BY MARA REVKIN

In print | Published August 26, 2008

Thirty-five students hailing from countries as distant as Brunei and Kenya arrived on campus last Saturday for a three-day orientation. The international students defied the effects of jet lag as they navigated a lively schedule of events including an ice scream social, a barbeque in Wharton courtyard and an excursion to Philly.

Orientation volunteer Frances Kvietok ’10 said that the first day’s events focused on familiarizing new students with their environment and introducing them to peers. “We have several ice breakers planned as well as trips to Target in order to help people settle in and get to know each other better,” Kvietok ’10 said on Saturday.

International Orientation was not always so elaborate. When Gloria Evans first assumed her role as international students adviser, “There wasn’t much orientation programming for international students,” Evans said. “Years ago, orientation consisted of a 30-minute session in the admissions office. I recognized that international students could benefit from a more thorough introduction to the college,” Evans said.

Over the years, Evans expanded the initially modest schedule of events to an elaborate three-day affair packed with speakers, tours and social events. Evans has also made an effort to include practical sessions addressing topics such as the American banking system, with which many international students are unfamiliar. “Students really seem to appreciate the weekend. A few have already approached me to request volunteer positions at next year’s orientation,” she said.

Alice Xiang ’10 and Michael Xu ’11, the co-presidents of the international club, began preparing for the event last spring. They and volunteers kept in touch with the students over the summer.
Adriana Pope ’12, a new student from Romania, saw Swarthmore’s campus for the first time on Saturday. “I didn’t get a chance to visit [Swarthmore] before, but I guess that would have spoiled the surprise. I adore it … and nothing I had imagined could compare,” Pope said.

The scheduled activities have been helpful to Pope, but she said that informal interactions with peers were actually the most informative. In conversations with other students over the weekend, she was alerted to the presence of insects and mice in some dorms – a piece of information that informed her selection of merchandise from Target. “My first acquisition at Swarthmore was bug spray from Target. I’m going back today for mousetraps,” Pope said.

« RETURN TO NEWS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »