Hello blogsphere.
Family, friends, passersby. Its been quite some time.
I feel the need to update you all because since the last time I posted a lot has gone on and changed. As I probably said I'm going to a Community College now, and its really great. I tell you, going to a college that is TOTALLY LOADED is definitely one of the perks of my life.
The campus is really pretty and they seem to work very efficiently to get necessary things done. Recently we had two big snow storms in quick succession and the area is not the best with snow, since it is somewhat of a rarity now.
The school is huge but they very effectively informed all the students appropriately before hand when school would be cancelled; taking into account that many of the students are not from close by.
By the time there was school again, (two days later) the campus was beyond clean. Apparently the grounds crew had worked all night to make sure that there was zero ice on any one of the roads or sidewalks. The top level of the parking garage had been roped off as it was not safe, and had not been plowed.
The snow had been quite heavy, so it weighed down a lot of trees. I realized that in the courtyard one of the trees was gone. It must have broken from the weight of snow and they just took it out.
I was very impressed by it, and it made me really appreciate how lucky I am to go to such a good school that cares so much about the welfare of their students.
BUT ON ANOTHER NOTE.
Recently I have become more involved with the international students at my school. I signed up for their "Conversation Partner" program (a program where one american student and one international student are paired together to help the conversational English of the International student) and got myself a convo partner.
Its really a great program but the awareness for it is at like a 0.2%.
So I went to the Global English Institute(GEI) who were the people I gave my convo partner application to.
I told him of my concerns and interests in maybe a slightly accusatory tone. It was a long email that had lots of thoughts, and he just said,
"Maybe you should contact the International Education Office"
I emailed the Internation Education Office and they said "Gosh we're so happy that you care, but we don't deal with them please contact the International and Immigration Student Office"
And by this time I was quite the mad. I sent a long email to them as well, but by this time I was almost sure they couldn't help me. All of a sudden something that wasn't a big deal in the beginning had become a big deal to me. Obviously, no one really knew who was in charge of this.
They emailed me back and said, "thats interesting darling why don't you go play with the children your age." JUST KIDDING, but thats close enough. They said, "talk to So and So, she's in charge of the International Club, which is what you're looking for."
Well, I'd heard of the international club. I knew about this club. My conversation partner said it was "totally not his style" well, knowing that he his sometimes a little stuck-up, I emailed her.
She apologized for me getting the run around and invited me to their club meeting, which was the next day.
I went to the meeting and was not surprised to see that it was not exactly what I was looking for. It was inviting and fun, but it wasn't so much an international club as a "Hispanic and African club" which excludes all of the less-outgoing Asian and Middle-Eastern students.
I realized that, though it was a fun deal, it was not at all what I was looking for. I'm glad my school has at least SOMETHING for international students, but it wasn't quite enough.
All of the students there had very good English, so they interacted well with one another. What about the students with English that is not as good? Who want to learn in a less-stressful environment? Who have class during the club meeting times, or who aren't outgoing enough to even try going there? Or who get turned off because they are the only one from their country showing up?
Conversation partners are an incredible program, and the school already has it so all they need to do is advertise a little!
So I realized, at the club, that the people who probably really knew what was going on were the first people I emailed. The GEI. The people who set me up with my conversation partner. I emailed the head of the department again, this time pinning the blame on him. I said that I knew his department was the one in charge of the conversation partner program, and that I had been gone all over the place because he had told me that he was not that.
Two weeks later, and he hasn't emailed me back. I go onto the school website and get the faculty list. I emailed one of the other professors in charge of the program. Almost a week later and they still didn't respond.
So I went through, alphabetical order, and emailed half of the department, saying that their department head was not responding and I was very cross with him. I explained my predicament and told how I wanted to help.
Three days later, I get one response. "Hello, I'm sorry to hear what this school has put you through. I'm happy you care about the international students. However...."
There it is. There's that word. "You seem like a caring student, but..." "I'm glad you take an interest, but..."
I continued to read. "However, I am not the person in charge. I forwarded your email to the person I believe can help" CHA-CHING" and they should send you an email soon. If they do not, contact me soon and I will see what I can do. I'm happy to help you in any way that I can."
The most courteous, and promising thing that I've heard so far. So I shall wait patiently and, in the meantime, go to the international club again. I know its not exactly what I was looking for but its fun, haha.
In other news.
I started Alice and Wonderland at my studio, and I got the Queen of Hearts. Only part I auditioned for and I got it!!! So happy!
halla, peace!
-Michelle
