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| ISORP welcomes 350-plus overseas students to campus |
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The Haenicke Institute for Global Education was pleased to welcome more than 350 new international students to Western Michigan University’s campus the week of August 25 through the International Student Orientation and Registration Program.
The week-long orientation took place the week before classes officially started for the fall 2008 semester, giving the new students a chance to meet with advisors, set up classes and socialize with fellow students.  Katie Smith, Hashim Alsharif, Kimberly Ritter (International Student Activities Program Specialist) and Stephen Wood man the ISORP sign-in table "ISORP is the start to a great career at Western Michigan University," said Stephen Wood, international programming intern. "It helps our new students form friendships and get connected to groups involved in campus life around the university. Our international students are a rich part of our campus culture and we want them to feel welcome and comfortable as soon as possible after they arrive." Not all was business during orientation, however. The international students also had the opportunity to take part in many great recreational activities held during WMU’s Fall Welcome, including the ‘Traveling Max’ entertainment show and Kalamazoo’s Kitchen, where participants received free food samples from area restaurants  Pizza party at Miller Plaza The students also took a trip to Meijer, a local chain grocery/department store, to get a feel for the American version of grocery shopping. On August 28, many of the students experienced an activity for the first time—ice skating—at WMU’s Lawson Arena. "Many of the students had never before seen that much ice in one place," Wood said. Magda Wisniewska, a native of Poland who now calls Warren, Mich. home, is an ISORP orientation leader and said the program has expanded her horizons personally and professionally. "ISORP is a unique and fun way to meet many people from all over the world, make friends and learn what Western Michigan University is all about," said Wisniewska, a junior majoring in geography. "I will always highly encourage all of the incoming international students to attend ISORP and be part of something special that just might change their lives forever!"  ISORP Pool Party The final day of ISORP was time for fun in the sun with what’s become an annual trip to Saugatuck, Mich., a Lake Michigan community with beautiful beaches. The weather was sunny and warm as the students experienced a ferry ride on the lake and a tour of the downtown area. After lunch, the students played on the beach, swam in Lake Michigan, and competed in beach games for prizes donated by local businesses and WMU departments.  (l-r) Lygia Mueller (Germany) and Katie Smith, a WMU grad student, encouraged membership in WMU's International Programming Council at the pool party. "I really enjoyed seeing so many people from so many different nations interacting," said Liz Tompkins, a junior majoring in global studies and Spanish from Perry, Mich. “It is inspiring that Western Michigan University is able to create an environment in which people from multiple cultural backgrounds can forge relationships that may last a lifetime." Information about ISORP is accessible on the Haenicke Institute’s Web site at: http://international.wmich.edu |
