By Shannon Simcox
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER | scs5096@psu.edu
Vice Provost for International Programs Michael Adewumi said he would like all international students to be global citizens.
"We all interconnect. We live in a very small global village," Adewumi said, as he addressed the International Student Council meeting Thursday night in 330 HUB-Robeson Center.
Adewumi defined a global citizen as someone who thinks globally while acting locally.
"Yes, you are international students, but you are aiming at becoming international citizens," Adewumi said.
The International Student Council (ISC) "promotes international understanding by developing or cooperating in intercultural programs designed for the university," according to its mission statement.
The ISC can also be a voice among the international community at Penn State, Public Relations Director Riccardo Ghia said.
ISC speaks for international students and their groups at Penn State to International Student Services (ISS).
"We are, ISC, a bridge between international students and ISS," Ghia said.
The meeting on Thursday opened with guest speaker Adewumi who talked about plans for Penn State to broaden international relationships.
Instead of placing American university campuses abroad, Adewumi said he wants to create partnerships.
"Partner with select institutions abroad so we can actually lift the globe up and solve international problems," Adewumi said.
The meeting was followed by a question-and-answer session with Adewumi.
With about 10 representatives from various student groups, President Natsuki Ikeda continued with the meeting, introducing two new officers and ISC's new adviser.
Whitney Purcell, the new ISC adviser, had two goals in mind, she would like the ISC to be the mouth on campus as well as for ISC to be a place for students to come to with concerns.
"We want to put cheeks in the seats," Purcell said.
Also on the agenda was the Homecoming parade and an upcoming soccer tournament that is in the works.
ISC also passed out a rough draft of a housing survey.
Housing issues continue to be a big issue with international students, Davis Negar, director of ISS said.
Ikeda said she would like to have more American student involvement with the organization.
One way that she plans to do that is to appeal to peer advisers and returning students, she added.
While this was the biggest meeting ISC has had so far, Ikeda said she would like to see a representative from every international student organization on campus.
"[We] definitely need more representatives from organizations," Ikeda said.
