Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Digest 3/27/15

Click HERE to view digest online.

March 26, 2015
Office of International Students and Scholars
Weekly Digest


 HELP TULANE IMPROVE
2015 International Student Survey Reminder
Students, please check the e-mail from Monday March, 23rd to complete the survey.
All student participants will be entered into a raffle drawing.

Important Announcements
Traveling outside the U.S. during Spring Break? Make sure you have a valid travel signature   
Due to high seasonal demand, if you will be leaving the country for Spring Break we recommend that you check now to see whether you need your  I-20 or DS-2019 signed. If you do, please come to the office and request your travel documents as soon as possible. At minimum, come one week before you plan to travel. NO SAME-DAY REQUESTS WILL BE PROCESSED. For more information, read our Travel Signature Notice
  
Optional Practical Training (OPT) Applications
OPT is a benefit available to all students who have been in F-1 status for at least one academic year. OPT allows you to work in your field of study for up to 12 months (27 months for certain STEM fields). First, review the PowerPoint of our OPT Workshop information:CLICK HERE. Then, read and complete the OPT application: CLICK HERE.

OISS will hold weekly sessions at the following times to take OPT applications. These sessions will repeat weekly for the coming months; always check the OISS DIGEST for the latest information. You MUST arrive on time with your application and all the required supporting materials:

      Mondays, 12:00 pm or 3:00 pm: OPT Intake 
     Tuesdays, 8:30 am: OPT Intake

 If you are not able to come at these times, please call 865-5208 to make an appointment to review and submit your OPT application.
  
Person of the Week
               

Dear Readers,
   
    We are currently looking for students to feature in our Person of the Week section of the Digest. If you are interested in being featured, please contact our Student Affairs Associate, Ainsley Fagan, at afagan1@tulane.edu, or our student worker, Karen Chen, at kchen5@tulane.edu,

We sincerely hope that you will consider this great opportunity.
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Name: Lenia Ahmed Kiki
Program: Tropical Medicine (May 2016)
Home Country: Bangladesh
Birthday: May 13, 1985


If you were at the International Food & Music Festival, then you might remember Lenia Kiki, the performer of the wonderful Bangladeshi dance. Kiki is currently studying Tropical Medicine at Tulane University and hopes to use this background to help others later on in life.

What are some activities you’re involved in at Tulane?
     I am serving as a mentor for the new International students with OISS. I am also working as a Teaching Assistant in the undergraduate program of the Public Health Department.

What has been your most memorable experience so far at Tulane?
     The event I can say as my most memorable event in Tulane is the International Food & Music Festival. I could enjoy the cuisine probably all over the world in a single room. I got a chance to enjoy and watch music and dance from different parts of the world. I also took part in a Bangladeshi dance, and my professor and my advisor, Dr. Lath Raja, and my friends came to watch my performance, so I was really happy.

What is something you want to do before you graduate?
     I want to travel the United States and do an internship somewhere like at the CDC or WHO, where I can gather international experience that will help me in my working life.

What are your plans after graduation?
      I want to work where I can really help people and interact with them and can work as a person from public health. Later, I want to get my Doctorate degree.

STAFF 


Ainsley Fagan
Student Affairs Associate

Evan Kirk
Operations Assistant

Nancy Lauland
H-1B Employees
J-1 Scholars
     
Kristy Magner
OISS Director

Beth Nazar
J-1 Students

Belinda Schneider
F-1 Students

Classified Spotlight


Looking for a new place to live? New furniture?  Check the listings!



Please refer to the linked flyers for more details. Check out the classifieds link at the bottom of the digest for more!
                              
Looking to advertise? Please send a detailed description to oiss@tulane.edu with the subject line “Classifieds”.

On Going Weekly Events

  

Downtown hours
Location:  Tidewater Building, Room 2460
Time:  1:00- 4:00pm
Dates: 4/7, 4/14, 4/21,

If you need documents or mail brought from OISS, please email or call us before 10:00 am that day.


Coffee Hours
Uptown coffee hours will now be held weekly (Fridays 3-5pm). Please check this section of the digest for the most up-to-date information.
**NO COFFEE HOUR THIS WEEK**
(Next Coffee Hour will be held on April 10th)


April Coffee Hours
April 10, 17, 24. 3-5 pm at the OISS Office


Prayer Space (Downtown)
Tidewater Building 15th floor Room 1506, has been dedicated as a quiet prayer space for students of all religious denominations.
Hours: Open when building is open.


