Welcome To Our New Internationals!

Nashville Tour, Aug. 19, 2016

I hope everyone will join me in welcoming our new international student for the Fall 2016 Semester! We had a great group for orientation last Wednesday. The final numbers are not available yet, but it was very near 200!

Last Thursday, we had several take advantage of our Walmart trips. Then, that evening, we had our annual Welcome Picnic. What a great crowd, and they loved the Jim 'n Nicks BBQ. A true taste of American cuisine.

On Friday, we took 30 of them to Nashville for our annual Nashville Tour. Not even the rain dampened their interest in what our nearest neighboring city has to offer. They saw the Farmers Market, State Capitol, War Memorial Plaza, and Downtown Nashville. Many want to find their way back soon to explore even more.

Saturday saw the annual Great Giveaway bless many of them with free items to set up their residence. Annually, this event helps students with bedding, furniture, cookware, dinnerware, etc. Thanks to Raiders For Christ for their willingness to help our students with such wonderful things.

Now, the students are ready to get to the "nitty gritty" of why they are here; studies. We wish everyone the best in their classes. You are the cream of the crop from around the world. Make us proud!

See you soon!

Nashville Zoo, May 28

Ready for the zoo!

With a Tortoise

Our small group headed out to the Nashville Zoo on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend. Everyone was excited to see the animals and the changes that have taken place at the zoo over the past several years. There was much to do and view. We saw the Grassmere home, which is the original home on the land that dates back before the American Civil War. The home had residents until the mid 1970s. After that, it was donated to the City of Nashville for the express purpose of creating a place where young people could learn about ecology and conservation.

There was plenty of "hands-on" experience at the zoo. We were able to get up close and personal in several exhibits, including barnyard animals, wild birds, tortoises, and kangaroos. It was a cool day, so the animals were active.

Aside from seeing a good selection of wildlife, the students got the chance to get to know one another and build on their friendships. That is always the best thing about trips like these. We all get to know one another better, and build on our global connections. So, if you're looking to make better connections with others from around the globe, I strongly encourage you to join us on one of our outings. As these students discovered, you won't be disappointed in the activity, or the friendships!

Summer 2016 Events

Click to enlarge

Here is the flyer of summer events. Feel free to contact the ISSS office if you have any questions.

See you soon!

Tentative Fall 2016 Events

At left is the tentative fall events flyer. You can view it larger by clicking on it. It will change over the course of the summer, as we finalize event details. You can also see a copy of it on the ISSS page, or the ISSS calendar. These will both be updated throughout the summer, as well.

We hope you will use these avenues to plan for your fall as the new semester approaches. You can always email us if you have any questions about specific events, or if you would like to sign up for those events that require it.

See you in the Fall!

March Event Details

We have three big events in March. The first is our International Family Fun Night, March 11. This event is designed to provide a fun evening for our international student who have a spouse and/or children with them here at MTSU. The event will start at 6pm in the Tom Jackson Building. We plan to end the evening at 8pm. The evening will feature light snacks, games designed for children of all ages, and prizes with some of the games. International students without families here at MTSU are also encouraged to get involved. We hope you'll be interested in helping us plan and execute the evening, as well as being there to play with, and encourage, the children. Sometimes, we forget the big changes in the lives of these children. They have come to another country, yet they may not speak the new language, and may have trouble making friends. Our goal is that this evening will help them to enjoy their time here a little better, and feel more a part of our community.

The next event on the calendar will be our Evening at Opry Mills Mall, March 18.. Our office will provide transportation to the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville. We will leave campus at 3pm and travel to the mall. Once there, you will have many popular, yet unique, stores to shop. Many of these stores are from among the more "upscale" stores in America, such as American Eagle, Saks, and Tommy Hilfiger, some of which are not available in Murfreesboro. There is also a large food court for your dinner meal, and a large movie theater complex. You'll be on your own to do what you want, you'll just need to rejoin us after the mall closes so we can leave and return to campus. We will plan to leave the mall at 9:30pm. So, if you want to take in a move, you'll need to select one that ends before that. We're taking vans, so you should have plenty of room to bring back all your goodies from the trip. If you'd like to join, you'll need to email the ISSS office to reserve your spot. Space will be limited.

Our final big event for the month will be the International Day with the MTSU Men's Tennis team, Saturday, March 19. They will battle College of Charleston at 2pm. They want us to begin the match with a Parade of Flags, and will offer free pizza and tips to improve your tennis game afterwards. If you can help out with the Parade of Flags by carrying the flag of your homeland, please email the ISSS office and let us know in advance. We have the flags, we just need you to carry it. Show your pride!

As always, if you have any questions about any of these events, don't hesitate to email the ISSS office. We're always glad to answer your questions!

Thinking About Spring Break Yet?

I know, the semester has just begun, but it's time to start thinking about Spring Break. Where will you go? Are you staying in Murfreesboro? Are you planning a trip? Would you like to visit other places within the US? There are plenty of options!

First, there is a trip to Puerto Rico that the Rec Center has planned. The trip will be a chance to visit the US territory in the Caribbean for some surfing, snorkeling, and hiking. The dates of the trip are March 6th through 11th, and the cost is $1175 per person, which includes transportation, lodging, and lessons. The picture in this post has the details. Sign-ups are through the Rec Center. This trip will not require a new or different Visa, but will require your I-20 be signed for travel.

Next is a trip to Washington, DC. This trip will be led by Harold Bryer. Harold, if you are not familiar, is associated with an organization called, InterFace. This is not part of ISSS, but Harold has worked with us for many years to provide services and events for international students. You might know Harold from the Tuesday night, Conversation Partners Meal. Harold's trip to DC will be March 4th through 12th. The cost will be $350 plus one tank of gas (approximately $40). This cost covers transportation and lodging, but not food and other items. For this trip, you can sign up in the ISSS office, Jones Hall 111. This trip is limited to two males and four females. If you would like to sign up, bring a $100 deposit to the ISSS office as early as possible.

Finally, ISSS will plan a trip to somewhere in the Middle Tennessee area for those who are not planning to travel during the break. The trip will be a single day trip, leaving out at 8am, and returning by 4pm. We will have a survey in a future email for those wishing to join. It will be Wednesday, March 9, and will have a destination of somewhere such as, Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Fall Creek Falls Park for hiking, the Huntsville Space Museum in Alabama, the Nashville Zoo, etc. Start thinking about where you'd like to go and be ready to answer the survey when it is asked.

So, begin thinking about your Spring Break plans. The second week of March will be here before you know it!