Issue

Six

MCICA

in this issue >>>

Career and International Services Workshops

I-Fest 2013

Major Spring Events

Meet the Staff

The Gathering

focus on

A semiannual insight into the Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs

The Gathering, a weekly event in the MCISA Lounge, was such a hit in the fall semester, we are doing it again this spring! Each Friday from 3pm-5pm, students join us in the MCISA Lounge for snacks and host of different activi-ties from karaoke to board games. Students are encouraged to stop by the house to kickoff the weekend, meet friends, make plans, or just hang out. Check out the MCISA Facebook page for the most up-to-date Gathering activities!

You can use the MCISA Lounge during other times of the week as well. The Lounge is a space for all students to relax, watch TV, study, listen to music, or just hang out. With comfort-able beanbag chairs, a couch, flat screen TV, cable, and internet, it’s a great place to spend time between classes. The student lounge is open during regular business hours, Monday through Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm.

The Gathering! I-Fest 2013 Save the date! Join us April 12 for this annual event!

snaps and sing-alongs. This year’s I-Fest will come to a close highlighting gypsy heritage and influence within music communities in the US and overseas. I-Fest would be nothing if it were not for student involvement. We are looking for volunteers and all are welcome to assist. We need help with: designing cultural booths, creating cultural activities, orga-nizing games, decorations, promotions, and sharing your culture! Whether you want to represent your country, your cul-ture, or just be a part of the festivities, we would love your help. If you are in-terested in assisting, please visit www.tinyurl.com/iFest2013.

Each spring, the MCISA holds one of its biggest events of the year - I-Fest! On Friday, April 12 the University Center Grant Gymnasium will be transformed into an area of creativity, socialization, and the bridging of different cultures. This annual exposition features food, music, dance, and displays representing many different countries and cultures. Organized by the Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs, the festival enables members of the very diverse Webster University community to celebrate their own cultures and tradi-tions. The festival is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members and is free of charge. This year the MCISA will be shaking things up a bit with a performance fea-turing national recording artists Caravan of Thieves. Driving gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. Caravan of Thieves entertains, dazzles, and defies classification while welcoming the spec-tator to join the band throughout the per-formance in momentary fits of claps,

I-Fest headliner, national recording artists, Caravan of Thieves.

Join Career Services, International Ser-vices, and the MCISA for these informa-tive workshops in the spring semester. Come learn more about how to pursue career development opportunities, plan for job hunting as a new college graduate, learn more about internship opportunities in Summer 2013 through the Global In-ternship Experience, and find out more about Optional Practical Training benefits available to students on F-1 visas after graduation. Seating is limited for these workshops. Please visit the link www.tinyurl.com/wucareerworkshops to secure a seat!

Get Connected >>>

Career and International Services Workshops

Tuesday, February 5, 2:30pm Resume Basics for International Students –West Hall Multipurpose Room

Friday, February 8, 11:00am Resume Basics for International Students –Sunnen Lounge

Thursday, February 21, 2:00pm OPT Workshop – Webster Groves Room, Webster Hall 135

Monday, March 4, 2:00pm Job Search Strategies – Library Conference Room

Thursday, March 28, 2:00pm OPT Workshop – Webster Groves Room, Webster Hall 135

Tax Workshops

Meet the Staff >>>

MCISA Welcomes: Graduate Assistant Carlos Sanchez

Spring is tax season in the United States. The MCISA hosts several tax workshops each year in March and April to assist interna-tional students at Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri campus to file their income taxes in order to be in compliance with U.S. tax laws. However, filing federal income tax forms is the personal responsibility of each international student. Webster University purchased Foreign Na-tional Tax Resource for you to use in prepar-ing your U.S. federal income tax return and your Missouri State tax return. You will need an access code to use the Foreign National Tax Resource. We will be giving these codes out at the tax workshop to assist you in filing your tax returns. For a list of workshop dates and to register for a seat, visit www.tinyurl.com/ajpspm2. You may also visit our website for more information on tax filing.

