A co-worker and I stuck around campus tonight for a meeting for the Marquette International Friendship Program. This is a brand new program for MU, designed to match international students with a community volunteer. The idea is to meet about once a month, just to share a bit of normal American life, or to be available to answer questions on the odd stuff we do (even our fellow 'Muricans need to be edjamakated that the thing that provides bubbling drinking water is called a *"bubbler" in Milwaukee, not a "drinking fountain"). The volunteers get the opportunity to have their own horizons broadened as they learn about the student's home country.
The Office of International Programs was hoping for fifteen or so volunteers; the total volunteer count is fifty. At the moment, most of the volunteers are either Marquette employees or alums, although the eventual intent is to get more of the community involved.
This orientation meeting was meant to familiarize us with the guidelines of the program - but all of our matches were not yet ready. Students began arriving on campus last week Monday; they needed a bit more time to get their own applications for the program filled out.
Sometime between now and September 5th we should receive the information on the student with whom we've been matched. In the meantime, I'll continue to pray for him/her - how stressful it must be to dropped in the middle of a different culture, no matter how much you prepare for it.
*I shouldn't be surprised - Blogger's spell check does not recognize "bubbler".
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