Organization befriends, assists international students
The Utah State University International Student and Scholars department is in the process of organizing the Utah Friends of International Student (UFIS) to assist international students during their stay here at the university.
One of the primary responsibilities of UFIS will be to provide basic necessities to international students through a store house, said Leon D’Souza, assistant to program coordinator of the department. The store house or the loan closet is a place where basic supplies for students are currently stored, he said.
The loan closet was set up 15 to 20 years ago, said Craig LaRocco, interim director for the department. He said initially students would borrow items they needed for the school year from the loan closet. But international students will no longer be required to return the items checked out from the closet, he said. It is a free service.
“We are looking for contributions from faculty and staff,” LaRocco said.
“Our office will be the primary contact,” said Andrew Hong, program coordinator for the department.
Hong said Jing Yang, a graduate student in the MBA program from P.R. China, has been chosen to be the liaison between the department and the campus community, including the local community.
LaRocco is looking forward toward incorporating UFIS with the Campus University Friends of Foreign Students (CUFFS) in administering the loan closet.
CUFFS is an organization which assists the new students orientation, oversees the home visit program and other activities for international students, LaRocco said.
“CUFFS do a great deal to this community,” LaRocco said. “We are thinking of ways to further strengthen their ability to interact with the community and the campus.”
When asked why most international students are not aware of CUFFS, LaRocco said the organization works behind the scenes, but international students have all benefited from what it does.
“The CUFFS may be a rather quiet organization but it is very noisy in what they do,” LaRocco said. “You just don’t see them blowing their own trumpet.”
Although CUFFS is not a loud organization, LaRocco said he wants it to be visible. He wants CUFFS to be recognizable because eventually, it will be working in conjunction with UFIS, and UFIS is going to be a very visible organization.
“We want to start right away,” Hong said. “We urge campus community members to participate in the program.”
Hong said some of the more needed donations for the loan closet are clothing, furniture, kitchen items and winter clothing. International students will benefit greatly from the donations, he said.