Students from across the globe manned a booth on campus to display information about the new International Student Union.
By Kathryn Moore
Staff Writer
A new student organization dedicated to promoting awareness of the international community on campus and fostering relationships with non-internationals has formed on campus — the International Students Union.
A 2012 study by the “Journal of International and Intercultural Communication” found nearly 40 percent of international students reported having no close American friends and said they wished they had more interaction with those born in the United States.
Emily Harper, international student liaison and the new group’s faculty adviser, hopes ISU will cultivate more friendships between American students and internationals.
Though Jackson families “adopt” international students during their time at Union, many of them leave Union lacking close friends their own age.
“It’s always hard when you feel like you’re different,” Harper said. “For international students, it’s a little more obvious because they don’t look like other students from Jackson. ISU is a place of peers that can really help them find that home away from home that’s vital to their journey at Union.”
Jessica Lee, a Malaysian senior math major and president and founder of ISU, said she has wanted a group like this one since her freshman year but has lacked the resources to begin the process.
“A lot of schools have international cultural dances and dinners, and I feel like Union is kind of lacking,” Lee said.
Harper and Lee began writing ISU’s constitution in September. Then they applied to be an official student organization with the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement.
ISU’s executive committee includes:
- Vice President Denis Bisangwa, sophomore business administration major from Rwanda;
- Secretary of Administration Lillie Mejia, sophomore nursing major from Honduras;
- Secretary of Finance Michelle Lee, junior business administration major from Malaysia;
- Co-Secretaries of Programming Alex Charles, junior mechanical engineering major from India, and Andrew Tan, sophomore mechanical engineering major from Malaysia;
- Secretary of Public Relations Guilherme Reis, senior business administration major from Brazil.
ISU unanimously received recognition by the student Government Association at the Feb. 6 Student Senate and held its first event, a Chinese New Year celebration, Feb. 9.
Nearly 100 students, faculty, staff and community members with adopted children from China went to the celebration.
ISU will plan its role in Union’s Culture Fest March 13.
ISU is open to international students and non-international students committed to advocating for interests of internationals.
“Most people don’t realize the world is literally at their fingertips here at Union with all the international students,” Lee said.
