STORY BY DANIEL SAENZ
At Fort Hays State University, “World Ready” has been one of the main slogans. As showcased by its various partnerships with universities from China, Germany, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and even Turkey, it safe to say that FHSU has lived up to this idea quite well. In addition to these partnerships, there are students that arrive at Fort Hays via ISEP (International Student Exchange Program), or even for athletics. In order to help some of these students become acquainted with the new environment, International Student Services has organized the International Student Union, which helps domestic and international students to come together.
It was through being involved with the International Student Union and working as an International Welcome Leader that I met several of the new students this semester. Arriving from China’s Northwest University of Political Science and Law, is Serena Tianqi. Her hometown is Tianjin, her major in China is Law, but here at Fort Hays, her major is General Studies.
“I knew that classes here are different from China’s, so I was very nervous about my classes and I am a little stressed about homework,” she said. “I will still need time to become used to American life.”
In terms of culture shock, Serena said that one of the biggest surprises for her was the clean air.
“Air pollution is really bad in China. So it was nice to experience the beautiful campus and clean air.”
She concluded by saying that she looking most forward to knowing more about American culture and learning English.
Another new face to FHSU’s campus this semester is Isabel Eleonor Norber. Coming from Sodertorns University in Sweden, the homeland of ABBA and conversely, Death Metal, Isabel lives in Bromma, the largest county of Stockholm. She has three brothers and four cats and her major is sociology.
When asked to describe her journey from Sweden to Hays she said, “I had no idea what to expect, how everything would be, how it would look, the people. All I saw were pictures and names and emails. It was kind of rough at first, but also good when I arrived here.”
For Isabel, one of the biggest shocks was the size of clothing. There is truth to this as Europeans, on average, are often thinner. (The reasons behind this tie into the larger questions about dieting and nutrition that can be discussed on a different occasion.)
In terms of what she misses the most about home, Isabel says she misses the food, her cats, and the city life.
“It is nice to be in a small town like this and it’s fun to do this rather than being a large city like what I already have at home, but it is a big adjustment being from the city,” she said. “There is always something to do in the city. If someone would ask what there was to do on a Friday night in Stockholm, I would say we could go out, go to the bar, go bowling, or watch a live band at a rock bar. Here, most of what is happening on campus [is] through student involvement.”
She then added that unlike the United States, where sports tend to be big on college campuses, sports is not at all a part of campus life in Sweden. There is no gym on campus, professors are not so interactive like they are here at Fort Hays, classes do not meet every day, the structure of finals are different, etc.
Isabel concluded by saying that she is very much looking forward to going to all of the sporting events and becoming active with all of the student activities on top of the process of traveling and learning more about American culture.
Because Fort Hays has a partnership with the University Duisburg–Essen, Eda Ku has come to FHSU from Germany. She is studying English and German with a focus on education. Her life goal is to become a middle school teacher of English and German.
“I was expecting a little town with not much around. This was special for me because it would allow me to focus on my studies. For example, if I were to study in New York, I would not study as much because there would be all kinds of things to do.”
Just like Isabel, Eda was shocked by the clothing sizes, but jokes she is happy that in the United States, she fits in a small instead of a medium. She misses her friends and family.
Eda also noted that unlike Fort Hays, her home university is not so interactive with the students. There is no gym on Essen’s campus either and students do not have a Spirit Shop, Afterdark, or anything like that. Professors do not interact with students much. Sports is not a presence at all on campus.
When asked what she looks forward to the most during the semester, Eda replied, “I am a future teacher, so it is important for me to get to know the culture of the language that I am going to teach. This way I can tell my students that I was that I went to America and say that the language is this way or that way. I am very much looking forward to that.”
Finally, there is Benjamin Donald, a new student from Australia and a kicker for the FHSU football team. He comes from Melbourne, has a family of five, and is studying international business. Being only 18 years old and fresh out of high school, Ben was naturally nervous.
“When I was on the plane, I was pretty nervous about everything even since filling out my application and everything,” he said. “I have been wanting to go to college for about three or four years now, so it’s always been a dream of mine to come to college at any level.”
He also said that he looks forward to engaging with community events and working out with the team and helping them become better.
Overall, this semester is another testament to the interesting people that Hays attracts. So naturally, to show what a global-minded campus FHSU has, they — along with the rest of the international student community — should be welcomed with open arms.
You must log in to post a comment.