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~, .._._ ...... _, ___ , __ ·------..~·----··--· ,_;-,. ·- THE MAGAZL'IE YOU ARI, HOL[)ING in your hands is the result of a very fruitful collaboration. 0. Our previous \Vanderer edition featured 25 Columbia College Chicago international faculty from 21 different countries who shared with us part of their souls. It was time to present the stories from our o"'TI international students who wander our urban campus. \Ve teamed up with Gigi Posejpal, director of International Student Affairs, who contacted foreign stud en ls willing to tell us .,,.,tio they are. Adjunct journalism profcs~r Nancy Traver included a reporting assignment in her Reporting& \Vriting ll course, in which her pupils inte"iewed these students. My Visual Journalism practitioners were tlte ones who worked "ith those stories, phot06, graphics and headlines to lay out tl1ose lives. &ing a Fulbright scholar and past president of the Chicago Chapter of the Fulbright Association, I have taken to heart the goal of =oealing the positive effects of intercultural communication. We hope to show that a world that appreciates the contributions from different cultures in this country ofimmigrants is indeed a better world. But we also hope to prove the point that no inaner ,,;here we come from, \\'e chase similar goals of success and happiness.. What better way to do this than through the \'oices of our own international students? I remember being a new arrival to tlte United States over two decades ago when I came as a student. I remember the exhilaration I felt to be in the United States of America. Everything seemed so different, from the air to the food to human relation.ships to customs and manners. I remember the first time l had a Thanksgiving dinner and tried cranbeny sauce and thought it was so exotic. Or getting lost in a supeJ"market with the abundance of choices I had never had before. TI1e first crocus in spring that I had never seen or the torrential rain that made me use an umbrella. I had seen an umbrella only in the movies, and using one made me feel like Gene Kelly, singjn' in the rain, only wearing jeans instead ofa suit. \Vith the new adventures also came the challenges, such as the time I was asked what kind of dressing I wanted in my salad. I was so confused thinki11g wily the waiter was asking me about clothing. Dressing sounded like clothes to me. Or the number of books, chapters that I bad to read, in a foreign language! And the papers I had to write, also in a foreign language! E,-eu though I had been raised drinking coffee it was here when I bec-ame a real m.f.feeholic, to be able to pull all-nighters on a regular basis. And the fast-paced life! I was so in awe of people who moved so fast, with so much sense of purpose and decision, as if they were having a hot chile pepper up their rear ends. Gigi, Nancy a11d I want to share this edition of Wanderer International Students ,_;th anyone who is curious to learn about the e.'])eriences of our own ambassadors at Columbia College Chicag-the place where students from 55 countries come to learn aod study. \Ve also want to thank the Journalism Department for the support for the edition of this magazine, which allows our own students to have a portfolio piece, whether it is for their writing, design, photography, or all of these areas. 1bcsc arc thirteen stories from all continents. Enjoy them, one at a time. Elio l..cturia, Associate f»'Ofessor, Journalism
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6 THE TROPICAL FASHIONISTA People who thriue in a bt'Ut:h culture und love to lounge i1) tl1e sw, do,1't usually m OPPOSITE PAGE PHOTO I;:, (MOLINA sANCHU People who thrive in a beach culture and love to lounge in the sun don't usually BY JENNIFER WOLAN aria Tilereza Falciio move to Chicago. In this case the aspiring Mmoved here from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to slud.y fashion designer couldn't wait to leave. business at Columbia College. Falcao began going to clubs and dancing wben she was 15. WELCOME TO TROPICAL BRAZIL But after graduatiOll, she had The hotdimate of this country allows citizens to spend a great deal no idea what she wanted to do. of time outdoors, Sfazilians tend to view time more as a sequence of "I was losl," she recalled. events rather than hours, minutes a.nd seconds. For this reason they "But I alway~ loved fashion." may appear to have an extremely cas.u al attitude about time. Her brothers convinced her to major io fashion, telling her she had an amazing sense of style and wuld do il for a living whi1c also working behind the soenes. "I had no idea how to sew or draw," said Fa1cii.o... But 1 met v.'lth my brother's friend, BRAZIL vtho majored in the fashion business, and Td ecided it was the right track for me.