As the Newsletter Editor for the Ithaca College International Club I was in charge of producing this "See" newsletter to showcase the international community on campus and our various involvements. The final product was sent out of perspective international students as part of their acceptance package.

1. IC International Club
Email: icic@Ithaca.edu
See
Ithaca College International Newsletter
Inside this issue:
International Education
2 April 24th, 2010 Volume 6, Issue 1
Week
Health Care Discussion
2
Words from ICIC President, Pooja Shah
IC Limits Diversity
4
International Education
Photo Contest Winners
4 ―Successful‖, ―exciting‖, ―colorful‖, and ―phenomenal‖ are but a few
words used to describe Ithaca College‘s International Club this year. We kicked
ICIC– Past, Present and
Future
5 off the year with the Welcome/Welcome Back picnic at the gorges, lots of new
faces, energy and hopes. We took a new approach and continued the year by hav-
ICIC In a Nutshell
6 ing biweekly meetings. Every other week we held an event, which would either be
fun, interactive or discussion based. Examples of such were the International
Student Contributions-
Photos, Artworks
7 Health Care discussion, Mardi Gras Around the World, the soccer tournament
and the annual graduation reception, just to name a few!
My Ayiti Cheri As the club evolved over the years, so have I as I watched new events
8
take place, new students participating, climbing the ladder of success each year
The Other Side of the making ICIC bigger and better. Having been part of ICIC since my freshman
Mirror
8
year, I have witnessed the tremendous growth of interest shown by students,
Importance of Census which increases my connection to this student organization. I feel very honored
2010 for Asian Ameri-
9
can Communities to serve on ICIC‘s executive board as the president and making the international
students at IC feel at home. However, none of the successes would have been
A Quick Glimpse of
Dhaka, Bangladesh
9 possible without my friend and colleague Laura Louon, vice-president of ICIC.
Thank you for all your help, sticking through thick and thin with me.
London– A City Like no 10
Other Lastly, at the end of each academic year, ICIC publishes its annual news-
letter, ―See‖, which is a collection of art work, literature pieces, and photography
Teaching in Korea 10 with a touch of diversity contributed by students at Ithaca College. Thank you to
Amanda Wong and Romi Ezzo for putting this incredible newsletter together and
A Talk with Mr. Masa- 11
hiro Kitazume I hope you will all enjoy it. Also, this year would not have been as successful as it
was without the ICIC executive board and our advisor Diana Dimitrova. My
Meet the Current 12
Eboard! heartfelt thank you to all! Finally, congratulations to all the graduating seniors and
I wish you many successes in life.

2. International Education Week– By Amanda Wong
This year the International Club held the This year the much anticipated One Services for preparing a delicious interna-
long awaited International Education Week World Concert, held in Emerson Suites, tional dinner, as well as the Caribbean Stu-
in early November, as part of the College‘s was celebrated bigger than ever before, dent Association for their collaboration in
yearly Family Weekend. As per usual, the appropriately ending our International International Jeopardy.
weeklong celebration provided an opportu- Education Week on a high note. Indi-
nity for the campus community to learn vidual students and various organiza- Last but not least, thanks everybody who
about other cultures, while creating interac- tions from IC as well as Cornell came came out to support our events in celebrat-
tions between American and international together, dedicating the night to the ing cultural diversity!
students, faculty and staff members. appreciation of arts, music, dance, and Amanda Wong is a junior CMD major, you can
other performances representing differ- contact her at awong1@ithaca.edu
Starting the week off was a movie screening
of The Shape of Water, ―a feature documen- ent cultures in the United States and
tary that tells the stories of powerful, imagi- internationally.
native and visionary women confronting To conclude, the IC International Club
the destructive development of the Third would like to thank everyone who made
World with new cultures and a passion for the International Education Week a
change‖. Students gathered to discuss the huge success!
efforts of women who are pioneering social Thank you to:
justice in areas such as Senegal, Israel/ - All the performers
Palestine, Brazil, and India. - Diana Dimitrova
Other events included the International - Doreen Hettich-Atkins
Jeopardy organized by the Caribbean Stu- - Conference and Event Services
dent Association, international dinner held - Office of International Programs
in the Campus center dining hall and the - ICIC Executive Board
International Education Week Photo Con- - Division of Interdisciplinary and Inter-
test sponsored by the Office of Interna- national Studies
tional Programs.
