November 13, 2000 was the first day of International Education Week - a nation-wide event with the purpose to inform students of the value of international education and to raise awareness of foreign students' presence on campus.

As a member of the International Student Association, I'd like to give you a brief overview of what this week is all about.

We have a quite impressive international student presence on our campus: Currently, 417 students representing 72 different countries are enrolled at UM. Some are exchange students staying just for a semester or a year, some will eventually graduate here.

At the same time, a number of American students participate in exchange and study abroad programs: Last year, 172 UM students were enrolled at universities in over 30 countries.

I strongly encourage you to participate in a study abroad program at some time in your college life. Speaking from my own experience as an exchange student from Germany, I can guarantee that the experience will benefit you tremendously. It may be a challenge, but you'll definitely grow in your personal, academic and professional life. Plus it's FUN - you'll meet great people and make friends all over the world!

If you want to know more about study abroad opportunities, check out the info tables in the University Center this week or stop by the Office of International Programs (Main Hall 022, http://www.umt.edu/oip/).

There are also some work abroad opportunities in Australia, Europe, Britain, New Zealand and Asia. You can learn more about those on Wednesday from 12:15 to 12:45 pm at Career Services (Lodge 148).

Throughout International Education Week, there'll be many related events on campus, such as Residence Hall Discussions on International Education Issues and Classroom Testimonials of foreign students.

Dining Services will be serving entrees from different cultures every day in the Food Zoo, UC Food Court and Black Soup Bistro - on Tuesday, it's Mediterranean in the Lodge and Argentinan in the University Center.

Finally, the International Student Association is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Banquet on Saturday, November 18, 2000 at 6 pm in the University Center. This is your chance to dress up! :-)

The banquet will feature a traditional Montanan dinner with Butternut Squash Soup, Game Hens, Rainbow Trout, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Stuffing, Glazed Carrots, Apple Pie, Pumpkin Mousse, Salads, Coffee and Tea (there will also be a cash bar, so bring a photo ID with birth date if you would like a drink). Dr. Harry Fritz from the Department of History will give a keynote talk on the origins of Thanksgiving, and a professional DJ will provide dancing music.

Tickets can be purchased for $16 at Foreign Student and Scholar Services (Lodge 219) until Wednesday (please specify if you prefer a vegetarian meal). There will also be a limited number of tickets available at the door for $20.

For more information, visit the International Student Association's web site at http://www.umt.edu/asum/isa/. If you'd like to be notified of upcoming events, you can also subscribe to the ISA newsletter by sending an e-mail to isa-news-subscribe@egroups.com.

Thanks for your interest! I hope that you'll have a chance to check out some of the events during International Education Week and that they encourage you to experience international education yourself sometime in the future!