• Falcfio was no foreigne r lo the United States. When she was 8, her family lived in Californ ia fo r a year while ) C ~ ': ,.,..,_ .··-1..' --- . - Siio Paulo Janeiro her dad studied to earn his '~ ~UAY ) ,_ MBA. Then they moved back to Brazil, settling in Rio de ~I : ' ARGENDNA J "I was lost but I l I always loved !"'UGUAY fashion." $out«: WORLOATtAS, CIA.GOV IITTSAASANI Janeiro. \>\'hen she was 15, th~ fami ly moved to sao Paulo. She sees many contrnsts ber.,.-een life in tbe States and i,, Dra:rJI. ''Brazil is rea1ly fake . THE If you don't wear designer clothes, you will be looked • down upon,• said f:llciio. Falciio said slte enjoys the fact that she doesn't need to 6 stud4tnt wanderer FUN FACTS .., Brazil is the largest country the only natjon in the Americas in South America. It is the in which Portuguese is the ..vo rld's fifth la,gest country, official language . both by geographical area aOO .. The word "Brazil'" comes population. It has the world's from the 'NOf'd "brazilwood," seventh largest economy. whidt was a type of wood that .. Brazil was a colony of gre'V\' along the coast and was Portugal following the landing highly prized by European of Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1SOO traders be<:ause it could be untfl 1808, when Emperor used to create a vaJuable red Napoleon Bol\aparte invaded dye. Portugal. .. Rio de Janeiro, the S(.'(Ond - Independence was achieved largest city in Brazil, was in 1822 with the formation of selected to host the 20t 6 the Empire of Brazil. Brazil is Summ~r Olympics games. wear makm,p a11d designer clothes on the streets of Chicago. She feels comfortable walking in leggings from Forever 21. Falcao originally considered moving to Europe and going to schools like the London Sehool • of Fashion and American • University in France, but her ., parents persuaded her that the •, job market would be better for ' • her in the United States . ..Co lumbia was the on)y school in the United Stales that I applied to,· said Falciio. "But J don·t know if I will stay here." Falciio's visa will ex.pire six months arter she graduates in 2017. She said she doesn ·t C<>urtf'Sy M AA!A n-tfRU'A FN..(J,,/) know where .she wiJJ move In a maxi dress, Maria enjoys then. long walks on the beach in "Hopefully, after I graduate. hff home town of Sao Paulo. I will receive a job and can apply for anolhcr ,,isa," said who majored in l.:i w, came Fakiio. with Faldio Lo llelp her move She Lives in University into her donn. It was tbeir Center but plans to move first visit to Chicago. Falc.~o to an apartment wilh her recalled, ' She was just a.s lost roommate. soon. Her molher, as I was," student wanderer 7 BY M EILING JIN r,,,...... ,~ ne Lh.ing tlrnt sur prised ,Jicyi Ge during her first semester as a stu- ~.....__,~ dent at Columbia College is that professors here LJ·y to engage their students and make learning fun. Ge, 21, (~Ji !: in Chi nese) who is studying mar keting and communication, saicl coUege classes back in her homeland, China, are boring. r-.1Tany instructors rely on PowcrPoint lectures. she said. Some simply read from textbooks. Also. Chinese college students are extremcJy com petitive -working d iligently to earn the highest 1>0ssible grade point average, Ge said. In Atnerica, she has noticed pa11ics everywhere on campus. "Party in the USA is right." she added. Ge landed in Chicago al the end of August and said she came here to e,«i;.perience something new. "'I bav0 l:>een sta}'ing in Shanghai for my whole life," said Ge. '"I want to e,cperie.noo new things in· dependently and e.xpand my koowledge.