Hart has Heart
By Michelle Stiles
The State University of New York at Oswego has a unique
living arrangement for international students. Hart Hall Global Living and Learning
Center is the dormitory
on campus where students from all around the world live together. Every student
from Canadian to Chinese is welcome.
I interviewed five awesome women
about what life is like living in Hart Hall. The students I interviewed are
four one-year residents. Qianying Xia and Junting Wang are from South China.
Cynthia Suggs and Chance Talcott are from America. I also interviewed Hart
Hall’s Faculty Resident Mentor / Conference and Programming Coordinator, Dr.
Rebecca Burch. She is a nine-year resident as well as a SUNY Oswego professor.
She is the woman to talk to about
living in Hart Hall.
In order for a student to reside in
Hart Hall they must undergo a process. According to Dr. Rebecca Burch, “A
student can request to live in Hart Hall through the Reslife office. There used
to be an essay requirement, but that may have been waived. To remain in the
hall, the student must be enrolled in the IST 190/390 course. Students in the course must attend and/or
participate in a total of six (6) pre-approved lectures, panel
discussions and other activities that enhance their classroom learning
experiences. Three (3) of these activities must be Hart Hall
(in-hall) events. Students are also required to complete ten (10) hours of
approved community service per semester.”
The community
service and ISTs are meant to get the students involved as well as fulfill the
one credit class requirement. Dr. Rebecca Burch explained, “IST is the acronym
given to the International Studies course. However, this was changed to Global
Issues and Awareness, so IST actually stands for Global Issues and Awareness.”
The ISTs range from watching International films to PowerPoint discussions
conducted by the humanitarian club on campus ONE @ SUNY Oswego. They are both fun and informative. When
asked about the least favorite thing about living in Hart Hall from the
student’s perspective, the work was the top reason. However, what college
student doesn’t complain about work?
Another
interactive part of living in Hart Hall is that American students get paired
with international students as Conversation Partners. Cynthia and Junting are
conversation partners as are Chance and Qianying. This way the American
students get the chance to learn a new language while the international
students can practice their English. As an example Qianying and Cynthia
demonstrated what it is like:
Qianying: “Cyndy你怎么样？ (Cyndy nǐ zěnme yàng?)” Cyndy how are you?
Cynthia: “我很好. (Wǒ hěn hǎo)” I
am fine.
Conversation partners are also a good way for international students to
get translations and homework help. Most of the time conversation partners turn
out to be good friends.
The interactions
between international students and American students vary. Sometimes there is a
language barrier that makes it difficult for them to connect. However, the
American Hart Hall residents are sensitive to the international students and
for the most part are accepting and understanding. According to Cynthia, “It
also depends on if you’ve got the conversation because at first you’re still
shy because you don’t know the person. But once you get to know them it doesn’t
matter if they’re from a different culture. It’s like you grew up with them
& are like ‘Hey how you doing? Whatsup girl?’ That kinda thing.” Language
barriers can also interfere with classwork sometimes. No need to fear though
because SUNY Oswego provides services for students
that may need extra time taking exams or who have learning disabilities.
When a student lives in Hart Hall it is important
for them have an open mind. Part of the experience is being enriched with a
collaboration of different cultures. When
asked how she likes living with international students Chance replied, “It’s
the only reason I’m here. Because I like being surrounded by culture. I live in
America I know what its like.” It is a unique living arrangement to have so
many different people living in one place but that is part dorm life. There is
and always will be a fish out of water feeling when any student (international
or not) moves into the dormitories. When in college students don’t only learn
academics; they learn how to socially interact with people from different
backgrounds.
Another
major change that international students face is the climate. Many of them come
from countries that have little to no snow and in Oswego, New York snow is a major
factor. When asked about the weather Junting said, “We are from southern part of
China so actually we seldom see like that much snow. It’s so cold but snow is
like good for us to see because we’ve never seen it much but the wind is not
good.” True the wind can be brutal. That is why it is a virtue that Hart Hall
is attached to a gym and dining hall.
The
dining halls serve many different American meals. International students have
the chance to get try new delicious American food. However, some meals can make
students sick if they are not accustomed to the way in which the food is
cooked. Dr. Rebecca Burch made a valid point, “Cooking their own meals in the
hall can actually be beneficial if they are sharing their culture with others
(and thereby making new friends) or cooking with other students from their
country because this can help eliminate their homesickness and their hunger.”
Food is an easy way to experience other cultures because everyone likes to eat.
For
those of age, drinking and smoking can be an easy way for international
students to bond with American students. Although excessive drinking is not
permitted in any of the dormitories, downtown Oswego has an array of different bars
and dance clubs. “Other cultures have lower ages for smoking and drinking and
allow public smoking and drinking on campus and in residence halls. Students
from these cultures can have a difficult adjustment period here (imagine a
student who is used to smoking in their room, now having to go outside into the
snow 25 feet from the building, or a student walking into a res-hall lobby
drinking a beer and getting disciplined). Other cultures have similar rules to
ours so they have less of an adjustment,” said Dr. Rebecca Burch. One of the
best ways for international students to make new friends and fit in is to get
involved on campus. SUNY Oswego provides countless clubs, sports and other
group activities.
Hart
Hall is the basis for international student living on campus. However, students
do have the option to live in other dormitories. When I asked if they, “Think
it would be better if the international students were spread out throughout the
campus in different dorms?” the results varied. Junting thought that, “Like if
I stay in another hall with like all Americans but just like me and a few
foreigners I would feel like a little bit burdened. Like
half/half: half American students and half international students. It would be
good like international students from many different countries. Not only from
some specific country.” It also depends on the individual. Dr. Rebecca Burch
made an interesting point “We have had students move to other residence halls,
particularly on west campus, and then request to move back into Hart. I think
certain halls (Funnelle, the lakeside halls) are more welcoming and accommodating
to international students. However, this can also differ with culture. Students
from Asian cultures have had terrible experiences with west campus, but the
Canadian students (the hockey team) live in Onondaga and have no problems that
I know of.” Hart Hall is usually the most comfortable living arrangement for
international students on campus.
Leaving college for any student can
be a bittersweet experience. Chance, Cynthia Qianying, and Junting all agreed
that it would be sad for them to go back home and leave their “college family”.
However, it will be a happy feeling for them to be reunited with their families
in their native countries.
I asked the students “If you could
rate Hart Hall on a scale of 1-10, 1 being ‘Horrible, I hate it’ or 10 being
like ‘It’s the best thing in the world’, what would you rank it?” Cynthia and Junting gave it an 8. Chance and
Junting gave it a 9. Dr. Rebecca Burch also admitted “I adore living here”. All
in all Hart Hall is a fun, welcoming, informative, and culturally rich living
arrangement on SUNY Oswego campus.
