In this Spring 2020 issue of The Globe, we hope to give you an inside look at some of the experiences, achievements, and life changing stories of our Lewis international students, the study abroad program, and various opportunities that provide multicultural interactions. We have highlighted programs and activities held by the International Student Association as well.
A Message From the Director of the International Student and Global Scholar Services
Over the 13 plus years as Director of the Office of International Student and Global Scholars, I have had the distinct privilege of welcoming a diverse group of students from all over the world who have enriched the Lewis community. Although most will never know their impact on the lives of the other students, faculty and staff with which they interact, I can tell you their influence in various academic departments, residence halls, co-curricular groups and athletic teams has a far reaching effect.
Many of our programs were started under the leadership of many undergraduate and graduate students from all over the globe as well as our various academic programs- from our international mentor program to the on-going collaboration between my office with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences globalization course. Over the last 2 years a panel of international students has interacted with future nurses focusing on promoting cultural competency for better health care outcomes.
I hope you enjoy the other features in this spring’s edition, from our study abroad program in Rome to an exciting new scholarship for international friends and family. This past fall and spring semesters we began a new program called “International Tea Talk” with the Foreign Language Department which features several of the countries represented by our students. Additionally, our very own International Student Association provided many opportunities to enjoy our surrounding communities and the Chicagoland area. Lastly we feature two of our undergraduate and graduate students’ academic and athletic achievements. Enjoy!
Contents
- International Tea Room: From Our Country to Yours
- The Best of Downtown Chicago
- International Mentor Program: First Steps in the United States
- 2020 Rome Program
- Exciting New International Scholarship
- International Athletes of the Chicago Catholic League
- Downtown Chicago and Maggie Daley Ice Skating Trip 2020
- Lewis Cyber Defense Club
- 2019 NSA Codebreaker Challenge Finalist
- Helping Future Nurses Learn About World Culture
- 2020 Chinese New Year Dim Sum
- GLVC Features International Student Athlete
- College Life: Philippines and The United States
- Meet Our Staff
International Tea Room is an event where international students present about their home country. The goal is to provide opportunities for cultural interaction between local students and the international community. The program helps foster socialization into the campus life, and educating local students about different cultures all over the world.
From Our Country To Yours
Interview with Afafe Karimallah - Morocco, Bachelor of Science in Physics and Aerospace Engineering. Class of 2021.
“International Tea Room is a great opportunity for students and faculty members of Lewis or the Lewis community in general to be more open to other cultures and know more about Lewis students”
Afafe Karimallah, a 20 year old Moroccan student, volunteered to present at our International Tea Room. She is currently a junior majoring in Physics and Aerospace Engineering. On the interview, Afafe said, “People are really excited to hear about Morocco. It’s a great touristic destination and it also brings a lot of stereotypes that I like to break from time to time. That’s why when I was offered to present about my country, I was really excited.” She also added her thoughts about the event, “International Tea Room is a great opportunity for students and faculty members of Lewis or the Lewis Community in general to be more open to other cultures and know more about Lewis Students, especially students coming from different parts of the world.”
She came to this country to learn more about the culture, language, and different background. New things have been discovered, stereotypes were broken.
The Best of Downtown
By Simeon Wickli - South Africa, Master of Science in Information Security. Class of 2020.
As an international student in a new city it can get quite overwhelming. Especially in a vast and beautiful city like Chicago. It’s not just the downtown area, but the surrounding neighborhood as well, such as Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Roscoe Village, Greektown, China town, and the famous Wrigleyville. It’s tough choosing top places to go as each place has neat and unique tidbits to them. However, I will list down my top 3 spots in Chicago.
Let’s start with some touristy things to see. First is the Cloud Gate, or more famously known as “The Bean”. This stainless steel structure is located in Millennium Park and was made by an Indian born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor between 2004 and 2006. Go take a photo of your reflection or just sit and marvel at the size of this piece. After that, walk across the street to Chicago Cultural Center, a free museum and cultural center exhibiting a wide range of the performing, visual and literary arts. It’s a nice and quiet. I sometimes just go to the second floor and sit in awe at the architecture (and people watch again). For our last touristy spot, we wonder a couple miles east the Sky Deck in Willis Tower. Buy a ticket and go 110-stories or 1,353 feet up in the air and step out on the top floor onto a glass ledge that overlooks the city.