We would also like to thank Dining
“Health Care in the US: Why the Rest of the World Think it’s
Funny”- By Asuka Suzuki
On September 15, 2009, Professor Stewart Auyash from School of Health Sciences and Human Perform-
ance held a discussion session about health care reform in the U.S. with IC students. Not only American students with
interests in health care in their country, but also many students with international background participated in the dis-
cussion.
In the beginning of the session, Professor Auyash showed a YouTube clip featuring a song that introduces
the ranking of health insurance systems around the world. The clip bears a sarcastic tone towards the U.S. system,
which is ranked 37th in the world, while other developed countries such as France and Italy, are ranked 1 st and 2nd
respectively. He also showed us a video that criticizes the contradictions of the U.S. health care system from a Cana-
dian perspective.
Following the two clips, he explained the background of the issue, the present condition of the United States, and its progress
towards the future. Since the presidency of John F. Kennedy in 1960s, the United States has been struggling with improving its health
care system. The system is still not standardized, widening the gap between different states. One of the ideas he introduced was a system
called ―Medicare System‖ aided by the government, in which anyone can be covered without payment. The students participated with
keen enthusiasm, asking questions about this system and discussed advantages, disadvantages, and challenges the US would face to
achieve the ideal.
In the end, some international students actively shared their thoughts and
explained the current systems in their home countries. All of their stories were help-
ful for all participants to look at the U.S. health care system from different perspec-
tives. Comparing their fortunate situations and the reality of the world, there were
emotions were high and ethical conflicts filled the atmosphere. Professor Auyash
remarked ―This is a moral issue,‖ emphasizing the complications and dilemma surrounding the controversy.
Just thinking about the issue will not directly solve the problems, but being aware of the issue is an important first step of the
long-term process. This discussion on health care reform introduced students to thought-provoking and critical proposi-
tions, making them realize the need for change in the U.S. and in the world.
Page 2

3. Different Perspective on Healthcare
It was definitely very interesting having the international students that's the sense I got. A Zimbabwean also mentioned the
come in and discuss their experiences with their own health care. amount of corruption and difficulties that went into the health
Some of the policies we discussed seemed shocking to them, which is care system with the government changes and the policy
such a role reversal/different way of viewing it. A common theme I changes. I think the best part was just to hear their reactions to
saw was the potential of a feasible option of care whether you were the bits and pieces we shared about our own health care experi-
insured or not. Many had public hospitals and private hospitals, but ences in the states, the most awe inspiring being the short
you could go to either. It was interesting to hear the different empha- length of time we actually spend with the doctor. Though this
sis on when going to a doctor was actually necessary. In Australia, girls is something we have all grown up being used to, it definitely
were the ones who were more likely to go to the doctor for an issue doesn't build a strong relationship with the physician or en-
opposed to a guy. A lot of the care was also based around where you courage treatment on a more personal and individualized level.
lived: if you were in a city you had hospitals that were more accessible -Cassidy Goepel ‗12
to you, but if you were in the country it was harder to make it to a
hospital. This was true for Zimbabwe and India, as well, or at least Major: Clinical Health Studies
I very much enjoyed the panel discussion with the interna- I think most everyone in my group would agree that
tional students. I wish we had a chance to hear from all the students, both students‘ reactions to our health care system and the price
but the students I was able to hear from were intriguing. I listened to of schooling was the most interesting. Both students were un-
two males, one from Chile and the other from Kuwait. The student pleased with the pricing and hoops they have to jump through
from Kuwait explained how their health care system was universal and for healthcare and school. The Chilean said it best when he
school was essentially free for Kuwaiti citizens. While the student described the United States as the most organized and legal
commented that most of this was attributed to the oil money, all I form of corruption. Both students described the US as being
could think of was free school. The student from Chile explained how too business driven and blowing problems and concerns way
there were 50-some illnesses that were treated for free. But the most out of proportion. I understand and agree with most of what
interesting aspect was his explanation was of fingerprinting insurance these students were saying; they reaffirmed what I already
clients. People in Chile who are insured get their fingers printed and thought of our health care system. Our health care system, like
put into their respected health insurance‘s database. So upon arrival to the people of the US, needs some TLC.
the clinic the patient‘s finger gets scanned and all their information
will come up on a computer screen. This kind of technology is stan- -Stacy Law ‗11
dard in the cities AND very rural villages he said. He also mentioned Cinema Photography
that this is very useful when a patient arrives unconscious.
