The satisfaction of OU exchange students

At OU, there are 340 exchange students to study abroad currently. Most of the students feel satisfaction about American life, especially OU campus life. How much are they satisfied by OU exchange student program exactly? To know students’ satisfaction about this program, there was the survey for exchange students.

International Student Service and two International students who are Eunyoung Bang, and Jieun Han, conducted the survey randomly to 100 exchange students at the University of Oklahoma through the exchange students program on March. Through the survey, they found out how much the university’s exchange student program has satisfied incoming students.

Through comparing with two questions that how high their expectations were before coming to OU and how high their satisfaction turned out once here, they presented student activities, academic quality, facilities, regional feature, and overall things as the categories students could evaluate. From the results, they can infer that exchange students’ satisfaction level is mostly higher than their expectation level. According to the question asked them how helpful OU’s programs were for adaptation to their environment, the results tell us that the score students gave for helpfulness was about average. In addition, they could get the positive answer about the question that was about whether the exchange students think people here – faculty, staff, and students – have contributed to exchange students’ campus life.



According to the result about the strength of OU exchange student program, exchange students were mostly satisfied with the campus facilities such as the Houston Huffman center, library, bookstores, union, and the student activities such as OU Cousin Program, host family matching program. Also, almost students are willing to recommend the OU exchange students program to other people.

Tina Henderson, Staff Assistant of Education Abroad, is said “I think, many exchange students are satisfied by our exchange program. Over the years, more prospective exchange students want to come to OU to study abroad because of great services, and the quality of the program.” She also add words that even though her thought about students’ satisfaction, she thought that they needed to listen to students’ opinion directly through the survey, and they could develop their exchange program based on this survey.

Considering all the results, current exchange students seemed to be fairly satisfied. This survey confirmed that OU’s Study Abroad program, specifically OU exchange students program, can be defined as one of the opportunities OU has, as well as things to work on. Based on this survey, ISS tries to develop their exchange program to extend the connection with other universities, and to advance the quality of the program. If you want to get more information about the change of OU exchange student program, you can visit their office or their web site anytime.

OU Exchange Student Program

Many exchange students at OU are preparing for leaving from here. However, in other countries, prospective exchange students expect to come to OU. Exchange student program at OU makes many international students have a great experience. What is the exchange student program at OU?

OU receives between 200 to 400 students from 64 countries each academic year. Currently OU connects with 170 universities in other countries. The vast majority of OU’s students come from European countries. However, the Asian countries are growing quickly as well as the Latin American countries. A pattern in the selection of majors with international students depends on the country. Many Colombian students are engineering or geophysics. The UK students are primarily business or meteorology and many of the French are Business students as well. Overall, there are as lot of Business and Engineering students, but a wide variety of others as well.

OU exchange student program was one of the first Universities in the U.S. to start reciprocal exchanges in the mid 80’s. Many universities modeled their program after OU. Also, the program at OU has had numerous employees, student assistants and study abroad alumni go to work for various universities across the U.S. as well as other countries, to help develop their study abroad program. For instance, they had one study abroad advisor who left OU and started the study abroad program at Rice University, a very prestigious university in Houston, Texas.

Tina Henderson, Staff Assistant for Education Abroad, said that “OU’s programs are one of the best in country primarily due to the personal service that we give each and every student that walks through our door. From the time they step foot on our campus, our office in involved in their daily academic and social life.” She added words that she was sure that other universities worked with students as well do, but every student who comes to OU as an exchange student walked away with the best experience of their life.

The International Students Service center manages the exchange students program. Even though OU connects with other universities now, OU tries to have connection with about 5 more universities from other countries. In addition, OU is joined with 170 universities in the world currently. However, OU expects to connect with more 5 universities in especially the Asia and the Middle East part. If you want to get more information about the OU exchange students program, you can visit their office or their web site anytime.

OKC bombing

The life of a journalist

Many journalism students have a dream to be a journalist However, who exactly do not know which life is for a journalist. In my case, I want to be a print reporter. If I can write some writings well, is everything okay to be a print reporter? Actually some thoughts that people think about a journalist is misunderstanding, and others can be true. We have to distinguish the difference. To get a significant insight about this, I met Judy Gibbs Robinson who is a journalism professor at OU, and is also the adviser of The Oklahoma Daily.

