU offices also will attend the conference, including representatives from Difference, Power and Discrimination and Diversity Development. The Cultural Meal Program is funded by student fees, and operates out of an industrial kitchen in Memorial Union East reserved for student-catered events. This year, Student Involvement will support about 80 cultural meals, Ryan said. These include the popular International Spring Festival, which occurred earlier this month and served about 2,000 meals, and India Night, which drew about 1,400 people in April. Some weekends two, three or even four cultural meals are scheduled for the same evening, so the kitchen is a melting pot of languages, cuisines and cultures. “One day we had a pow-wow group making salmon chowder and beef stew, Filipino students doing production for Filipino Night and the Residence Hall Advisory Council making barbeque for 400 all at once,” she said. Not many other colleges and universities have something similar to OSU’s Cultural Meal Program, so Ryan hopes the presentation she and students will give at the conference will encourage more schools to explore different heritages through food. That’s a desire shared by Ammara Tan, a junior majoring in health management and policy, and an event specialist for Student Involvement. Tan is one of the students accompanying Ryan to San Francisco, and she’s also the communications officer of the Asian Pacific American Student Union. She’s looking forward to “seeing other perspectives and what other universities offer to help students become culturally competent and involved.” Meals put on by international students and cultural groups on campus help establish a sense of community, according to Tan. “Just getting together and cooking and preparing food is a part of networking, but it’s also fun,” she said. “Usually cooking, especially in such large quantities, can be tedious, but once you start talking and get the music going, it’s really fun.” Cultural meals such as India Night are something the campus looks forward to all year, added Catalina Vlad, an International Students of OSU staffer and a senior majoring in nutrition. “It really brings people together,” said Parvathy Binoy, a senior majoring in political science and, along with Vlad, co-development coordinator of International Students. “You make a lot of friendships and bonds just cooking and celebrating.” In addition to the students putting on cultural meals, those who attend walk away with more than just sated appetites. “Corvallis is a small place, and a lot of people coming to OSU are from even smaller towns around Oregon, so it’s a great way to interact with people from all over the world,” said Katy Schuff, a senior majoring in geography and event coordinator for International Students.
Spring fest displays cultures By THERESA HOGUE
Under the towering trees lining the Memorial Union Quad, the steady click of bocce balls hitting each other on the lawn resonated Sunday afternoon, as a group of passersby found themselves engaged in a little lawn bowling. French, Indian and Mexican music blared over the loudspeakers and the tongues of a dozen different countries could be heard around the quad as Jessica Varin, Josh Smith, and 3-year-old Colin Smith tossed bocce balls across the lawn. All were drawn to the quad to see what the International Students of Oregon State University had in store for their annual spring festival. The bocce was a bonus. “I wanted to see the Lion Dance, and I was hungry,” third-year student Varin said. A double major in environmental engineering and international studies, Varin had heard that the festival was taking place and came to the quad to enjoy the free entertainment and lunch offered to students and community members. Smith and his son were there for the same reason. But the bocce ball brought back memories. “I lived in Europe, and I used to watch these guys (play bocce) outside my apartment window every day,” Smith said. The bocce was provided by the European Student Association, and President Dzhamal Amishev said the group was trying to provide more activities to draw visitors in, rather than just setting up poster board and displays. “We’re trying to be more interactive,” he said. Just down from the bocce ball court, the Hmong Student Association was hoping to educated passersby on Hmong culture, which is about 60 strong in Corvallis, but has a much larger presence in nearby Portland. “We want to spread awareness of who we are, and try to show the community we have international students here,” said member Kimberly Moua. “It’s really diverse and there’s more than one aspect of life.” Down at the Chinese Student Association Booth, students were scrambling to finish hanging elaborate red streamers and put tables and ornaments in place. Xiao Meng Zhong was helping organize the booth, and put out a stack of Chinese fig cookies to share. “We try to do something interactive to engage other people but at the same time we want to show some modern things in China,” Zhong said. Zhong participates in the international service program, which provides international students an opportunity to do outreach in local schools and with local organizations. She said in the four years she’s been part of the program, she’s seen an increase in interest and awareness of international subjects from American students. Her first year in the program, Zhong traveled to a rural high school for a presentation, and said she was shocked to meet high school seniors who had never heard of the Great Wall of China. But now, she’s found that she has to re-work her presentations to elementary students because they seem to know a lot more about China than she expected. “That’s always a good sign. I think more and more people are interested, especially with China’s status getting higher. A lot of people want to know about China because it’s going to be a huge market.”