Carlos is from Comitan, a city located in southern Mexico, in the state of Chiapas. He finished his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Market-ing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and also has a Master’s in Business Administration from Lindenwood University in Belleville, IL. Carlos joined the MCISA in December 2012 and will be working towards a sequential degree in Finance in the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University. Outside of Webster, Carlos has interests in missionary work, photography, tennis, and music from all over the world. Carlos has already been busy planning and coordinating international student orientation

for new international students. He has provided a supportive welcome for all new international stu-dents with services such as airport pick-ups and trips to local resources, agencies, and cultural insti-tutions. As a graduate assistant, Carlos is available to coun-sel and advise international and American minority students on a wide range of issues such as univer-sity policies and procedures, getting involved, and academic advising. He also assists in coordinating cultural, recreational, educational, and social pro-grams for the general student populations. Stop by the MCISA to introduce yourself to Carlos, he is friendly, welcoming, and always happy to help.

Upcoming Dates Tuesday, January 15, 10:30am How to Get a Job on Campus – Sunnen Lounge

Thursday, January 17, 3:00pm How to Get a Job on Campus – Sunnen Lounge

Thursday, January 24, 2:00pm OPT Workshop – Webster Groves Room, Webster Hall 135

Tuesday, January 29, 3:30pm GIE Information Session – West Hall Multipurpose Room

Helping Students, Helping Students, Building FuturesBuilding Futures

MCISA Spring Events

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrations

January 14 - 23

Looking for more events by the MCISA?

Check our Facebook, our website, stop by the office

or check Involved@Webster!

Martin Luther King Jr. Canned Food Drive Monday, January 14 - Friday, January 18

Did You Know?

1 in 8 people in the bi‐state region is in need of food assistance. In honor of the MLK Holiday, the MCISA will shed light on poverty and hunger in Missouri and ask the Webster University community to help by donating non-perishable food items. All donations will be given to the St. Louis Area Foodbank. Items can be dropped off at one of the following locations: the University Center, MCISA, Mar-lettos near the ATM, Business Office, WVA Clubhouse, and West Hall. For a complete list of approved items, please visit our website.

MLK Day of Service Monday, January 21 8:30am - 2:00pm, MCISA House

The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the Presi-dent's national call to service initiative. It calls for people from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most press-ing national problems. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for oth-ers?’” Join the MCISA in making the MLK Holiday a day On, not a day Off. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/WebsterMLK or the MCISA House or and join us in giving back to our community.

African American Read-In Wednesday, February 6 12pm-4pm, Alumni House The MCISA will be kicking off Black History Month by partici-pating in the Twenty-Fourth National African American Read-In. The National Read-In encourages groups to hold events during the month of February to promote African American authors. On February 6, the MCISA will host a lineup of staff, faculty, and students as they read excerpts from the works of their favorite African American author. Join us at noon as Dr. Stroble kicks off the event and stay to enjoy story time on the half hour from noon until 4pm. Students can also enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks and those who attend this event will be entered into a drawing for prizes.

Building A Diverse Leader Wednesday, January 23 3pm, Sunnen Lounge

The MCISA welcomes diversity and leadership expert Steve Birdine to campus for this interactive workshop. In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, this workshop offers “hands on” leadership development skills on a number of topics: diversity, defining leadership, multiculturalism, problem solving, courage, unity, expectations, focus, motivation, creativity, honesty, and goal setting. This workshop counts towards the WebsterLEADS program. Please sign up in advance at http://tinyurl.com/DiverseLeader

Women’s History: Through the Eyes of A Survivor Tuesday, March 26 6:30pm, University Center Sunnen Lounge

In this unforgettable and moving lecture, Esther Bauer recounts her harrowing experiences as a Holocaust Survivor. Esther re-counts the story of her amazing, educated, and liberated mother Dr. Marie Anna Jonas, who was a medical doctor who was stripped of her ability to practice by the Reich Citizen Law. Esther speaks to students as often as she can so that they will “learn what happened, and see to it that it never happens again.” Esther’s bounding energy and joy for life is infectious, and will leave you filled with respect, awe appreciation for the indestructi-bility of the human spirit.

