Monday, February 22, 2016

2/3 OISS Digest

February 3, 2015
Office of International Students and Scholars
Weekly Digest


  
Important Announcements     


THE OISS WILL BE CLOSED: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8  &  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9.

THERE WILL BE NO COFFEE HOUR THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4.
THERE WILL BE NO DOWNTOWN HOURS NEXT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9.

 Have a Fun & Safe Mardi Gras  

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         Chinese New Year        


“Gong Xi Fa Cai”
(Happy New Year!)

February 8 starts the celebration of Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.  2016 is the year of the “Monkey” according to the Chinese animal zodiac cycle.

A common tradition is the New Year's Eve dinner, known as the Reunion Dinner, and is believed to be the most important meal of the year. 

Also, during this time, red envelopes with cash are presented to family members.  The “red” symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

Finally, fish and dumplings are eaten during the festival because of the belief it will bring a surplus of money and good luck in the coming year. 

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Mardi Gras Series

  


Each week leading up until Mardi Gras, OISS will feature tips and facts about the Carnival Season

THIS WEEK: MARDI GRAS PARADE SCHEDULE
                                             
Wednesday, Feb 3
Krewe of Druids, 6:30 p.m.
Krewe of Nyx, 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, Feb 4
Knights of Babylon, 5:45 p.m.
Knights of Chaos, 6:15 p.m.
Krewe of Muses, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb 5
Krewe of Hermes, 6:00 p.m.
Krewe d’Etat, 6:30 p.m.
Krewe of Morpheus, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb 6
Krewe of Iris, 11:00 a.m.
Krewe of Tucks, 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, Feb 7
Krewe of Okeanos, 11:00 a.m.
Krewe of Mid-City, 11:45 a.m.
Krewe of Thoth, 12:00 p.m.
Krewe of Bacchus, 5:15 p.m.

Monday, Feb 8
Krewe of Proteus, 5:15 p.m.
Krewe of Orpheus, 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb 9
Krewe of Zulu, 8:00 a.m.
Krewe of Rex, 10:00 a.m.
Krewe of Elks Orleans, follows
Krewe of Crescent City, follows

For more parade information, Click HERE.

Staff
                                                                          

Kristy Magner
OISS Director

Belinda Schneider
F-1 Students

Beth Nazar
J-1 Students

Nancy Lauland
H-1B and J-1
Faculty, Researchers & Staff

Evan Kirk
SEVIS Coordinator

  Kabir Hingorani Punjabi
Operations Assistant


Ongoing Weekly Events
               

Uptown hours

Location:  6901 Willow Street
Time:  Monday- Friday 8:30 a.m.- 5:00p.m.

For general information, check-in, document drop off/pick up,andletter requests,come visit us. If you would like to meet with and advisor, please schedule an appointment.
  
Downtown hours

NO DOWNTOWN HOURS NEXT WEEK 
Location:  Tidewater Building, Room 2460
Time:  Tuesdays, 1:00- 4:00 p.m.

Downtown hours are an opportunity for international students, scholars, and staff at Tulane’s downtown campus to meet with an OISS advisor, ask questions, and request services. If you are a new international student at the downtown campus, you can also complete your required check-in process during downtown hours.

Coffee Hours

NO COFFEE HOUR THIS WEEK
Location: Greenbaum Lounge (Bldg # 71, Uptown)
Time:  Thursdays, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Theme: N/A

Uptown coffee hours will be held weekly, with a different theme each week!
  
Prayer Space (Downtown)

Location: Tidewater Room 1506
Time: Open when building is open

Tidewater Building, 15th Floor, Room 1506 has been dedicated as a quiet prayer space for students of all religious denominations.
  
Check the digest weekly for more updates about times and locations.

EVENTS
                                                                

OISS EVENTS   

 Optional Practical Training (OPT)
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 (29 months for certain STEM fields). 

Workshops
Downtown: February 16  1440 Canal Street, Room 1206, 12:00- 1:00 p.m. Lunch Provided.
Uptown: February 17  GWH1 101(Bldg #39, Uptown). 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Access the OPT instructions and forms here: https://tulane.app.box.com/OPT  Beginning February 18, you may submit your complete OPT application packet at OISS each week at any of the following drop-in times:  

Monday 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.  
Wednesday 8:30- 9:30 a.m.   
Friday 2:30- 3:30 p.m.


OPPORTUNITIES AT TULANE 

PORceiros: Portuguese/English Language Practice
Olá, todos! Hope you are all fully in the swing of the Spring semester. We are continuing our PORceiros program for students and community members who want to practice English or Portuguese. Think of this as a private tutoring experience in your target language! We will pair native speakers of Portuguese and English that want to practice each other’s language in an informal setting. Partners could meet up separately at a time/in a place that is convenient for both parties, and could speak for ~30min Portuguese, then ~30min English. The difference an hour a week will make in your language proficiency and confidence is *amazing*! 

Sign up on this google sheet and we will follow up with you to make sure you've been able to find a partner. 

Questions? Email Megwen at mloveles@tulane.edu for more information.  