Food, cultures shared at
annual cultural fest The MU Quad was packed Sunday with people meandering booth to booth to jump rope, play cricket and experience the many different cultural tastes at the ISOSU Annual Spring Festival. "[It's] a celebration of the cultural groups at OSU," said Sara Haines, ISOSU public relations coordinator. There were 14 different student groups represented at the festival, and each organization ran its own booth. The theme of the festival was "Hidden Treasures" of the cultures represented. A variety of foods was available throughout the day, including curry chicken kabobs with rice, hummus with pitas, chile rellenos and crepes with ice cream. Each booth had a different cultural flavor. The Chinese Student Association gave out fruit jelly, white rabbit candy and sunflower seeds, and the Turkish Student Association shared Turkish Delight with the students. Most booths displayed maps and pictures of their respective countries or books pertaining to their cultures. The Thai, African and Indonesian student associations had figurines on display. Parvathy Binoy, ISOSU's co-development coordinator, was the master of ceremonies for the performances that took place. Students performed a traditional Romanian dance, incorporating audience members for the Eastern European circle dance, in addition to performances of a Japanese yosakoi dance and an Indian Bollywood dance. Professional performers were brought in for the festival also. Celtic violinists, Taiko drummers and a Zimbabwean dance troupe entertained the crowd. "It is multicultural," said Matieb Alanazi, vice president of the Saudi Student Association. "It is interesting to see people exchanging information from other cultures. It is very peaceful. I'm learning a lot and enjoying myself." Many students who visited last year's festival returned for this year's event. "It's cool to see the different cultures represented at OSU," said Ellen Ballantine, a pre-mechanical engineering major. "I came last year and just had to come back again." ISOSU hosts career panel Being an international student at any university has many challenges. One is finding a plan for after graduation. "Immigration rules are not only complex, but constantly changing. In two months the rules we tell you about tonight may change," said Rachel Weber, international student adviser for International Student and Faculty Services. This was a grim opening to the evening, but a real reminder of exactly what some of OSU's students are facing. Tuesday night's career panel was a collaborative effort by the International Students of Oregon State University and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. The panel was specifically designed for international students who are looking to enter the American workforce. On the panel were Weber and Charlotte Ross, international student advisers from International Students and Faculty Services; Chris Bell, associate dean of the College of Engineering; Claudia Maier, post-doctoral fellow in the department of chemistry; and Ruth Milston, from the zoology department. The panel was a place for students to ask questions related to being an international student heading into the American workforce. Around 40 students attended, representing more than 15 countries. "ISOSU is trying to branch out of the 'International Event' box," said Parvathy Binoy, a co-development director for ISOSU. "We are leadership for the international students at OSU and know that there is a lot more that can be done." Binoy and Catalina Vlad, co-development coordinators for ISOSU, worked with Judith Jobse, co-adviser for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences to put on this event. Jobse is trying to earn her doctorate through OSU's department of fisheries and wildlife. She has done research in Latin America and hopes to continue working with students, teaching, and doing research at OSU or again in Latin America. She is originally from the Netherlands. "What do you do after you graduate? What does that all entail?" Jobse said. This sentiment was what led to the event. "We should have them more often, since we had such a good turnout." Having more events like this is exactly what ISOSU is hoping to do. "So many people came up to me and told me
they had wanted to come but they had a conflict. A lot of them
are hoping to have one spring term. I think that would be really
helpful for our students," Binoy said. Event embraces world of music,
dance
Volunteer audience members at the Gone Global Music
Festival try playing different sizes of angklungs, a musical instrument