I found talking to the international students about health plans here was understood at first, probably because private
care very interesting. In our group, we had someone from Sri health care in their country might be just one fixed plan (I
Lanka, Australia, and Bulgaria. It seemed that Sri Lanka and Austra- might be wrong but this was my understanding). What they
lia (and possibly Bulgaria, I can't remember) had public health care thought was that anyone who had a health care plan would be
and private health care. Public care is free while private care obvi- getting the same treatment as someone as high up as the presi-
ously costs money. In general, it seemed like if you had public dent, being able to see the same physicians, get the same treat-
health care, you were subjected to longer waits and hospital stays ments, etc. I thought that was really interesting since that is
included being in a room with multiple people but everyone is obviously not the case here. Their government is on its own
treated equally. With private health care, there is a lot less waiting health care plan, which probably has many differences than the
and your stay at a hospital would most likely include a private room. average American's health care plan. After thinking about it,
this just goes to show how much health care is a business, and
Something that I found interesting was one of the stu- like someone in class today said, "More money, more health
dent's perceptions of our health care. I feel as if they thought that if care".
you have health care here, the health care would be the same for -Edward Jeklinski ‗11
everyone, as long as they had it. I do not think that the concept of
there being a seemingly infinite number of different health care Clinical Health Studies
Page 3

4. IC Limits Diversity– By Tiffany Cheng
Recently, the Ithacan reported that a total of 844 ALANA stu- race 3 dorm that pro-
dents were enrolled this year, the largest increase the college has seen vides dorm residents
in 10 years. With such an increase in admitting ALANA students on with multicultural learn-
campus, the school still lacks several programs to retain these students ing and programs, the
and to ensure that their college experience is fruitful and considered as college has not pro-
ALANA students on an 82% white-populated college community. vided enough programs
Several of the ALANA students are admitted through the to help these students
Inside Look program which provides three days for prospective adjust to the new life-
style of a predomi-
ALANA students to stay on the IC campus, live with a typically
nantly white school. It
ALANA students, and learn about the IC campus life. The program is
free for prospective ALANA students. Although this program may also pulls them away from their own identity while easily for-
provide a glimpse of the college experience for the first time with getting cultural values taught by their parents or feeling less
many senior high school ALANA students, the program depicts and inclined to learn more about their ancestors and acknowledge
the Asian immigrant struggle.
inaccurate picture of the daily lives of ALANA students at IC. Pro-
spective students are mostly surrounded by other ALAN A students While the school speaks on its ―diversity,‖ it is not
during those three days, making the school seem diverse. In fact, the shown too heavily on campus. Furthermore, this poses great
school does not provide much diversiy even the academic level. limitations on student‘s college experience and learning. Diver-
sity thrives in today‘s world especially in today‘s work place.
Currently, the school has Latino Studies and African Dias-
pora minor programs. However, the school lacks an Asian Studies The college serves as an inaccurate representation of life – ill-
programs. Every semester, the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, preparing students for the real world and limiting individuals
and Ethnicity have classes focused on Latino and African studies from learning more about their identity while becoming open-
while neglecting classes focusing on Asian heritage and history. There- minded to new cultures.
fore, little Asian history is taught in the schools, allowing several The college has to do a better job living up to what
Asian/Asian Americans to feel disconnected from their Asian culture, they promote. They need to have programs and classes that
with the easy ability to assimilate to the prominent ―white‖ culture on ensure that students are getting a diverse quality education.
campus. They need to have initiatives to ensure that ALANA students
feel comfortable with their identities in this potentially life
For students from foreign countries, this does not provide a
comforting community for many of these students. These students changing environment.
could feel out of plan and unacknowledged by the campus commu- Tiffany Cheng is a Senior CMD Major, you can contact her at:
nity. Although the H.O.M.E program, which is a program in the Ter- tcheng1@ithaca.edu.