· fam ous for its architecture and dorm because of her school She said she signed up r-.iilroads. schedule and meal plans. SHANGHAI AT A for the exchange program at She lives in University While most of the students GLANa: ,.,..ho live on can1µus stay on a Shanghai is the largest city Tongji University in Shanghai, Center and has three room• in th~ People's Republic of meal plan system, Ge said she which enabled her to come to mates: One is a Chinese Chinil, arid also the largest Columbia. A senior, she will woman, also from Tor)gji Uni would rather cook her own city in the world. n: is one of study at Columbia for only one versity, :md the two others arc food in her room, although the four municipalities of se1nester before returning to American. she never learned to cook in China, with a total pcpula· China. "\Ve don't really communi• China. tion of over 23 million as Ge grew up in Shanghai Cflte a lot with the American "At least J know how to cook 01 2010. It is considered a -one of the major financial roommates,"' Ge S;)id. One spinach with meat and steak global city. with influence in centers of the world. She said roomroatespends most of her with butter now, "' she said. She commerce. cultu re, finance. it ls a very crowded city com time with her boyfriend while learned how lo cook soon afier media. fashk>n, techMlogy pared to Chicago, bul similar the othet American l'Oonunate she moved to Chicago. and transport. to Chicago io some ways. It is spends her time outside of the ''1 am so .surprised that 8 student wanderer America.ns eat raw mushrooms to describe myself," she con and broccoli," Ge continued. tinued, "pTObably they ,,ould "Also. too many foods here are be kind, broad interests and cheesy aod fil1 ing.,. Ge said she shy." Ce said her shyness may ca.n eal .. these creamy things" interfere v,i th making friends occasiona1ly but not three here. meals a day. Like most of the Chinese ('.,.e said she misses authen young women in America, Ge Lic Chine.,;e food as well as her enjoys going shopping. She fr iends back in her hometown. said the products here are She said she still has dif cheap compared with items ficulty communica. Ling with i.n Cbjna, which are taxed at a American SLudents al Limes. high~r rate. Photo (OU!tt'iy W[I.ING Jlfl a1tbough she tries to partici~ Besides shopping, (',e loves Jieyi Ge and Mei ling Jin. the writer of this story, at a ~llow pate in group conversations. exploring tourist spots in Chi een party after the interview. ,;Sometimes iL can be very hard cago and taking photographs to make American friends here of them. 'fbe most memorable pay special attention to the "Americans are just so because of my language bar events for her are the musicals cho-roogr,1 phy to make their funny and open-minded rier." she added. she has 8een in Chicago·s the complex and creative plots so whereas most Chinese are She began learning English aters. She called thern "high perfect. always so dire<..1 in al.I student wanderer 9 SECOND CHaNCE Do1ninican ( IN 'liHE U, Republic native ~ Cl Angel Rondon found himself ·~~~"'- P_ ' rehuning to - Jt .. ~ , '- Chicago after a trip hon1e and sotne travels. The 25-year-old is full of passions and refuses to slo\v do\vn BY TAMARAH WEBB orn in the D<> minican Republic, a country he says is "very macho and religious," Ange1Rond6n says he moved to Chicago because he thought he'd feel more comfortable hcce. As an openly gay man, Rond6n, 25, wanted to attend college in the United States. He says the Dominican Republic would never legalize gay mar- riagc or give gays equal rights in -~ housing or in the work place. "Things have changed over the yea1', but the fact that Amefi.c:an laws are changing to incOfporate gay individuals, it is great," said Rond6n. He says many Dominicans travel to the U.S. after graduat- Rond6n ing from high school. "'It has in the South helped me a lo~ being he,e, .._of because it has given me a wtiofe Olicagonear new perspective and allows me his Columbia to know that I'm not doing any- campus. thing wrong," he said, I Photo by IZ2Y GUT I I Rond6n came to Colum· bia College as a freshman in 2009 when he was 20. but after becoming homeskk, he left Chicago and spent a year in the Dominican Republic. He then traveled to Montreal, New York and Brazil before returning to Chicago. He attended college (las.