Check the digest weekly for more updates about times and locations.


EVENTS
               


OISS EVENTS  
 No Coffee Hour for Two Weeks
There will be no Coffee Hour this Friday, March 27, or next Friday, April 3 due to Spring Break. We'll start again on April 10. Hope you all have a fun and safe Spring Break!!

No Downtown Hours Next Week - OISS Office Closed April 2 and 3
There will be no downtown hours on March 31. Downtown hours will resume on April 7. The OISS office Uptown will be closed next Thursday, April 2, and Friday April 3. 

Beyond OPT and Beyond H-1B Workshops
Please join us for an information session featuring representatives from the immigration law firm of Ware|Immigration and Tulane’s Office of the General Counsel

Thursday, April 9, 2015
Beyond OPT - Downtown, 12 pm to 1 pm, Tidewater 1208 (Map)
Topic: Steps after OPT including H-1B visas and the Permanent Residence process
Who: Current Tulane students in F-1 or J-1.
Note: we will not be discussing the OPT process.
Beyond H-1B - Downtown, 2 pm to 3 pm, Tidewater - Diboll Auditorium (Map)
Topic: Steps after H-1B (and other work visas) including the Permanent Residence process
Who: Current Tulane employees in H-1B, TN, and O-1 status, and department administration.
Note: we will not be discussing the H-1B process.
Beyond OPT - Uptown, 4 pm to 6 pm, Goldring-Woldenberg II 3110 (Building #40 - Map)
Topic: Steps after OPT including H-1B visas and the Permanent Residence process
Who: Current Tulane students in F-1 or J-1.
Note: we will not be discussing the OPT process


Audubon Zoo Ticket Sale  

Tickets are available for $5 plus fees via Brown Paper Tickets -(CLICK HERE)
  
èPlease print out your ticket and bring it to the OISS Office. Your print-at-home ticket will be exchanged for a physical zoo ticket the front desk.



CGE EVENTS

ESL For Spouses
The English as a Second Language program at Tulane University is pleased to announce this new class! Mondays from 12:30-1:30PM starting 3/16 – 4/27 in Norman Mayer room 118, Uptown Campus! Please CLICK HERE for the flyer.

TULANE AND LOCAL EVENTS

Forró in the Park
Ongoing classes every Saturday. 11 am – 12 pm. Audubon Park Gazebo.
Learn a Brazilian Dance Style! Bringing together the fiddle, accordion, and syncopated percussion, Forró is a contagious, high-energy dance music from Northeastern Brazil that feels like a mix of Reggae and Zydeco. It is a couples dance that combines elements of swing and two-step and is a raucous release from everyday life. Classes include a group warm-up and rotating couples sequences. For more information, click HERE.

New Orleans Fashion Week
Saturday, March 21, 2015 to Saturday, March 28, 2015. New Orleans Board of Trade.
Recognizing the common thread between designers and boutiques, New Orleans Fashion Week is the catalyst and driving force that unites fashion professionals in a series of high-end runway shows, presentations, networking opportunities, and much more. There will be over 50 runway shows during this five day event to serve as a platform for Southern designers, makeup artists, hair stylists, and models to bring a new level of creative consciousness to the regional industry. Check out their website HERE and purchase your tickets for these events HERE.

29th Annual Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 to Sunday, March 29, 2015. French Quarter (Various Locations).
This Festival takes place on one sultry weekend in March when over 100 of the most illustrious and freshest names in the literary, theatrical, and cultural spheres descend on the French Quarter for five days of festivities. These include panels, conferences, plays, narratives, workshops, and much more! Learn more about this festival HERE.

NOLA FoodFest
Saturday, March 28 & Sunday, March 29, 2015. 11 am – 7 pm. French Market (French Quarter).
Four blocks in the French Market will be lined with dozens of America's best hometown eats from New Orleans, other parts of Louisiana, as well as from across America. This is NOT a typical and expected festival fare: it is a taste of America's most celebrated dishes, all gathered in one place: a foodie's dream. Portions are right-sized and priced to provide everyone a chance to taste the maximum number of unique, specialty eats as they stroll through the French Market inhaling delicious smells that range from Tennessee barbecue ribs to New York custard to famous meat pies with "Louisiana Soulful Creole" flavor. There is no admission fee; just bring plenty of appetite! 