International Education Photo Contest Winners:
People Places Transportation
1st place- 1st place- 1st place-
Morning on Lake Malawi by Maddie Ken- Nice, France by Eli Kowalski (SA London The French Revolutionist by Eileen Sheridan
nedy (SA in Malawi, Africa, Summer 2009) Center, Spring 2009) (SA at the London Center)
2nd place- 2nd place- 2nd place-
Stilt Fishermen, Wadduwa, Sri Lanka by Waterfall in Northern Nepal by Elena Kakum s Canopy by Aubrey Bendix (SA SIT
Draupadie Wickramasinghe (int. student Shrestha (international student from Nepal) Ghana, Spring 2009)
from Sri Lanka)
3rd place- 3rd place-
3rd place-
Street Boy, Chennai, India by Lindsay Mott Day on the Niger by Laura Grimm (SA SIT
Islamic Serenity by Laura Grimm (SA SIT
(SA Semester at Sea, Spring 2009) in Mali, Africa, Spring 2009)
in Mali, Africa, Spring 2009)
Page 4

5. The International Club– Past, Present and Future
by Amanda Wong
International Club- Celebrating Diversity!
―Everywhere in the world today, international knowledge, under-
standing and mutual appreciation have become an urgency.‖ Our founder,
Tony Uzomba‘s words are relevant today as they were a half-century ago.
That‘s why you have joined the International Club. In 1961when American
colleges desperately sought to enhance campus diversity, Ithaca College, with
at least 50 students from five continents, was recognized as one of the most
culturally diverse campuses of its time. That same year, a group of IC students
came together with one goal in mind: to foster mutual understanding and re-
spect between the diverse nationalities that formed the Ithaca College student
body- American and interna-
tionals alike.
From cultural din-
ners and festive celebrations,
to forums and symposia on
American foreign policies and
international conflicts, the International Club has been an active campus or-
ganization for the past 48 years. We provide a home far away from home for
many international students, a number of whom live away from their families
for the first time. During times of crisis such as the Pakistan- India conflict
and the tragedy of 9/11, the International Club has provided help and sup-
port, not to mention a safe environment where such complicated issues can be
addressed.
This is where we need your help. Each one of us is privileged to have
a culturally diverse campus community, but if we do not take advantage of
this, cultural diversity means nothing more than statistics on a page. As
Uzomba so aptly says, it is not enough that we simply acknowledge the exis-
tence of one another. Understanding and respect come from learning about
the background, the upbringing and the social issues that other people experi-
ence. It is through an appreciation of the food, the music, the arts and games
of another culture that we can begin to slowly understand where other people
come from, their customs and their values- and this is what the International
Club is all about!
So with this in mind, the International Club would like to thank you
for your continual support and invite you to join us in our bi-weekly social
events or even become a part of our team!
For more information, please contact icic@ithaca.edu or join our
Facebook group – Ithaca College International Club (ICIC).
On behalf of Ithaca College International Club
―Celebrating Diversity!‖
Page 5

6. ICIC In a Nutshell...
Page 6

7. Student Contributions:
Above:
By Cherrie
Rhodes
Above: Chocolate Walk
By ASM Samwan Rob
Right: Lights! Camera! Action!
By Tatenda Mbudzi
Page 7

8. Speech Given by Farah Seneque at Haiti Benefit Concert
Before I speak, I would like everyone to know that I am the ing in the neighborhood that I grew up in and due to the de-
product of Haiti. If Haiti can produce such an elegant, beautiful, intel- struction I could barely recognize the buildings, the places, and
ligent and a strong woman as I am, I believe deeply from the bottom the emptiness that the people who are gone have left… some-
of my heart that the earthquake does not have the power to destroy times at night I wanted to have a little quiet time for myself to
her. To the contrary, Haiti will gather all her remaining strength and reflect on what I‘ve seen and felt throughout the day… but
stand up once again on her feet and face the world looking more each time I attempted to I couldn‘t… not because I wasn‘t in
beautiful and more powerful than ever. the spirit… but because it‘s at night that my family and the
You probably have heard over a thou- neighbors gathered together to tell jokes and tell stories.
