6B / SPOR
MLB
FEATURE
Yan
ASSO
NEW YORK pitched like a New York Yank for Texas. A w heading home Nick Swish Cano hit con build an earl made the lea Yankees avoid ing the Rang and closing w championship "We're right be,"Swisher s A late-arril late-afternoo whether this defending W after Texas o while winning But Sabat from an eri
★
Be Det Tur inte Mak C Earn Enro
FAR FROM HOME
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TALK ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE THE NEW KIDS IN TOWN
BY MOLLY MARTIN
Mabel Kok's apartment at The Exchange is her comfort zone. It's her temporary home that connects her to the home she left behind. It's where she finds her roommate, a friend from her home country of Malaysia. It's where she talks to her parents and three younger brothers using Skype.
But all comfort zones need to be breached, as college life is much more than the inside of a classroom, apartment and the bus you ride. This can be difficult for the international student who misses eating fresh fish from the sea, or who can't understand her fast-talking American roommate, or who covers her head with an Hijab scarf in public.
When international students come to the University of Kansas they must learn to adjust to a different culture and face new challenges. By looking at homesickness, language, friendship and patriotism, students from across the globe discuss what it's like to bleed crimson and blue on foreign soil.
LONGING FOR HOME
A tall African man steps outside of Kansas City International Airport and into the cold January air. Snow covers the ground. He's never seen anything like it. Tears fall down his dark cheeks.
This is not Mozambique. He can no longer feel the warmth. He can no longer feel the breeze from the sea. He wonders, "What have I put myself into?" This is not home.
The chilling effect left Antonio Cumbane feeling more alone than he's ever felt before. He says he almost wanted to go right back home. At the time, he knew no one. Of the 2,135 international students at KU, only one other student was from Mozambique.
Michael Ediger, associate director of advising and orientation at International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), says students like Cumbane are more likely to feel lonely initially. International students who are one, or one of only a few, people from their home country often feel more anxiety and isolation than a student from a country that has a significant presence on campus.
For Cumbane, the homesickness didn't go away after a semester. He had a few semesters before he could graduate with a Master's degree in education. He wanted to finish the required classes quickly, thinking he would be able to go home earlier, so he enrolled in five classes. Soon enough, the stress from the heavy
workload caused him to visit Watkins Memorial Health Center with complaints of fevers and headaches.
Cumbane says the doctor told him nothing was wrong. He was sick because of the overwhelming homesickness and stress. The doctor wrote Cumbane a note to miss three days of class to recuperate.
Aside from dealing with homesickness, Ediger says adjusting to unfamiliar foods is a big challenge for international students at KU. Cumbane says Americans prefer snacks, such as popcorn and pretzels, rather than large meals. He misses the fresh seafood and feasts, along with the loud music and dancing, which are part of his lifestyle in Mozambique. "I am African," Cumbane says. "Those are the things we do."
OLD TRADITIONS,
NEW TRADITIONS
Hejab ALmutairi has traveled all over the United States. He loves San Antonio and smiles when talking about New York. But the can't see himself fitting in anywhere but here, Lawrence is his favorite place in America.
Almutairi wears khak cargo shorts and a red "Hill Yes" KU t-shirt. He likes this casual look — back home in Saudi Arabia men traditionally
Photo illustration by Ben Pirotte
Photo illustration by Ben Pritchard
Crossing borders: For many international students, homesickness is common when first attending the University. Antonio Cumbane says he missed his family, the weather and food of his home country of Mozambique. He is learning English to become a teacher when he returns