December 19 , 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY
Calvin College is creating a festive atmosphere its international students who will be unable to make it home for the holidays.
The 30 students, hailing from Sudan, Italy, South Korea, the Netherlands, El Salvador, Nigeria, Ghana and Canada, are hunkering down in Calvin's Knollcrest East apartments from the time exams ended (on December 16) through January 1.
And as in year's past, Calvin's residence life staff is planning activities and celebrations to soothe the students' sense of being far from home and family.
"During the holidays, we like to provide a place for our international students where they have friends and a place where they can belong," says Abby Norman.
Norman and her staff have planned holiday parties, an outing to the Festival of Lights at 5th/3rd Ballpark, ice skating, sledding, movie and game nights.
"Last year, we did three potluck dinners and they were very well attended and worked out very well, so I want to do those again," she says. "Then you know they're eating at least one good meal a week."
The international students will also have a Christmas tree to trim and Christmas stockings.
The internationals staying on campus for the holidays are a fraction of Calvin’s sizeable international student population: 294 students representing 59 countries. In the latest Open Doors report, Calvin is rated fourth in the country among baccalaureate institutions for the number of international students on campus.
Contact Norman at 616-526-7183 or als3@calvin.edu
For the full story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2006-07/internationals.htm
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Received on Tue Dec 19 09:22:15 2006
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