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Number of international students on the rise
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by Fiona Odumosu
Correspondent |
They come from countries as far away as Japan, Botswana, Poland and Ireland. They are thrown into the American culture and left isolated. They are intelligent and determined people. These are the members of the International Student Organization (ISO).
There are approximately 7,900 students attending both the undergraduate and graduate programs at Columbia and according to the Admissions Office, approximately 618 of them are international students.
The international community can be divided into two groups—those who are here on a J-1 visa, and those who have been granted a Greencard through marriage or by other means. The majority of international students carry an F-1 visa, which is their ticket out of America as soon as they complete their college program.
Since Columbia opened its doors to international students, there has been a continuing influx of Asian students. Fifty-three percent of all international students come from South Korea, Japan and Thailand.
Most Asian economies are based on industry and, as a result, these countries do not have many colleges.
Botswana is the country from which the majority of African students attending Columbia come.
This is a result of a program that the Botswanian government has developed. The Academy of Education Development, is a contracted agency which sends students to American colleges so they will be better able to enrich Botswana on their return. “I always wanted to come to America,” said Douglas Israel, a graphic arts major. “The AED gave me the chance to continue my education.”
“Those students are lucky because the government pays for their tuition, accommodation and spending money,” said the advisor to international students, Symon Ogeto. Ogeto is a former international student of Columbia. He met President John Duff in Kenya in 1994, while working as a travel agent. It wasn’t long before Ogeto traded in his daytime job to become a marketing major at Columbia.
“One of the main issues for an international student is that they are different from many of their peers—from their eating habits to their accents,” said Ogeto. “ This can lead to a lot of isolation.”
In the fall of 1996, the ISO went down the road of destruction, after Ogeto graduated and became a part of the graduate school program. Ogeto wanted to see how the ISO would survive without his involvement. “[ISO] basically died, and once again Gigi Posejpal, Dean of International Students, was the only person that organized all the events such as dinners and trips to the theater,” Ogeto said.
In September of 1999, after earning his master’s degree, Ogeto was hired as the Advisor to International Students under the Optional Training Program. This position was greatly needed, as Posejpal was the only person international students could go to with their many concerns. “I am here for the students on a more personal level, because I have the time to interact with them,” Ogeto said.
One of Ogeto’s main priorities is to get the ISO up and running again with greater student involvement. Ogeto wants the ISO to be an institution where international students can feel at home.
Since September of 1998, the ISO has been more active on campus. The organization has participated in many international luncheons such as the Block Party, the Welcome Back Dance, as well as other school and social functions.
The main voice of international students is heard through the Spotlight, which is the ISO’s monthly newsletter. It features articles on events that the ISO was part of, profiles of international students and will also have a permanent slot dedicated to the news around the globe.
Christina Radveski, a journalism major, is the newly appointed president of ISO. “The ISO should be a place of social and academic support for all international students,” Radveski said.
“The ISO is something very positive, it is a place to meet friends and to enrich yourself by experiencing cultures from around the world,”
One of the main goals of Ogeto and the ISO, is to help international students with more loans and scholarships. Currently, there are no scholarships specifically for international students. Due to the federal government restraints on the F-1 visa, there is no financial aid offered to Columbia’s international students. This puts extra strain on the students with the increasing tuition.
In November, the International Student Affairs Office founded the International Student Emergency Fund, to aid students in cases of serious emergencies, such as death of a family member.
The ISO is currently planning a trip to Urbana-Champaign on Dec. 8 and will be visiting the Amish Acres on Dec. 11.
All are welcome to attend the ISO’s open meetings held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in Room 311 of the Wabash building.
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