Hogs for the Cause

Saturday, March 28 & Sunday, March 29, 2015.  All day. City Park.
Hogs for the Cause is a non-profit organization that hosts an annual music and food festival to raise money for pediatric brain cancer care. Each year over 80 teams will compete to be crowned the Louisiana pork champion. Attendees are invited to help choose the winners by donating to their favorite team by sampling their food and voting. While teams battle it out on the grill, music will be playing throughout the day and into the night.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship - International Easter Retreat

Friday, April 3-Sunday, April 5, 2015, Lafayette, LA
Join students from universities in Texas and Louisiana for a Cajun Easter celebration!  With everything from touring a historic Cajun village and the swamps of south Louisiana and enjoying amazing Cajun food, to an exploration of the story of Easter with our special guest speakers and through a multi-media church experience - this is going to be a great weekend!
COST: $30 
Includes 2 lunches + a Crawfish Boil, Cajun dance party, Vermillionville Cajun Village Guided Tour + Cajun Jam concert, Easter Egg Hunt and International Athletic events!  
Not included is the Sunset at the Swamp Excursions (options ranging $15-35) and lodging.  Transportation will be provided. Please see the more info section for lodging.
Click for MORE INFO and REGISTRATION 

Freret Street Festival

Saturday, April 4, 2015. 11 am – 5 pm. Freret St (Between Napoleon and Robert).
The Freret Street festival is a great way kick-off to the Festival Season! There will be over 150 local vendors showcasing arts, crafts, and wearables; dogs and cats for adoption; live music playing on 3 different stages; and a lot of food. Don’t miss out!!

The 26th Annual Josephine Gessner Ferguson Lecture

featuring Professor Lisa Ruddick

Thursday, April 9, 2015. 6 pm. Woldenberg Art Center, Freeman Auditorium.
Professor Lisa Ruddick will deliver her lecture on Thursday, April 9 at 6:00 pm in the Freeman Auditorium of the Woldenberg Art Center. The title of her talk is "Poetry, Psychoanalysis, and the Self".  Professor Ruddick is Associate Professor of English at the University of Chicago, where she teaches courses in British fiction, literature and psychoanalysis, and poetry and poetics.

French Quarter Festival
Thursday, April 9, 2015 – Sunday, April 12, 2015. All Day. French Quarter.
During this 32nd Annual French Quarter Fest, more than 1,700 musicians will be performing on 23 stages located throughout the French Quarter and the Spanish Plaza. More than 60 food and beverage vendors will be set up in half a dozen locations offering a wide variety of Crescent City culinary delights. Some of the New Orleans; top artists and artisans will have their talented work on display and for sale, and there will be fun activities for children to enjoy as well. Don’t miss out on the “World’s Largest Block Party!!”

The Dynamics of Gender in France: the 17th and 21st Centuries

featuring Professor Domna C. Stanton

Friday, April 10, 2015. 4:30 pm – 6 pm. LBC Rm 201.
Join Prof. Stanton as she discusses her new book, “The Dynamics of Gender in Early-Modern France: Women Writ, Women Writing”, and talks about the heated debates over gender studies in France today.A major scholar of gender and a pioneer of feminist approaches within French studies for over three decades, Prof. Stanton has constantly striven to expose readers to women’s writing and gender issues.  

 Into the Woods
Friday, April 10 & Saturday, April 11, 2015. 7:30 – 9 pm. Dixon Hall.
Newcomb Department of Musical Theater presents, Into the Woods – a musical about a Baker and his wife who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to attend the King's Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. Don’t miss out on what will be a very exciting show!! Tickets are $10 for students and $15 general admission. Check out the flyer HERE.

CRAWFEST 2015

Saturday, April 18, 2015. 11 am – 7 pm. LBC Quad.
This is a can’t miss event!! Crawfest is an annual music, food, and art festival located on Tulane’s uptown campus. Each year, 10,000 – 12,000 community members and students enjoy an amazing music lineup, 20,000 pounds of crawfish, and local food and art vendors. Crawfest is FREE for Tulane students and staff with a Splash Card and is $10 general admission. For more information click HERE.



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The mission of the Office of International Students and Scholars is to provide leadership in the internationalization of Tulane University by supporting the Tulane international community and facilitating cross-cultural interaction. By way of support, OISS offers quality programs and services and ensures compliance with federal immigration regulations.

Our strong belief is that a vibrant international community enriches Tulane University and the New Orleans community and is an essential component to understanding our role within the global community.




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