Before doing all the touristy stuff, stop by one of these coffee shops to indulge yourself with some good coffee and a cozy spot to do your homework. First up, we have Ipsento 606 in Wicker Park. They serve chilled nitro coffee, the ipsento latte and the Nutella latte. They do have a wide variety of other coffees and teas as well, plus some good food too. Coffee spot number two is Hero Coffee bar at Jackson Ave. right down an alleyway lit up by a huge “coffee” sign above the shop. However, this is no sit down coffee spot, but it is near “The Bean”. I prefer going to Hero Coffee on LaSalle street where you can sit down and hangout. One of my favorites is the lavender latte, but they do make seasonal and specialty drinks which I tend to go for usually because they’re amazing. Last but not least, we have Oromo Café – a Turkish styled, health conscious café in Lincoln Square. I don’t know about anyone else, but I definitely feel healthier leaving that café than when I entered. If you have never tried traditional Turkish coffee then look no further, they do it here and serve it in silver cups, the Ottoman style ones. Or go with a golden mylk latte or the hazelnut horchata and you will not be disappointed.
We all love food, and Chicago has A LOT of different options to offer. So many that it will make you go poor trying to eat at all these restaurants. Where I have spent a lot of money are at the following places: (1) Qing Xiang Yuan, a BYOB dumpling place on the edge of China town. (2) Lonesome Rose, a Mexican restaurant located in Logan Square with unreal Tacos and alcoholic specials. (3) Parsons Chicken & Fish, located in Lincoln Park and Logan Square, offers phenomenal fried chicken and coupled with their unique Parsons Hot Sauce, it’s a good deal. Personal favorite is the Chicken & Waffles, plus it’s a great place to eat and drink in the summer.
Libations: During the summer, a must go place is the City Winery Chicago at the Riverwalk. You drink wine, sit by the river, watch the boats go by and get a tan (or get burned; use SPF50+ folks) at the same time. Pro tip, buy your own wine and bring your own glasses and sit on the benches closer to the river and drink there. Do it because it’s cheaper and totally legal. Another place is Devereaux, a rooftop bar/lounge with unbelievable cocktails and a swimming pool (just don’t have one too many drinks and fall in). Lastly, Joe’s Import, in West Loop – an amazing Wine Bar that also does fantastic cocktails and delicious food for happy hour, lunch and dinner, and brunch... so maybe I should have added it to the food list, too. Oh well, too late.
Do: You can’t come to Chicago and not go to Wrigleyville, the home of the famous Chicago Cubs. Visit the stadium and once you feel inspired to do so, go to Sluggers to hit some baseballs. Sluggers is a sports bar but with an upstairs area that is filled with batting cages and arcade games. Pay the man and go into one of many batting cages and smash a baseball. The Chicago Athletic Association, located across from “The Bean”, has a rooftop bar, a Topgolf Swing Suite, a socializing room (which looks like an old school library) and the Game Room where you can play shuffleboard, foosball, bocce ball, billiards, checkers, chess, and more. The Lincoln Park Zoo, located in Lincoln Park, was founded in 1868, making it one of the oldest zoos in North America. The admission is free so get your walking shoes on, as it is a big area and there are a lot of animals to see and learn about. Choosing only 3 of everything was extremely tough. There is so much to do. Like, did you know Chicago has a beach? Okay, it’s not a real beach, but when you’re on the beach you do forget that you’re not along the coast. And there are plenty of beach bars, beach volleyball courts, jet-ski and paddle board rentals. So much to do, so little time. Hopefully this will get you started into your Chicago explorations. Maybe you’ll see me at one of these places when you go. If so, come and say hello or have a drink with me.
International Mentor Program: First Steps in the United States
By Jay Ann Chan - Philippines, Master of Business Administration in Marketing Management. Class of 2021.
The International Student Mentor program is basically organized to help new incoming international students’ academic and cultural transitions. This is possible with the voluntary help of current undergraduates and graduates of the school. Mentors encourage mentees to participate in activities held on and off the classrooms as well as social opportunities – intramurals, club fairs, events.