Judy worked for The Oklahoman. So I could listen to the real story about a journalist. Normally journalists have a bachelor of journalism. However, that is not a must. Regardless of a major, people have to get some practices for writing article or internships to be a journalist. Judy said that she did nothing before being the Oklahoman reporter, but today journalism students have to get some internship related to their job.

However, Judy expressed that curiosity is the most important ability to be a news reporter. I thought the most important ability is writing skills, but that is not true. A journalist has to keep their curiosity about everything. When a journalist keeps their curiosity about everything, he or she can want to research something for article. Above all, when a journalist has a curiosity for their article, he or she can view some issues from different standpoints.

A journalist keeps the great relationship with specific photographer, because print company has their own photographer for picture. Whenever a journalist goes to interview, he or she has to talk to them about their imagined image as a picture.

I heard getting the news source is really hard to a journalist. A journalist feels really harsh stress because of the print’s due. Especially he or she has to find something new for a article. However, Judy recommended another point of view. Whenever I felt that a new idea had run, I have to change my point of view. I must see a society, and the world with a curiosity. ‘Why do a community, and this system works like that?’ Judy said that this question is starting point to change our standpoint. After this question, he or she can make the article source bigger. When he or she can get the interviewee person, he or she has to want to get more expert persons. For example, if I want to write the article about storm, I can get a one expert of a weather reporter. However, not just that person, a journalist has to ask the phone number of another two experts like metrology professor, and city hall officer of protecting disaster. That is the way that a journalist makes their news sources bigger. Judy express that the important point to control their stress is journalist’s mind, not situation.

After her interview, I got the original question about print reporter’s life. How about the future of newspaper’s future? As we know, the circulation of newspaper declines, and even some newspapers are really hard to run their company. Unlike the past, today’s journalist must be able to do many things, not just a writing skill. Because we have to keep pace with the technology development, so we should be able to use many multimedia quite freely. That is why we take this kind of class in university.

Judy said that at the age when she worked as a journalist, she needed nothing, except a writing skill. However, she also said that today’s journalism students have to change to survive. In the past, journalists had to be an expert who can do everything, because journalist area did not specialize like today. Today, with different meaning, we should be the expert who can do everything for writing article to survive. We already know that the only solution of print journalism is the Internet. In multimedia age, a journalist has to be a print’s reporter, and also be an online reporter. For this thing, a journalist must use many computer programs like HTML, Dreamweaver to post their writing on blog or their website. Not only this thing, he or she also has to use the online editorial skills like Photoshop, and video editor.

Today’s journalist has to change for surviving. However, if we can think in a different way, that is not a big deal. In today’s age, we can make many channels to connect with our audience, and also communicate with them in two ways. Judy said that the age is changing. Even though everything is changing, one thing is never changed. The most important point to a journalist is an accuracy, and curiosity about the world. That is the only thing that guides a journalist to tell the truth to their audience.

Another friend for International students, ‘OU Cousins’

At OU, there is the OU Cousin program for international students. Every year about 900 international students connect with their American friends through this program.

The OU Cousins program was created in 1996. President and Mrs. David Boren created this program with the purpose of developing understanding, and friendship between U.S. students and international students at OU. By this program, students are matched to their “cousin” according to hobbies, majors, and countries of special interest. Each international or exchange student is matched with one American student and they are invited for monthly events. In addition, students can share their respective cultures with one American student through their daily American life.

The Student Life office hosts many events for OU Cousins like the ice cream social Kick-off event, Fall Festival, Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, and International Holiday Sweets Festival. Student Life office hosts not only big events, but they also make some time for daily life to cook together, play pool, go to the mall, and volunteer together. However, OU Cousins spend their own time together, not just for official events. International students and American students often keep in touch with each other to eat together, help with academic problems, and talk about their different cultures.

The Students Life office provides all events free of charge. Even though students cannot make up all of the OU Cousins events every year, the Student Life office tries to prepare for more opportunities of OU Cousins to participate in every event. Because of these kinds of efforts, OU Cousins can become a strong program at OU.

Quy Nguyen, a assistant director of Student Life, is said “OU Cousins program is a strong program for international students and American students. They can share their different cultures and also build a solid relationship beyond the culture.” He also adds that they try to make OU Cousins program be developed to connect with more students.

The OU Cousins BBQ Party will be held April 30 for all OU students. You can participate in this party that is free of charge. In addition, if you want to know more about OU Cousins, American students or international students can apply anytime on online. Your OU Cousin waits for you to be your friend.

