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Student Worker Profile - Quanlong Jiang
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Quanlong Jiang, better known as “Wayne” to most of us, is a welcome addition to the International Center student worker staff this semester. Impressed by the way that people from different cultures get along at SMU, he enjoys making friends with people from all over the world. Wayne has initiated and hosted several events at the IC; we appreciate his efforts to bring everyone together. He has also went with international students to Minneapolis, Chicago, and Miami during breaks. In his free time, he enjoys playing musical instruments, so it’s no surprise that he sometimes brings his guitar with him to work (he takes requests!). His smooth adaptation to the social aspects of university life may stem from the fact that he attended high school in Maine. Having lived on the East Coast and visited the West Coast, Wayne thought that the Midwest would offer something new, so he decided to study business here at SMU. After graduation, he hopes to stay in the U.S., but if not, he will travel to other countries where English is spoken. Though he may not return to his homeland any time soon, he wants people here to know that China “is really different than how the media describes it.” He adds that his hometown of Yantai, Shandong offers not only beautiful views of the ocean but also delicious seafood. Being the natural tour guide that he is, Wayne will no doubt be happy to introduce those interested to Yantai.
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International Education Week - Sponsored by the SMU International Center
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November 12-16, the Winona campus community celebrated International Education Week, a U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education initiative. The celebration began and continued throughout the week with a Taste of the World. Chartwells was kind enough to offer cuisine from some of the native countries of our international students. The International Center hosted Ruoya Fan (Jack) and Muhan Zhang who demonstrated how to make Chinese dumplings. It also hosted an international tea party so that the Saint Mary's community could sample Vietnamese coffee, Chinese tea, and Mexican hot chocolate. It also hosted a Karaoke/Pinata "Bash" party, and international dance lessons with the assistance of the Inter-Cultural Awareness Association. The celebration ended with a tribute to Africa. Jeanne Minnerath, Professor of Biology, spoke of her travels to Nairobi, Kenya, during the summer of 2018, and African jewelry and batiks were on sale. Congratulations to trivia contest winners Bailey O'Hare, Claire Klassen, Michelle Tran, JoAnn Frahm, Jason Underferth, and Peggy Giers for their knowledge of the world. Finally, a BIG thanks to all of you who participated in this year’s International Education Week events.
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A Message from Gary Diomandes, London Program Director
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Each year Saint Mary's students put on a play as part of the London Theatre program. The play offered in London was called A Piece of My Heart and was performed at the New Wimbledon Studio Theatre, October 17-20th. The play follows six women who served in Vietnam: three nurses, a Red Cross worker, a military intelligence officer, and a country western singer. It explores their life experiences before they enlist, what they endured while they were there, and their 20 years of coping with those experiences after their return.
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"We had packed houses and were sold out the last night of the show. The emotional impact of the show left the audiences in tears. We also had standing ovations, something the British do not give lightly! All the hard work paid off, and a lot was learned about this period in our history. Thank you to a fantastic cast and crew, Jason Underferth for terrific lighting, and Chris Kendall for all the music, including two original songs he wrote for the play. Can't wait for next year!!!"
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London Students Fall 2018
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The Saint Mary’s London Program is a 12-week fall semester program. The program is open to all majors and required for theatre majors. The application deadline for Fall 2019 is February 15. The application is available in the Study Abroad Office, International Center, the Heights. For more information about the London Program go to the London website.
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MELEd Conference Presentation
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On November 17th in Minneapolis, ESL instructor Lorraine Vassallo presented at the Minnesota English Learner Education (MELEd) Conference. Lorraine’s interactive session, Identifying Effective ESL Programs to Help English Learners Close the Achievement Gap, was delivered to a group of ESL instructors and administrators from both K-12 and higher education institutions. The focus of Lorraine’s seminar was to illustrate her research exploring the efficacy of bilingual education programs in closing the achievement gap between English learners and their native English speaking peers. Approximately 1,300 professionals attended this year’s MELEd Conference, a joint effort of MinneTESOL and the Minnesota Department of Education.
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ESL Classroom Visits
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This past month, students from Jan Dimmitt-Olson’s EDUC 585 Advanced Literacy Methods for Diverse Learners course visited the De La Salle Language Institute’s ESL Reading class. These M.A. in Teaching students not only observed instructional methods used to support language acquisition but also interacted with the English language learners through reciprocal teaching activities led by ESL instructor Lorraine Vassallo.
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New Study Abroad Short-Term Programs in France
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The Office of Study Abroad introduces two new short-term study abroad programs for Summer 2019 in partnership with UniLaSalle in Beauvais, France.
Culinary Sciences for Health Benefits: From Field to Plate
May 16 - June 14
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Participate in an intensive, interdisciplinary program that combines culinary arts, health sciences, and their application for health benefits. The culinary workshops and lectures in this program are based on research conducted by LaSalle chefs and faculty engaged in research on nutrition and cancer.
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PROGRAM DETAILS:
▪ Study in Beauvais, France
▪ May 16 - June 14, 2019
▪ Earn 4 credits
▪ Program Cost: 2,000€ (approximately $2,260) *
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European Food Heritage
May 20 - June 14
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Be part of an intensive, interdisciplinary program that combines agricultural systems, regional food production, and their significance in creating sustainable landscapes. This summer course compares agricultural systems and addresses topics such as innovative initiatives in food production and processing, food quality labels, and landscape research. The course will benefit students in agricultural economics, environmental sciences, food sciences, landscape sciences, or related disciplines.
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PROGRAM DETAILS:
▪ Study in Beauvais, France
▪ May 20 - June 14, 2019
▪ Earn 4 credits
▪ Program Cost: 2,500€ (approximately $2,825) *
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*Program cost covers housing, in country travel, and planned activities. Cost of airfare, passport and meals are not included in the program cost and are the responsibility of the student.
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French is not required. Application available in the Study Abroad Office, the Heights. Deadline to apply is February 8, 2019.
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Student Profile - Luis José Reyes Reyes
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Luis is a man of pride and faith. From Bucaramanga, Colombia, Luis is saddened by the fact that his country’s reputation has been minimized by the illegal drug trade. He wants people to know that the “real” Colombia is famous for many musicians, actors, authors, artists, and soccer stars. Who hasn’t heard of Shakira, Sofía Vergara, Gabriel García Márquez, Fernando Botero, and James Rodriguez, after all? He adds that his beautiful land of friendly, hardworking people offers ecotourism in its lush, tropical habitat, and its most important exports are coffee, flowers, and leather products. He is also proud of his faith, which was fostered by his family and led to his decision, when he was in 10th grade, to become a priest . His journey to his vocation began a year ago when he came to Madison, Wisconsin to learn English, and from there he was referred by Father Greg Ihm, the Vocation Director for the Diocese of Madison, to SMU and IHM. He feels blessed that doors have been opened for him to complete his formation and that he has a second family in Madison. After completing his bachelor’s degree in philosophy, he plans to attend the seminary, become ordained, and serve the Diocese of Madison. In between classes and seminary duties, he enjoys reading, swimming, cooking, eating, and joking with people. When asked about his impressions of Americans, he replied that they are highly organized, less physically expressive of their emotions, overly patriotic, and a bit too fond of guns. We are happy that his faith led him to our campus and know that it will take him where he wants to go in the future.
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Have a Wonderful Break!
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Spanish: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Italian: Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
French: Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
Arabic: .جميلة سنة لكم اتمني .سعيدة جديدة سنة ،مجيد ميلاد
Chinese: Merry Christmas: 圣诞快乐 (sheng dan kuai le), Happy New Year: 新年快乐 (xin nian kuai le),
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