I was a new student who had to go through cultural adaptation the first time I went to the United States. So many what if’s, how’s, and why’s came into my mind. This mentor program helped me as an individual and got me exposed to new culture and language. As a continuing international graduate student, I have been mentoring a new international student from the Philippines – Archie Mari De La Cruz. In an interview with Archie, she said, “In a way it didn’t like pushed me away on the first moments of being here in the US. I was welcomed and picked up by Mr. Fekete. I think it also paved the way for international students to build rapport.”
This program is a win-win situation for both the mentor and the mentee. It provided me with opportunities for good leadership, communication skills, and enhanced role model responsibilities. At the same time, helped new students easily adapt to the new culture and make new friends.
"It provided me with opportunities for good leadership, communication skills, and enhanced role model responsibilities."
The International Student and Global Scholar Services hopes that the relationship built during this mentor program will allow students to engage in opportunities and promote diversity not only in class but also off campus and into the real world.
2020 Rome Program at LUCE
By Christopher Swanson, Director of Study Abroad
Fifteen students participated in the Rome Program at Lasallian Universities Center for Education (LUCE) during the spring semester, which is the third year for the faculty-led program. The participants included eleven students from Lewis University, two students from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, a student from Mexico, and a student from the Philippines. This year’s program was led by Dr. Joanne Kuttner , Dr. Frank Rose (Finance), and Brother Peter Hannon (History). Dr. Dennis Cremin (History) and Chris Swanson (Study Abroad) also joined the program for the first few weeks to help with initial program operations and to assist the students in their transition to life in Rome.
Although the coronavirus outbreak cut the program short, the students were still able to go on one of their three planned excursions and explore sites in Rome before departing by March. Their coursework were completed through online learning, even though the professors and students were spread across four countries on three continents!
The Lewis University Rome Program is a unique spring semester study abroad opportunity for students from Lasallian universities and colleges around the world to study with each other while living at the LUCE in the Generalate, the motherhouse of the Lasallian Christian Brothers in Rome, Italy. This program provides students the opportunity to complete courses toward their degree while gaining a deeper understanding of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the Lasallian Christian Brothers, and the International Lasallian Network. It also includes excursions to other parts of Italy. For more information, contact Chris Swanson, Director of Study Abroad (swansoch@lewisu.edu), or visit the Lewis University Study Abroad website (www.lewisu.edu/studyabroad).
International Athletes of the Chicago Catholic League
The Chicago Catholic League is a high school athletic conference based in Chicago, Illinois. The CCL is best known for its success in games such as football, wrestling, and baseball. Yang Chen, who graduated in Montini Catholic High School Class 2017 and Mo Huangshen, a graduate of De La Salle Institute Class of 2019 both competed at the said league.
Yang and Mo are international students from China and they are the first Lewis international student athletes who graduated in our La Sallian sister schools - Montini Catholic High School and De La Salle Institute.
"CCL is the best football conference in the state, and there are no soft opponents in this league."
Mo Huangshen - China, Bachelor of Science in International Business. Class of 2023.
"I learned a lot from my opponents because that was the hardest match I have ever been on."
Yang Chen - China, Bachelor of Science in Aviation Flight Management. Class of 2021.
Downtown Chicago and Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Trip 2020
Lewis Cyber Defense Club
Article by Nadia Beidas, Flyer Tech Newsletter
Featuring International Student Puneet Singh - India, Master of Science in Information Security. Class of 2021.
The Lewis University Cyber Defense Club took part in the Cyber 9/12 competition in Austin, Texas on January 16 and 17. Overall the team placed third out of 19 university teams. The team placed ahead of Harvard University, but lost the final round to West Point.
The students attending were Jocelyn Murray, a freshman majoring in computer science with a concentration in cyber security, Andrew Milligan, a sophomore double majoring in business administration and information security management, David Mendez, a senior majoring in computer science and our Lewis international student Puneet Singh from India, who is studying for his master’s in Information Security.
