As the fall term came to a close and students trickled off campus to spend the holidays with family and friends, Sam Modder ’17, a student from Sri Lanka, was left wondering how to spend the frosty six-week break.
Over 150 international students remain on campus every year for at least part of the winter break, often for financial and logistical reasons, director of international student programs Steve Silver said. These students must adjust to a quieter campus, no meal plan and an increase in free time, he said.
“It was fun but kind of slow — every day is kind of the same,” Modder said. “You don’t feel busy, just laid-back.” While her routine mostly consisted of hanging out with other international students, video chatting her family back home in Sri Lanka and relaxing, a highlight of the break was celebrating her first Thanksgiving at a local family’s home, Modder said.
Bat-Amgalan Zorigt ’17, a student from Mongolia, said that he appreciated the opportunity to wind down after a tough transition to the American education system.
“My first term was great but hard. When I came here at first it was really hard because I had lots of trouble with the English language,” Zorigt said. “I needed to relax, so the winter break was really good.”
Rui Zhang ’16, a student from China, also said that he enjoyed the time away from classes.
He immediately noticed the quiet of his dorm. “I think that quiet was good to take a break from the term,” Zhang said. “But there was so much collaboration between campus organizations that I didn’t feel left out.”
Under the direction of Silver, Zorigt and Zhang helped organize activities for international students staying in Hanover, including weekend dinners and get-togethers starting from Dec. 1. Attendees often stayed afterward and watched movies, building closer bonds, Zorigt said.
“My aim was to solve two problems: the need to eat, and the need to create a community,” Silver said. “Meals are a good way to bring people together. The three C’s are important: cooking, community and collaboration.”
Several College offices worked with international students to improve their winter interim experience, including the Office of Residential Life, the Undergraduate Deans Office, OPAL’s International Student Program and the Tucker Foundation.
In addition to leading a diversity peer program retreat for nine international students, OPAL matched students with Upper Valley families so they could spend the holidays in family settings, In addition to leading a diversity peer program retreat for nine international students
Seven students volunteered at the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Tucker program manager for service trips Adam Knowlton-Young said. There, students did service work and data entry.
“Basically they were able to plug themselves into a larger program within a context of social justice,” he said. “Folks had a good time — they got to know each other, while also doing service.”
In Boston, Knowlton-Young introduced students an opportunity to Dartmouth alumni.
Zhang, who worked three jobs during the break, said he was surprised to find himself so busy.
But other students enjoyed a quieter interim.
“Definitely I feel like the international community was my family, so I didn’t miss home as much as I thought I would,” Modder said. “Winter break wasn’t as depressing as I thought it’d be — it was actually pretty fun, pretty relaxing.”