“If I were to be sand times ever since the earthquake Before I left the United States, although I knew that the Hai-
given all the riches has hit, that Haiti is the most impover- tian people are very strong and also are very resilient, I was
ished country in the western hemi- losing hope because the pictures in the media told me that
in the world, to be sphere, in every news headline, and all there was no hope. Being there, witnessing how Haitians re-
over the internet. I think you have gardless of age and gender continues the storytelling tradition,
born all over again heard it enough and well, tonight as a taught me a very big lesson - that is the strength in community
Haitian native, I am here to tell you and human connection. The Haitians are not telling jokes be-
in a country of my about the Haiti that I know, the Haiti cause they are not afraid and sad… but they do it because that
choice, I would that is for me to date the pearl of the is what keeps them together and allow them the chance to live
islands, the pearl of my heart, and my and hope in spite of it all…
choose my Ayiti first love. Tonight I can tell you this, if
The earthquake might have broken the government offices, the
I were to be given all the riches in the
Cheri, my Haiti.” world, to be born all over again in a
presidential palace and the different homes; it has not broken
nor touched the spirit of the people.
country of my choice, I would choose
my Ayiti Cheri, my Haiti. Now more than ever, I firmly believe that there is lots of room
for hope…
During spring break, a few weeks ago, I visited my homeland. On the
12th of March, as the plane landed, my heart was so heavy that the Farah Seneque is a Senior Sociology Major , you can contact her at:
tears that I‘ve tried to hold for days began to drop heavily. I started fsenequ1@ithaca.edu.
asking myself whether I made a mistake to come visit so soon, or
whether I would be able to handle being there for a full week. Then I
realized that part of my reaction came from myself being a privileged
Haitian, living and attending school in the United States.
My week in Haiti was, by far, the most inspiring and powerful week
I‘ve had, in terms of living as a human being and feeling a human con-
nection. The first couple of days in Haiti were intense, especially walk-
The Other Side of the Mirror– By Hannah Wilson
I‘m at that point of my ex- famous people and some almost famous I go home, speech
change where I feel a little home sick. people. It‘s been a big old adventure. But I pathologists will pick
It‘s a strange sensation, being in a can‘t quite get rid of that bounce in my up on a slight accent
place that is not like but not unlike step that appears after phone calls to my that they will identify
home. Australia and America are not friends at home. And I can‘t help but miss as American. I will
all that different from each other, the most obscure things like ‗Tasty‘ cheese watch movies and
both westernized, English speaking and my own bed. say, ―I‘ve been there‖
countries and yet, sometimes I find As the semester progresses and instead of ―I‘d like to
myself feeling so very foreign. the sun melts the snow, my mind turns to go there.‖ And I will
This is not a bad thing. the winter I will face when I go home: that stay up until mid-
There‘s certainly a degree of charm will be three in a row. I‘ll miss the snow night to Skype with
that international students have. It and I‘ll miss waking up to the view of my new friends between their classes.
has been easy to make friends. Every- Cayuga Lake each morning; but I won‘t I want to stay in America but I can‘t
one has been so open to sharing their miss the cold or living out of a backpack wait to go home. I guess that means I‘ll just
culture with me. I have seen Upper or feeling like an extra in a movie all the have to come back.
East Side loft apartments and Califor- time.
nian art museums. I have met some Travel like this is bittersweet, I Hannah Wilson is an exchange student from Austra-
lia, you can contact her at: hwilson1@ithaca.edu.
guess. That‘s the paradox that comes with
having friends on both sides of the world.
Page 8 I will never again be purely Aussie. When

9. Importance of Census 2010 for Asian American Communities– By Tiffany Cheng
The federal government has been adamantly advertising these may be countries that are go-
for Census 2010 in the last six months with public service an- ing through political and economic
nouncements, print ads, and even television ads. Census data turmoil. Furthermore, Asians/Asian
helps the government determine how to allocate over $300 billion Americans are skeptical because of
in federal and state funding for community programs in health, the negative experiences they have
education, and much more. However in the past, Asian Ameri- endured in their own countries with
cans have been the least represented group in the Census data. the government. Immigrant Asians
Therefore, there has been an extra effort to encourage Asians/ are also less likely to have time to fill
Asian Americans to participate in Census 2010. out Census data because they may
be more attentive to providing suffi-
Much of past information and data about Asians/Asian
cient living conditions for their chil-
Americans have been estimated. However, the Census may have
lacked cultural competency for Asians/Asian Americans. One of dren, a prime reason for Asians who
the most obvious and prominent issues for data collection is lan- have fled from their war torn or suppressive home country.
guage barriers. Because there are hundreds and thousands of lan- Asians/Asian Americans are also still not aware of how
guages and dialects, the Census organizers have not had sufficient important Census data really is. For individuals who do not have
staff to accommodate for such diverse communication. With pre- access to televisions or newspapers regularly, they could be un-
dominantly Chinese, Japanese, and Korean-dialects speaking staff, aware of the Census Bureau‘s initiatives. For low-income and non-
Census data neglects the other non-English speaking individuals English speaking individuals, it is highly difficult to grasp this con-
who speak other dialects and less popular Asian languages. There- cept when having to attend to survival needs.
fore, mistranslations on print and online forms have occurred.
