Sally Kershner
Features Editor
On Mon., Sept. 18, international students and global nomads gathered in Babcock Formal Lounge to discuss concerns they had towards administration. The assembly was mediated by the International Students Association (ISA) board, the Campus Council Representative of ISA and International Student Services (ISS) staff.
“The general assembly is formatted as a town hall of sorts between international students, global nomads and the people who represent them in higher levels of the administration,” said Marina Adams ’18, the International Diversity Representative of Campus Council. “The purpose of it is to close any gaps of communication between those parts and provide an open forum for any concerns that students may have.”
This assembly was a direct way for international students and global nomads to have their voices heard by the administration and representatives that work together to tackle issues that these students have, such as academics, time management and social life.
“The issue of summer storage also came up in this meeting. This is something that affects all Wooster students, but — because of long distances traveled — international students in particular. It is also an issue that is being dealt with in high levels of administration, as we all work to find a practical solution before this summer,” said Adams.
The assembly was successful in regard to how vocal students were about their concerns and presents a positive hope for those who mediated the discussion in terms of attracting more international students and global nomads to attend.
“We do our best to make them know we are available at any time through email, message or any way they might reach us, but this allows them to address all of us at once and also provides them with a structured forum where they can connect to other students who may be having similar issues or similar questions,” said Adams.
These assemblies encourage students to speak up and feel connected with the administration and representatives that speak for their community. “Giving international students a place to voice their community concerns not only validates those concerns, but also strengthens our community — both the international and the larger Wooster communities,” said Adams.
ISA hopes to make these meetings a monthly occurrence, so that over time, more and more students will attend and positively impact their community on campus.
For further questions, email Adams at MAadams19@wooster.edu or Franky Xu, the president of ISA, at YXu18@wooster.edu for more information.