Esther Bauer was born in Ham-burg, Germany in 1924. Her father, Dr. Alberto Jonas was the principal of the Jewish Girls School, and her mother Dr. Marie Anna Jonas was a medical doctor. On July 19th, 1942, Esther Bauer, her mother, and her father were deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto in Czecho-slovakia, where from one minute to the next they were prisoners. Her father died six weeks later of men-ingitis. After two years there, she

married because her then friend, not yet husband, got the order to be sent with many others to the city of Dresden to build up a new ghetto. That was, of course, a lie. He and the other men wound up in Auschwitz. After the men had left, their spouses were told they could go voluntarily after their husbands. Esther went and they all landed in Auschwitz where her husband was murdered. On Octo-ber 10th, 1944 Esther’s mother was herself deported to Ausch-witz and was murdered there. Esther survived. Esther was exu-berant upon being liberated, and decided to “live each day, have fun and be a human being.”

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Colette Cummings, Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Multicultural Center

and International Student Affairs, offers some advice for the spring semester of 2013.

thoughts... final

ask the experts >>>

Easy Ways to Contact the MCISA

? Q: A: "KENTE" is a brilliantly colorful fabric, entirely hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom by the Asantes in Ghana, Africa. In the past, Kente were worn by the kings, queens, rich and highly respected people. Today, Kente cloth is usually worn for festivals, graduations, ceremonies, religious and other sacred occasions.

Kente is more important than just a cloth. It is a visual representation of history, philoso-phy, ethics, oral literature, moral values, social code of conduct, religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles. Gold is a symbol of royalty, wealth, and spiritual purity. Green is associated with

plants and stand for growth and good health. Red stands for blood and for strong political and spiritual feelings. White stands for pu-rity and healing. Black stands for strong

spiritual energy, and the spirits of the ancestors.

At Webster Uni-versity, the MCISA thanks those students who have been ambassadors for our office through gifting them a

Kente Cloth Graduation Stole. These special stoles are worn around the neck of graduates at the graduation ceremony on May 11.

The Kente Cloth Ceremony celebrates our students who have been engaged in diversity programming and supported the goals of the MCISA. Through this ceremony, these spe-cial students are recognized for their contri-butions to the MCISA and the Webster Uni-versity community. Participants must have been continually involved in diversity pro-gramming throughout their college experi-ence, and are chosen by the MCISA staff.

What is the brightly colored fabric draped around the neck of graduating students?

When the ball dropped in Times Square in New York City this year, the confetti that flowed down to signal the beginning of 2013 was covered with wishes for peace. That was the theme for this year’s ball drop. It was a fitting theme to end a year that was filled with war, natural disasters, and people being harmed by their fellow man. I for one was excited to see a new year begin at the stroke of midnight on De-cember 31. A new year signals a time for new beginnings and new possibilities. Over the break I was reminded of something my father use to tell myself and my sisters, he would always say that he could give us everything except the “want to”. I was a

self -proclaimed daddy’s girl and believed that my father was wise and could do eve-rything.

As I have gotten older, I now understand what my father meant about not being able to give me the “want to” and I want to try to pass that information along to all of you as the New Year begins. We resolve to do all kinds of things, like lose weight, get our finances in order, get a new job, exercise, and eat right. What we do not realize is that the list I just outlined is hard. Any sus-tained change is much more difficult that we realize. These things take time to do well as do most things in life. There are many people who will help you to stay

committed to things you may have resolved to do this year but no one will do it for you. There are no magic pills to help us become our best selves. If there was one, I would have taken it a long time ago.

I now understand that my dad was trying to tell me, that in order for me to keep my resolutions I have to put my physical, emo-tional, financial, and educational self first for once. I have to search inside myself and unleash my will to change because the only person who can change me is me. I wish each of you a year full of joy and most im-portantly, I wish you the “want to” to make your resolutions a reality.