The Census Bureau should focus on creating programs,
For example, on the Vietnamese forms, the Census questionnaire
workshops, and promotional campaigns within prominent Asian
was translated as ―dieu tra,‖ which means ―investigation‖ in Viet- community centers. These would serve as platforms for Asians/
namese, providing negative connotations of the questionnaire. Asian Americans to learn that their contribution to the Census is
―Dieu Tra‖ was a term used during a time when Vietnamese immi-
as important for the distribution of their tax money as their voices.
grants struggled to escape the Vietnam communist regime. There-
fore, the questionnaire disheartened several individuals of the Viet-
namese community, who feared trusting the U.S government.
Tiffany Cheng is a Senior CMD Major, you can contact her at:
Furthermore, the Census Bureau fails to acknowledge the tcheng1@ithaca.edu.
need to establish a different type of relationship with Asians/Asian
Americans before they can really trust the Census Bureau to pro-
tect their information. Undocumented immigrant Asians are espe-
cially skeptical of the government because they are afraid of being
transported back to their home countries—for many of them,
A Quick Glimpse of Dhaka, Bangladesh– By Adiba Afros
When I tell people that I‘m from Bangladesh, those who
are unaware of it assume that it‘s a part of India (close, it‘s
our giant neighbor) and few that know of it reply ―wow
that‘s cool!‖ and I always try to help them expand on that
perception. It‘s actually a pretty small country, the size of
NY State with a population of more than 162,221,000
people (Wikipedia). That‘s a pretty intense figure to handle
for such a small country, and trust me, growing up in the
main city of Dhaka, you can feel the intensity of so many
lives every time you hit the streets. The hustle and bustle
of people going about, cars, buses, rickshaws (a form of
public transport, tricycle with passenger seats; pictured at
right) auto-rickshaws, beggars, shops, tea shops on the
street corners, street vendors, it‘s a colorful mix of scents,
sounds and sights.
Adiba Afros is a Sophomore Business Major, and the Advertising
Chair of ICIC, you can contact her at:aafros1@ithaca.edu.
Photographer: Najib Haider
Page 9

10. London: A City like no Other– By Andrés Ordorica
London. How to explain it? I have to say that I have been quite lucky to have visited and
lived in some very neat places. But, none can compare to the metropolis that is London. Culture is
found in every facet of life in that city. It to me is one of the most beautiful and artistically rich places I
have ever lived in. I love that heritage is so respected and patriotism is so prevalent. Walking down the
streets the flags of countries I only ever dreamt of wave in the crisp English air.
London has art engrained in every aspect of its being. From the street vendors on Portobello
Road to the modern art at the Serpentine Gallery, to the fashionistas of Sloane Square. Art is London
and London is art. The youth seem inspired and revel in being artists and free. A sense of freedom and
liberation to be unconventional is prevalent all over. Individuality is revered and fostered by society.
Often, I would find myself on the Southbank of the Thames passing the skaters near the National Theatre and just was so
amazed at how two totally different worlds could be right next to each other. The world of the theatre, a well respected art form, and
skateboarders often seen as counter-culture and a drag on society. Here though, they live in symbiosis. Each its own art form. Art being
fluid and able to take shape in the form of a classical play or the athletic work on a skateboard.
Another aspect of London I loved dearly was the culture. Everywhere you could come across any number of denizens from all
across the many parts of the globe. I loved that pride in the homeland of these Londoners. London was their home, but they knew who
they were. They offered that to London. London was the makeup of its multiculturalism. It was this fact that made it the city it is.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in London and would recommend visiting or studying there to anyone. It is a Mecca for any
kind of art lover. There is so much to do there and it is definitely a young person‘s city. From the culture, to the people, to the art, or to
the history there is something for everyone in the city by the Thames.
Andrés Ordorica is a Junior English/Drama Major, you can contact him at: aordori1@ithaca.edu.