Eve of Nations for International Students

Eve of Nations is the special festival for international students. The 39th Annual Eve of Nations was on April 3 at the Lloyd Noble Center. Many international students who are from various countries went to enjoy the party. The dinner table was prepared for invited international students. For the night, most of the students attended to this festival in a suit and dress.

International Advisory Committee (IAC) holds Eve of Nations. This year’s theme of Eve of Nations is Footprints: A Walk Around the World. This theme was selected with the hope that this program would give audiences a new and profound impression in their hearts. IAC hoped that audiences would break stereotypes, and get a new perspective. This festival was the product of the hard work of the twenty-seven international student organizations. Twenty-seven international student organizations showed their traditional dance. However, all performances reinterpreted their traditional culture with modern perspective. In addition, there was the international fashion showcase, so audiences could see various traditional clothes of many countries about fifty countries.

Eve of Nations started thirty-nine years ago. At first, IAC did not think about festivals for connecting with many international students. However, after they felt that there were a lot of international students in OU, they recognized they needed a special festival to make a bond with each other. This festival was not big, but IAC made this festival organized, and more splendid. Currently, they are trying to find many sponsors for this festival.

Sarah Shutts, President of International Advisory Committee said “Eve of Nations is one of the most elegant and spectacular events celebrating the rich cultures of the world that can be found in the state of Oklahoma. If is a reflection of the cooperation of our international students and our American students at OU.” She also added that many different perspectives, thoughts, and ideas went into the creation of the magical evening.

IAC hosts Eve of Nations every spring semester. Even Though Eve of Nations has ended, IAC hosts other events like International Awareness, and International Bazaar. So if you want to join other events, you can do without any complicated progress. You can get more information about other international events on the IAC website.

Korean night on March 26

Korean night was on March 26. Many Koreans and other foreigners went to the Union to see the performances.

During Korean Night, there were many performances that introduce a Korean culture to OU students. Throughout the night, the Korean kids played traditional music instruments like the ‘Sogo’, and ‘Samulnori’ which are Korean traditional percussion quartet. In addition, other Korean girls performed the Korean traditional sword and fan dance. Those who performed were wearing Korean traditional clothes, and many foreigners admired the gorgeous colors of their clothing. The audience also saw a great performance of Taekwondo.

The first annual Korean night took place in 1999, and now Korean night is held every year. Even though Korean Students Association hosts this event, many other Koreans that live in Norman or OKC contribute by donating or performing their talents.

Jieun Han, Korean Students Association director said, “Korean night is so important to us because many Korean exchange students can meet each other, and we can introduce our culture to many foreigner friends. Through this party, many Koreans can remind of our culture in America, and this feeling makes them feel a sense of belonging.”


Korean night is held every March. If you want to receive some notices about Korean party by e-mail, you can join Korean Students Association. On the webpage, you can see some performances about Taekwondo.

Another family in America, Host Family

At OU, there is a program called Host Family in which OU’s incoming exchange students are connected with an American family. OU’s many exchange students make another family, who not only help them to adjust in America life, but also provides them with experience to learn America culture.

The official name of Host Family is ‘Friends to International Students’, but the former name is more famous. In this semester, 92 host families are with their host children, and 52 exchange students applied for this program. A host family can have a student or 5 students who are from different countries. Between host sisters or brothers, closed relationships are made and are as a basis for international relationships. Last semester, 209 exchange students applied for this program and had their host family. Host families try to give their students a great chance to experience America culture like going to a farm and riding a horse or being invited and eating dinner together.

Education Abroad holds the first orientation about this program every semester, and receives applications from all exchange students who participate in this orientation. After that, Host Family can select their students considering the students’ interests or countries. EA gives a host family some information about school activities to provide meeting opportunities between host family and students. However, many host families usually meet their students one day every week and do many activities together. This program makes many exchange students receive a richer experience in America, and feel strong belonging.

This program started 5 years ago. At first, a few exchange students wanted to make a connection with an American family. However, after 2 years, 200 students applied for this program per year. One year later, 250 students made relationships with many American families who live in Norman or Oklahoma City. Nowadays EA tries to improve this program through more students’ participation.

Diana Tiffany, a staff assistant of Education Abroad and International Student Services said, “This program has the purpose of building closed relationships between international students and American family and keeping their connection after students go back to their country.” She also said that exchange students receive nice opportunities to improve their English abilities and meet people who become a great supporter overall while they are in America.

