1995-10-05

              INDEPENDENT -THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5,1995 • PAGE 9

Isaacson shares pain, joy   International house near completion

Isaacson / from page 8

graduated from Bates College with a bachelor of arts in mathematics, and received her masters from Bowdoin College, where she has also served on the governing board since 1984.

In September 1983 Isaacson returned to Lichtenau to do research for her memoirs. In Isaacson's book she talked about how veiy tense it was for her to return after so many years. The last time Isaacson went to Hessisch-Lichtenau she was a "19-year-old arriving from Auschwitz by cattle-train." She has returned often since then Right after the war Isaacson married an American soldier, Irving Isaacson, with whom she has lived for the past

fifty years in Popham Beach, Maine. The Isaacsons have three children and sevengrandchildren

As a former dean of Bates College, Isaacson lectures frequently on mathematics, women's issues and, since the publication of her memoirs in 1984, the Holocaust. She has also received honorary doctorates from Bates College, Colby College and the University of New England.

The Jay Phillips Chair in Jewish Studies was established at SJU in 1969. The chair was set up to sponsor public lectures, conferences and artistic events that will aid in the promotion of understanding between Christians and Jews.

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by Sarah Oberpriller Independent staff writer

As students return to the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University after studying for a semester in China, they may feel overwhelmed and excited about their experience abroad. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could talk with a student from China, who can relate to their experiences?

Within the next two to three weeks this option will be a reality at CSB/SJU.

In the past, the study abroad program and the international students program have always been separate, but they will soon be under one roof.

Director of International Education Stephen Burmeister-May and International Student Advisor Mikki Harris, decided that the programs would be more beneficial if they were joint.

Formerly, study abroad information was obtained at the Center for International Education in the Quad at SJU. Likewise, international students dealt with the Multicultural Center located in Aurora basement at CSB.

"With the experience of abroad students and international students, (we] wish to bring two communities together, and the house was just available at the right time," Harris said.

The house that Hams is refeiring to

Colleges face housing crunch

by College Press Service

When Melanie Lubbers arrived at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, she couldn't wait to meet her new roommates—aD seven of them.

Lubbers is sharing a converted student lounge with the other women after a record number of first-year students arrived on campus this year, causing a housing crunch.

But despite the crowded quarters, Lubbers isn't complaining.

"It's a lot of fun. I don't want to leave," she said. "IVe gotten to know a lot more people this way."

Lubbers1 situation isnt that uncommon.

This fall semester has provided colleges across the nation with a bumper crop of first-year students, leaving many officials scrambling to accommodate their new students. For example:

•  First-year students overcrowding at Knox College in Galesburg, IB., caused school officials to house students in a motel and faculty offices.

•  Some first-year students discovered their temporary housing included maid service. Forty-four University of Minnesota freshmen were shipped to Stadium Village Days Inn just off of campus until space opened in the dorms.

"We were definitely surprised at the amount of students," said Jerome Reed, dean of undergraduate studies at Clemson University, which welcomed a first-year student class nearly 10 percent larger than last year. "We weren't planning on the numbers being so higji"

So why did Clemson, like many schools, find so many first-year students arriving on campus this yeai?

Educators say there are likely many reasons.

One is simple demographics.

Approximately 2.55 million students graduated from high school this year, up from 2.47 in 1994, according to the U.S. Department of Educatioa

Winston said neaiiy 500 more first-year students showed up on the first day of class than were expected by Virginia Tech officials.

"Schools generally accept more students than they have room for because so many choose to go to other schools, decide to wait or just decide to stay home," Winston said.

"That didn't happen this year."

Since new students are required to live in on-campus housing, Virginia Tech first had to deal with finding ways to house all of their first-year students.

"We offered buyouts to our upperclassmen who lived in the dorms so they could go get an apartment," Winston said.

"We have students tripling up in rooms and living in lounges in the residence halls," said Doug Zatechka, the University of Nebraska's director of housing. "As rooms open up, we fill them with those students first But when you get a few hundred extra students, it's really hard to keep everyone happy."

Although Northwestern College officials have no concrete proof of why their enrollment is increasing, they say they believe that the school's location plays a big role. Located in a quiet Iowa town of about 5,000 Vhere people leave their houses unlocked," Northwestern offers parents a safe place to send their children to get an education, say school officials.

"Families are looking for a college that offers students a solid academic program, but also a school and location that stresses traditional values," said Ron De Jong, director of admissions.

TWs fall, Northwestern College welcomed its largest group of first-year students ever at 410 students. Since the college usually provides housing for 350 first-year students, the hammers began pounding almost immediately to renovate temporaiy living space for students. Two residence hall lounges were converted to provide 16 female students with housing for the year.

Sarah Barnes, one of Lubbers1 seven roommates, said the students get along because, well, they have to.

"We don't have a lot of storage, so it took a lot of compromising the first day to figure out how we were going to store all of our stuff," Barnes said. "Everyone is really considerate. It never really gets too noisy, but if you want to study, it's better to go to the library."

As a peace offering for the makeshift space, school officials gave the lounge residents a 50 percent discount on the room rate, a gift certificate to the college bookstore and the first chance to sign up for a new women's residence hall, which will open next fall.

is the Rose House, a former on-campus    between the international students and house, located on the corner of    the students and faculty at CSB/SJU.

"Our intention is to get more

resources and more students

involved."

Minnesota Street and Third Avenue.

Last year Burmeister-May and Harris drew up a proposal and applied to use the house as an international student center.

After their proposal was approved,

they     received _______________

funding to renovate the house into an office and social space.

"Our intention is to get more resources and more   students

involved," Harris ^m^m^^a^mm said.

The resources in the house will include information on all of the study abroad programs offered through CSB/SJU and other colleges, as well as the advocates for international students.

Coordinated by Harris, eleven students work as multicultural student consultants to help students from other countries become familiar with their new environment.

Within the MSCs program, there are five specific area coordinators, which include hospitality, residential life, programming, special events a;id academics.

According to Harris, the MSCs act

While these resources primarily involve the academic component of the Rose House, there will be a social aspect as well.

For example, opportunities will exist in which students can come together to

___________  share  stories and

information that only someone who has been there would know. Students may even gather to cook a meal from a specific

•MikkiHams, culture*

.                .      ,       . .             Besides       the

internatonal student advisor benefits for csb/sju,

mm^^a^mmmmmmmm^mm   the Rose House will

also be an advantage to the community at large. Students that are not from a foreign country or have not studied abroad are welcome at the International House, too.

According to Laurie Slagle, CSB Dean of Students, the Rose House "furthers what we want to do to bring the world to St. Joseph."

Although renovations are not complete, everyone involved seems very anxious for the finished product

The most exciting thing is bringing the two programs together, because it's something that has never been done. The idea of something new has got me excited. There will be setbacks, but goodness will come out of it," Harris

as a "bridge of communication"    said.

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