from the Indonesian island of Java. An audience was invited Saturday night to step out of their comfort zone and into some creative and lively dance lessons. The evening began with several musical performances that introduced audience members to the beauty of unfamiliar instruments from around the world. "It's intended to raise awareness of the international instruments and musical talents at OSU," said Caitlin Donlon, employee of the Student Services Administration. The prized instrument of Trinidad, the steel drum, was featured in the night's opening act. Other acts included Indonesia's angklung, a Celtic fiddle, China's zheng and pipa, as well as a vocal performance of an Indian folksong. "I sang this song when I was in middle school in India for a school competition," said performer Parvathy Binoy, of the International Students of OSU (ISOSU). "A few other girls and I sang it together and won the competition. It's a good memory." ISOSU put on the event, titled "Gone Global: The Moves Behind the Music," as their annual winter festival. "I was interested in learning more Romanian folk dances since I'm Romanian. My dance teacher mentioned her friends Sonia and Cristian who could put on a dance workshop," said Catalina Vlad, ISOSU's co-developement coordinator. "When I brought this idea to [ISOSU], they thought since we are an international [organization], it should be more representative. Ideas for the instrument and other dances progressed from there." To get the musicians needed to act on all of their proposed ideas, ISOSU went to Gracewinds Music in downtown Corvallis. "Gracewinds provided us with the names of some great teachers in the community. The performers are from the community and the university," Donlon said. After the last performer had finished, guests were asked to clear away their chairs to accommodate the dance lessons. Once the floor was cleared, dance instructors Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu asked the audience to form a circle. It was not long before the circle of strangers became as warm and spirited as a real family. Following the Romanian folk dance workshop was a salsa lesson instructed by Santiago Landazuri. The lively dance was embraced by the audience as a welcome diversion from winter's cold. "We collaborated with a lot of different groups to make this event possible. ISOSU is trying to step out of the box for international events this year," Binoy said. The international voice
Facilitating cross-cultural interactions through events and programs is the mission of the International Students of OSU, a coalition of 13 different cultural student groups representing more than 60 countries. Two events from ISOSU are coming this week, as the organization aims to attract people who have not yet interacted with the international community on campus. Today at 7:30 p.m., the Filipino American Students Association, Isang Bansang Pilipino - an affiliate of ISOSU - will host Halo-Halo Night at the Asian and Pacific Cultural Center. The event is open to the public and the authentic Filipino dessert Halo-Halo will be served. On Tuesday, ISOSU will host "Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving" at the MU East kitchen beginning at 6 p.m. Students can learn how to carve pumpkins, find out the history of Halloween and get acquainted with the staff of ISOSU. "We are the voice of international students," said Parvathy Binoy, co-development chair for the organization. "ISOSU is a base," said Sarah Abdul-Karim, last year's ISOSU coordinator. ISOSU provides a network of services, events and socials that help international students transition into a new culture and surroundings. The goal of the organization is to promote a better understanding of different cultures among OSU's community. ISOSU is "a giant directory, we connect students to services they need," ISOSU's Co-Development Coordinator Catalina Vlad said. The organization serves a variety of different people, such as international students and those who return to school after studying abroad. "We help people find jobs, housing, legal advice - whatever they ask - we help provide," Vlad said. ISOSU is not, however, all about social events and gatherings. "There is a definite activist side of it," Binoy said Raising awareness about international issues is also the goal of ISOSU. In 2004, after the tsunami disaster in Asia, ISOSU organized a fundraising event in collaboration with OSU's Global Relief Effort. Students working with ISOSU collected clothes from all around campus. The donated clothes were sold at the MU Quad and the money made was donated directly to families in Colombo, Sri Lanka. "We have been trying to do more collaborative events, and really reach out to a variety of students," Binoy said. ISOSU gives everyone on campus a chance to participate in the organization, and all students may volunteer with any one of its affiliates. Kathy Schuff, an event coordinator for the organization, decided to become involved after her experience abroad in Japan and Germany. Laurence Alifen, ISOSU past coordinator of events, first started volunteering two years ago. "I wanted to find other Indonesian people I could interact with," Alifen said. "It's fun and I learned a lot about other cultures." "When you are an international student, you are the strange one," Abdul-Karim said. She and other ISOSU leaders said the group helps international students transition into their new home at OSU. ISOSU Leadership Council 2006-07
ISOSU Leadership Council, 2006-07
(from l-r): Katy The International Students of Oregon State University
(ISOSU) Sara Haines (Senior, Microbiology) is the International
Public Sandila Ekaputri (Senior, Business Administration,
Minor, Katy Schuff (Senior, Geography) is the Event Coordinator
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