The orientation about host family is held every January and September. However, if you want to make another family in America, you can do this anytime by connecting with EA. After connecting with them, they try to find a great host family who will support your American life. You can find more information about host family on the Education Abroad webpage.

Sunny's American Life

Welcome to Salsa Dance class

Every Thursday, there is a Salsa Dance class that is loved from many OU students on the 2nd floor of the Memorial Union. About one hundred students from various countries have had fun learning basic steps of salsa for 2 hours.

The Latin Dance Club, one of student associations at OU, hosts this class every Thursday. About one hundred students are in this class this semester, and every week new students have registered to take this class. The Salsa Dance class teaches you to dance salsa and some kinds of Latin dances. Students who take this dance class not only learn to dance salsa but they also have some performances a few months later. The class separates into two parts. The first hour students train by themselves, and the second hour students can practice with their partners.

The Latin Dance club is so famous that they are often invited from other festivals and celebrations. The Latin Dance Club made this class for the purpose of getting OU students’ attention about Latin Culture. This class provides their students with the chance to experience various Latin Cultures like music, dance, and celebration. In addition, students can experience various cultures because this class consists of students from many other countries.

Maritza Rodriguez, the dance teacher in the Latin Dance Club, said “We want many OU students to have more interest with Latin Culture. Although many students already like salsa dancing and Latin music, they hardly have opportunities to enjoy this culture.” Maritza said that many students could make other friends who enjoy Latin dancing together and understand their culture more. She added words that they hoped their students feel salsa dancing is easy to enjoy through this class.

If you are an OU student, anytime you can participate in this class. You have to pay a deposit of twenty dollars when you registered for this class at first. However, after you finished all the sessions without missing one, your twenty dollars will be given back to you. If you want some more information about Salsa Dance class, you can visit this class on Thursday. The Latin Dance Club is waiting for you!

Lone Grove picks up the pieces

The Oklahoma Daily Feb 13, 2009

FE-4 Tornado hit the Lone Grove that is 80 miles away from Norman on last Tuesday. Most houses and buildings were destroyed by Tuesday’s tornado, and 8 persons were dead and many people still were missing because of this accident.

Some residents kept finding their friends and relatives from Wednesday, but some people still do not know the where abouts of families or friends. Others also had to go back in order to search for their belongings. Although they lost everything including their houses, tornado survivors think they are so lucky. Survivors try to look around the wreckage of their homes for their personal belongings.

People did not expect this accident at all because they did not get tornadoes like this in February. This tornado is so rare to people, so they were more damaged than the situation they expected.

Winston Barton who is Federal Emergency Management Association public information officer said that this area will be a major disaster area in next three or four days. Barton said “Survivors will get help if there is enough damage, and there is plenty of damage here.”

Survivors really need help to rebuild the grounds of their lives, so government, FEMA and insurance companies plan to help them. In addition, many non-profit organizations and individuals from around the area have come to offer their services. Hence, they will start to determine where they are going to live so they can rebuild the grounds of their lives.

PWOPs

It was necessary for me to think about myself.
'I am a Korean and I am a Journalism student.'
That's all.
There is a nothing special except this truth.
So I had to find how to express myself by using these things.
Finally, I found the way to express myself.
Korean and a pen

SOPs

When I concentrate on reading,

I can't see other books except one I read now.

Although I am sorrounded by many books in a library,

I only communicate with one book during reading.

How about you?

I wonder your story in a library.

Students Journey to South America with summer program.

The Oklahoma Daily Monday, 26, January, 2009.

There is a new study abroad program for OU students to study in Peru and Chile this summer as the Journey to South America.
Students will stay with English-speaking host families and do not have to know Spanish. Students in this program will visit historical museums, churches and ancient pyramids after classes. Therefore, you can not only learn Spanish and culture in their class, but also make friends on the streets.
This program was made to be an alternative to studying abroad for a semester or a year. This program will give students chance to be away from campus for a longer period of time.
Karen Elmore, assistant director of Education Abroad said in an e-mail that “you learn differently in a study abroad program than in a classroom, and students will get to walk on the streets, see the people.”
Students who have a 2.5 or higher grade point average can be qualified to apply for Journey to South America. In addition, if you are interested in this program, you can attend two information sessions at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 3 and 24 in the Education Abroad Office.