Cranwell International Center interview

Here is my Cranwell Center interview! I interviewed the head of volunteer services, Rachael Christensen. Hope you enjoy :)

Cranwell International Center (CIC) interview

What is the main goal of the CIC?
To give support to international students, scholars, faculty, and their families. For undergraduate students, we specialize in immigration; getting their papers, getting them squared away. Our two main goals are to outreach and educate. We also provide volunteers for events and programs. Also, we take care of any cultural issues that arise when international people come here and have questions.

What are some examples of ways you reach out to the international students?
The events that we provide mainly are to help international students understand American culture. There are movie nights, English conversation groups, and different lectures that address aspects of American cultures, such as “Introduction to Football.” We also offer a variety of domestic student interaction programs. There is the friendship program where one American student is paired up with an international student and once a month goes out with them, and catches up on how the transition to America is going. There are also welcome banquets and farewell banquets we host throughout the year which include dancing and food.

Could you tell me about the history of the CIC?
The Cranwell family owned the house that became the Cranwell Center. The family wanted to donate the house to the athletic program at Virginia Tech, but they didn’t need the house. Virginia Tech did, however need an international center. So, in 1986, the house was renovated and became the Cranwell International Center. It started out with a small staff, but since then has grown. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2006.

How many different nationalities are represented at the CIC?
The numbers for the year 2008 haven’t been released yet. As of the year 2007, 112 countries are represented and there are 2151 international students on campus.

How do the majority of international students react to the big change of studying in the US?
There is no “majority way” that the students here react. Different students react in different ways. Some are excited, some are overwhelmed, some are a little bit of both. Most students are mostly overwhelmed by the language barrier and the customs. They are always wondering, “what’s normal?” They react how any other student would studying in a different country.

How long have you worked for the CIC?
I started working here part time in the summer of 2006 in community services. I’ve worked here for two years.

How did you end up working for the CIC?
I heard about the Cranwell Center through neighbors. I was working on my PhD and I was at the phase where I was doing my dissertation research. I needed a part time job so I applied here. I had lived abroad so I thought this would be a good fit.

What do you like best about working at the CIC?
There are two things I like best. First of all, it’s fun! It’s so engaging. I love the students and working with kids who really want to interact with our culture. Watching that connection take place between the international students and American people and culture is amazing. Another thing I like is that it’s on the edge. There are so many possible tensions that come with international students adjusting to our culture. I love the challenge of having to smooth things out between the international students and their area of difficulty.

Could you elaborate on the kinds of tensions that are present for international students?
Well there are many cultural assumptions; things that we consider normal and things that they consider normal. When we say something, we could mean it one way, but an international student might take it another way because that’s the way they were brought up in their home country. So the main tension is in the communication. Americans can say things subconsciously in their speech that students of different ethnic backgrounds might take literally or in the opposite meaning that it was intended.