Tulane SPHTM presents Informational Webinars
Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine will be hosting the following webinars about the opportunities as a student at Tulane University SPHTM. These webinars include the following topics:

·         Sexuality, Health and Gender
·         Healthcare Management
·         Tulane African Student Association   
·         Health Systems of China
·         SALUD for Latin American Communities
·         Life of a SPHTM Student

For dates and more information, CLICK HERE.

One Wave Student Leadership Trainings
Saturday, February 27 or April 2. 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Learn how you can contribute to a safer Tulane by attending a One Wave bystander intervention student leadership training. Make an impact in your community. Register HERE.

International Food & Music Festival
The annual International Food & Music Festival is coming up. We are looking for individuals or groups interested in performing, cooking, participating in a fashion show, setting up cultural information booths, and volunteering. If you are interested in participating, please click HERE.
Non-Credit English Classes for International Students
This spring, CGE is offering non-credit and flexible American Academic English classes that offer opportunities for developing and practicing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills with other students in a relaxed conversational atmosphere that includes brief presentations. During this time, you will be encouraged to develop a personal English plan. By participating, you will also be given preferential access to one-on-one conversation partners, individualized writing instruction, and other specialized programs, such as intensive night classes and grammar classes.

It is all free to Tulane students and scholars. If you are interested, the classes are available at both the uptown and downtown Tulane campuses. You can attend one class a week, depending on your schedule, or more classes with the instructor’s permission. Please contactdmurray3@tulane.edu to enroll or if you have any further questionsClick HERE for more information.



TULANE AND LOCAL EVENTS

Soul Rebels Brass Band
Thursday, February 4. 9:00 p.m. The Boot.­­­
Join the Soul Rebels after a night of parades. Listen to great music and dance your hearts out at The Boot, which is only 1 block away from Tulane’s campus!
Saturday, February 6. 11:00 p.m. Gasa Gasa
If you missed out on the Soul Rebels on Thursday, fear not because they will be performing at Gasa Gasa after all the parades. Make sure to stop by.

INSTANT Mardi Gras Meetup
Saturday, February 6. 11:00 a.m. Gibson Hall.
Are you ready to Mardi?? International students, returned study abroad students and other Tulane students are invited to join INSTANT at Gibson Hall at 11a.m. this Saturday to walk to the parades together! Grab your friends and come watch with us! We will walk from GIBSON HALL to the intersection of ST. CHARLES AND CONSTANTINOPLE where we will watch the early afternoon parades. After the parades, you can head down to watch Endymion at Lee Circle. We hope you'll join us for a great Mardi Gras meet-up and some really fun parades!!
TCSSA presents Spring Festival Celebration
Saturday, February 6. 11:30 a.m. LBC Qatar Ballroom.
Come celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year with TCSSA this Saturday! The event will start promptly at 11:30 am on Feb. 6  in LBC Qatar Ball room. It's first-come first-served, and an authentic Chinese meal is guaranteed for the first 350 guests. Following the lunch, guests are encouraged to stay for a show put on by Tulane students and the local Chinese community. Grab some quality food, and enjoy a great multicultural performance before you head out for afternoon Mardi Gras parades!

8th Annual Lundifest ft Mystikal and Hot 8 Brass Band
Monday, February 8. 9:00 p.m. Republic NOLA.
Mardi Gras is here, which means Lundifest is back! Don’t miss the 8th Annual Lundifest featuring multi-platinum selling artist Mystikal and world renown Hot 8 Brass Band. Performers will start shortly after the paradespass downtown, so watch the Orpheus parade nearby and walk right on over for another epic Lundifest!

Rebirth Brass Band
Tuesday, February 9. 10:00 p.m. Maple Leaf Bar.
Rebirth Brass Band performs every Tuesday at the Maple Leaf Bar. This Tuesday will be extra special because they will be performing on Mardi Gras! This is a first come, first serve event and there is limited seating, so make sure you get to the Maple Leaf Bar early.

Trials and Triumphs
Wednesday, February 24. 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. LBC 212.
This event features professors Peter Ricchiuti, Michael Cunningham, Latha Rajan, Rebecca Mark, and Michael Cohen. They are going to share their personal experiences of defeat, failure, and setbacks amongst their accomplishments. We are hoping this will be an empowering message for students about taking risks, stepping out of their comfort zones, and finding community support to learn from mistakes and succeed. For more information, email Krista Casale atkcasale@tulane.edu.
Black Arts Festival
Saturday, February 27 – Sunday, March 13. Various times and locations.
Each year, the Tulane Black Student Union hosts the Black Arts Festival on campus. In past years, the Festival has taken various forms ranging from a weeklong lecture series to a singular day of events. Last year the program saw 2000 attendees over the course of two weeks which featured lectures, workshops, showcases, and a variety of other events to provide comprehensive programming to students and the community. For more information, click here.


News and Other Announcements
                                                                          

News Article and Interesting Reads




Mental Health and Mindfulness Resources

Explore resources for mental well-being now:



We had a great time making Mardi Gras Masks during our Mardi Gras Coffee Hour!


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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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Weekly Fact: During Chinese New Year, there is the world’s biggest annual fireworks usage. No single hour in any other country sees as many tons of fireworks lighted as in China around the midnight beginning Chinese New Year. China produces about 90% of the world’s fireworks.

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