Teaching in Korea- Kendra Sundal
Though I wasn't actually an international student while I until later in high school and college, only during exam periods or
was at IC, the international community helped to shape my experi- busy times of the year. These kids have that kind of schedule
ences there immensely. Many of my friends were international stu- every day, and I often feel responsible for contributing to their
dents, I worked for the Office of International Programs my senior workload.
year, and I studied politics and international relations. I spent a In addition to seeing how much work they are expected
summer semester studying in Ghana, which only made me want to to do and feeling guilty about my role in that, I also can't help but
leave the US again from the moment I returned. I knew I wanted to feel like an imperialist here sometimes. While I love living abroad,
be abroad after graduation, and I decided to get my TEFL certifica- I know that life is easier here for me because I speak English, and
tion because teaching English seemed like a good way to live and because Korea as a country has become obsessed with English -
work abroad while I made decisions about my future. I've now been both in terms of education and consumption. Most stores and
living and working in South Korea for seven months, and whenever companies have English names written on their signs next to
I realize another month has passed I'm surprised by how fast the Korean, and it's becoming common to see English written promi-
time has gone by. nently with Korean written below in a smaller font. Korean pop
In general, I have loved my time in Korea. Most days I music is increas-
enjoy teaching and many of my students are wonderful. I am learn- ingly using Eng- “I'm no longer a student, but I
ing a great deal from them, about Korea, about the lives of children lish in parts of
and adolescents here, and about myself. I don't know how I feel songs, and really do feel like part of the
about being an English teacher most of the times. I felt conflicted sometimes
about it before coming, and being here hasn't changed that. Some- groups will make
international community now,
times I really feel like learning English will help these kids to suc- an English ver- and that's a great feeling.”
ceed and I want them to have English as a tool to help them sion of a popular
achieve their goals. On the other hand, I see so many of these kids Korean song to
under enormous pressure from their families and society to spend sell better internationally. An example is the Wonder Girls, who
all of their time in school or studying. So many of my students are performed this fall on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance,"
in school for 6 hours before coming to our private academy for 3 with the all-English version of their hit song, "Nobody." While
hours after school, and many of them go to a second academy for my students want to listen to English music and watch English
an hour or more after leaving our school. By the time they get home movies, I'm learning the kayageum, a traditional Korean instru-
they have been in school for 10-14 hours a day, and then they still ment, and I'm taking Korean classes. I've been saddened to have
have to do homework. Many of my students genuinely wonder why I would want to learn Korean
students sleep an average of 4 hours a folk music, claiming that it's old and boring and not as good as
Page 10 night, something I didn't start doing other music - Western music, they seem to be implying. Also,

11. while many of my students think it's fun and interesting that I'm do feel like part of the international community now, and that's a
learning Korean, I've had many of them ask me why I care, know- great feeling. My contract in Korea ends in August, but I intend to
ing as they do that I could get by here without ever trying to speak continue to live abroad, here or in another country, for the indefi-
Korean. nite future.
It saddens me that most English teachers here don't Kendra Sundal is an IC Alum ‗09, you can contact her at: kmsun-
bother learning the language or trying to understand and learn dal@gmail.com
about Korean history and culture. My students are often shocked
and surprised when I demonstrate my understanding of something
uniquely Korean - news, history, music, etc - and I wish they were-
n't surprised. I wish they expected all of their foreign teachers to
learn more and invest more in being here, and I wish they expected
even more from me. Sadly, I know they've learned from experience
that most foreigners come here for the money, or to escape from
making real decisions about the future and their careers, and it's
become a fact of life that they have come to expect.
Still, even though I feel conflicted about my work here and
the role of English in Korea right now, I am very glad that I made
the decision to come and teach here. It has been a great way to live
abroad and learn about myself and my ability to adapt to living
alone and in a different country. I'm no longer a student, but I really Kendra Sundal with IC Alum Shana Dahlin '09 at Lotte
World in Seoul.