Read the full article here: https://flyertech.cs.lewisu.edu/2020/01/29/lewis-cyber-defense-club-places-third-in-the-cyber-9-12-competition/
Helping Future Nurses Learn About World Culture
By Gerard Ortiz - Philippines, Masters of Science in Project Management. Class of 2020.
Cultural awareness and sensitivity have always been important to me as an international student and a citizen of the world. The nursing panel discussion provided the perfect opportunity for me and like-minded international students to share our cultures and experiences.
The event provided an opportunity for Lewis’ accelerated nursing program students to pry open the mind of an international student and see the difference between American culture and of other countries. They can get an insight of what a person from a particular part of the world may be culturally used to and hence how a patient may want to be treated based on where they are from.
If I were asked if I could do it again, I most certainly would without a second thought! I would also recommend the opportunity to other international students so they could interact with and provide better inter-cultural experience to our community.
Chinese New Year Dim Sum
Great Lakes Valley Conference: #SomeoneToListen Series
Featuring International Student Athlete Tereza Pilzova - Czech Republic, Public Relations/ Advertising Major. Class of 2021.
Photos by Steve Woltmann, Director of Photography, Lewis University Flyers.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) continued its series of #SomeoneToListen featuring student athletes. With their Tuesday Segment (April 7, 2020), Teresa was featured.
The Flyers were in Florida last Spring break when the announcement of the cancellation of Spring and Winter Championships due to COVID-19 went out.
In the feature, Teresa talked about how she and her teammates felt the moment they heard about the cancellation. She also wrote about how it affected her journey as a student athlete personally and emotionally.
"I have learned so much, not only about the world around me, but also about myself. I've met awesome people, seen beautiful places, lived through amazing times, and found a way how to get through the tough ones."
Read her full feature here: http://glvcsports.com/news/2020/4/7/general-someonetolisten-tereza-pilzova-lewis-womens-tennis.aspx
College Life: Philippines and the United States
By Archie Mari A. De La Cruz - Philippines, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Class of 2022.
The mentality setting of a typical Filipino is to be a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant or a pilot and the integral professions are looked down upon such as farming and teaching. But in reality, majority of students after graduating is to be a call center agent or other blue-collar jobs.
This acumen reflects the quality of students in the Philippines, resulting to poor performances in the academic standing. Nowadays, students are increasingly romanticizing the idea of the toxicity of the educational system, such as not having any sleep because of the demand in universities, resulting to depression and suffering of the mental health. I am a college student as well. It’s not that depression doesn’t exist, but the encouragement for it is sickening. The usual travelling time for students who don’t live in the area is 3 hours due to traffic because of undisciplined drivers, jaywalkers, and street-vendors. The time wasted for traffic could have been used for more useful endeavors such as homework or spending time with family.
Here in the United States, I noticed that it’s a normal practice for college student to “go away” for college, but Filipino parents now are unlikely to let their children study far away, or to live near the campus because of the safety concerns which can also lead them to miss the opportunity utilizing different education every university has to offer. One thing with classes I notice the most is the schedule, wherein there’s a 50 minute class, which at first glance is a ridiculous idea. The usual class time in the Philippines is 1 hour and 30 minutes, which is some ways nice, but not for an efficient learning environment. But as I witnessed the efficiency of professors here in the United States because of the availability of abundant resources, I see what Philippines could have become.
The Staff
- Michael Fekete - Director of International Student and Global Scholar Services
- Gerard Ortiz, Philippines - Graduate Assistant
- Enzo Davanyaam, Mongolia - Student Employee, President - Int'l Student Association
- Reece Bhave, India- Student Employee, Vice President - Int'l Student Association
- Jay Ann Chan, Philippines - Student Employee, Editor - The Globe Newsletter
- Mai Hoang, Vietnam - Student Employee
Contact Us:
Would you like to be featured in The Globe Newsletter? Do you have any suggestions or questions? Feel free to contact Jay Ann Chan at jayannkarenzchan@lewisu.edu for more information about The Globe.
International Student Services: https://www.lewisu.edu/studentservices/iss/index.htm
International Student Association: https://www.instagram.com/lewisuinternational/
Credits:
Created with images by L A L A - "Rome, Italy" • Hanny Naibaho - "Prayer"