A Talk with Mr. Masahiro Kitazume- by Asuka Suzuki
Mr. Masahiro Kitazume arrived at the town of Ithaca with tioned that the United States is
mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety about the life ahead of actually more conservative and
him. Having lived in Japan for his entire life, it was by far the most loyal to old customs, such as
unpredictable experience he had ever had. the measurement unit system,
In Japan, he works as a teacher in high school, teaching even though the majority of
Japanese see the United States
courses about information and media. Although his goal is to edu-
as the most advanced and lib-
cate the young generation on how to live in the society with infor-
mation overload, the lack of development in this field in Japan pre- eral nation in the world. This
vented him from fully achieving his objective. In order to improve change in his perspective told
him the importance of going
the quality of his course, he made a decision to take a sabbatical
abroad to get a clearer picture
year and joined ―Project Look Sharp,‖ a special division of Ithaca
College that focuses on media literacy education. After spending of what other countries are like.
about eight months in Ithaca, he shared his experiences and the His life in Ithaca has
changes he had gone through personally with me. also changed his concept of
Along with his ambitious feeling towards the program, he time. Coming from Tokyo,
where people are constantly
was also concerned about his new life in the United States. Al-
busy and things change rapidly, he appreciates the laidback and
though he had been to foreign countries for traveling and short-
term language programs, it was his first experience living outside of relaxing atmosphere that the city of Ithaca has to offer. When
Japan. ―I was quite worried when I had no clue for how my new life asked whether he misses Japan while at Ithaca, he smiled and an-
swered, ―Not really. I like my life in Ithaca so much that I‘d love to
would be like, and the language barrier was my deepest concern,‖
stay here forever if possible.‖ Now that he has got used to the
said Mr. Kitazume.
slow and easy lifestyle, he is actually worried about readjusting to
Once, Mr. Kitazume was sick and in need of medical at- the fast-paced city life in Tokyo. Mr. Kitazume said, ―I think I can
tention, and thanks to his colleague, he was able to go to a hospital; somehow manage to get back to the busy life, but I‘ll need to stop
but being sick and receiving care at a hospital in a foreign country myself from wanting to go back to Ithaca.‖
was one of his most challenging experiences while at Ithaca. Besides
Although it is very likely that his adaptation to this new
the expensive medical bill, his mental stability was shaken, as he was
so far away from his homeland and his family. Mr.Kitazume em- environment will be a challenge, he is also excited to be back in
phasized, ―I truly liked my life in the United States, but health care Japan and start working as a teacher again. Now that he has com-
is a different story.‖ pleted his work-study at Ithaca College, he is ready to bring his
knowledge back and enhance the educational quality of his classes
The most significant change he has had since coming here and the field of media literacy as a whole. His experiences here in
was a realization of the common misconception foreigners have of the United States will surely contribute to the improvement of
the United States. His life as a resident gave him a deeper insight to both Japanese education and his personal life.
the United States that Japanese are not aware of. In other words, he
realized that there were many unknown aspects of the American Asuka Suzuki is a Sophomore IMC major, you can
culture that don‘t spread across the ocean. For instance, he men- contact her at :asuzuki1@ithaca.edu. Page 11

12. Meet the Eboard for the Academic Year of 2009-2010!
IC International Club
Email: icic@ithaca.edu
Pooja Shah Laura Louon Mungunsuvd Terbish
Office of International Health Sciences ‗11 Biology ‗11 Math, Economics ‗11
Programs President Vice-President Treasurer
CHS 214-2
Ithaca, NY 14850
USA
Phone: 1-607-274-3306
Fax: 1-607-274-1515
E-mail: intlprog@ithaca.edu
Draupadie Wickramasinghe Adiba Afros Kristal Hamou
Celebrate Diversity! Business Admin ‗11 Business Admin. ‗12 Business Admin. ‗10
Event Manager Advertising Chair Secretary
J OIN US ON F ACEBOOK!
I C I NTERNATIOANL
C LUB( IC IC )
Special Thanks to:
Asuka Suzuki
Remi Kubo
Giselle Blanc Amanda Wong Romi Ezzo
Emilio Martinez Zurita
de la Garza Business Admin. ‗10 CMD ‘11 Health Sciences ‘12
Public Relations Chair Newsletter Editor Assoc. Newsletter
Alexander Romanet Editor
Sakura Holst
Diana Dimitrova
Office of International
Programs
Talya Frost Cecelia Johnson Meagan McAllister
Psychology ‗09 Sociology ‗10 Therapeutic Recreation ‗11
Secretary (Fall ‗09) Event Manager (Fall ‘09) Advertising Chair
(Fall ‘09)