· es in New Yotk. at Berkeley College, but found the experi· Above: Rondon's se,tf-pe"OClaimed ence "'very overwhelming and "weakness" i.s pizza, calling demanding. You really have to Giordano's his favorite place in balance school and social life, O,icago. Right: Lady Gaga's n IZlYGUT student wanderer l I "'°'-°' '7/ lAU..'IA 8AQll£AO arent.s often push their children fer professional dance degrees, which con· o study medicine, law or fj. tributes to the belief that dance is merely a nance in the United States. But a hobby and not a profe,sion there. degree in dance? Rivera attended only French schools in Andrea Rivera, 20, moved to El Salvador, wlli 12 student wanderer "It's wrong to assume what and we always talk to strangers. Even if we someone's personality is just don't know you, we will be friendly to you." She said she has a student visa, which will based on where they are from." expire 1N'hen she graduates in 2016. Because her mother was born in the United States, she will become a resident after her student visa expires. Rivera misses her family in El Salvador more tllan anything else. "I don't have t hem here, but you get used to it ovt# time. My parents both live in El Salvador, bvt they come to visit me when they can ... She said the most confusing things she ha.s had to adapt to while living in the United States are stereotypes and trying to under stand American humor. "People always think if you're Latina you're supposed to have this 'fire', but that'S tau rants and frigid w;nter winds, which she a stereotype, .. Rivera said. "It's wrong to had never expetienced in El Salvador. assume what someone's personality is just The dance classes at Columbia have based on where they are from." opened new doors for her. "At home I She said it is also hard for her to under learned only jan dance, but here at Colum stand American jokes, especially references bia I have 9ottet1 the chance to learn modern to popular American television se,ies. dance. •.vhich is something I had never been "Aside from the public transportation sys exposed to before," Rivera said. tem, the tec:hoology in El Salvad01 is exactly Rivera said she did not experience any ma the same as it is here in Chicago," Rivera said. jor difficufties adapting to life in the United Rivera said said she loves the cultural St.ates. diversity in Chic:ago as well as the relatively "The cult ure was different to me at first open expression of art in the city. when I got here, but now that it's been two "In Chicago you can dance everywhere,'' years I am very used to it." Rive,a said. "Peo Rivera said. ,. Art is everywhere-you can see ple here are nice, but not quite as friendly shows eve.rywhere. You can meet people and outgoing as people in my country. In El from all countries. lt'S vety diverse." • Satvador, everyone is smiling and hugging, -Design by Nathan Allen 5 FACT'S ON EL SALVADOR """''"""' 1. It's the smallest Centtal Ame hen Alexan dros Skouras returned to his home town, Tripo lis, Greece, for the first time in tliree years, he felt Jike a tnur i.st. He hadn't been home 10 visit friends or family, includ ing his parents, since moving to the Chicago area in January 2010, IL's one thing to study abroad for one semester~ but not seeing family members other than through Skype fo r thtce years would seem odd to most Americans. But for Skouras, 22, moving to Chicago seerned like the right thing to do. "My family was support ive," Skouras says. "Since my brother was in the State.,;, tl1ey were au for it ... Skouras's brother is an Ameri~m citizen. Both of hjsi parenls had come to tlu? United States to get their mas ter's degrees1 and his brother was bora on American soil. Jn 2007, Skouras·s brother (.'Ofltinued the fam ily tradi Lion ofstu dying in the Slates; he attended Northern Illinois University to gel his master's degroo ill political science. Skourns moved to Ulinois to complete bis fir~i two years of study at a oommunity college in DeKalb. Mo.1ol of his family members started college in tl1e. States as grad students. He had a nearly identica] upbringing to that of many Ame1;can tee,lagers exoopl tl1al he \\rent to bars wilh his friends at the age of 16. Thal's because Greeoe doesn't ha,·e the same age restrictions as the l4 student wanderer GRIEECE, A COUNTRY OF MYTHOLOGY The city of Tripolis is the capital of the Aratdia regioo on the PeloJX)Onese peninsula with a population of about 33,000 people. It is vastly different from a metropolitan city like Chicago, aOO the city ~ surrounded by mountains and wooded areas. PELOPONNESE SEif.BiA e soM 6utGARJA • s1:c;p,i; MACE.DON IA Tripolis• Alexandros Skouras Is ~., a musician as well as a TUR.KEY .A graphic designer. He plays GREECE the guitar and recently • A1"9l'01t StfS can do multiple Lhings,"' he "run" and harness the .. says ... , thought it was a good intensity. Sometimes 1 ... -- CREJ't .; --, 7 L idea.. .I' ve mc1professors here still feel that.sometimes who also studied architecture I'm angry, you know. So and went into graphic design. I just blast the music and ~ur<:e us Oa'ARlMENT OF STATE There's much more opportu It feels great, or I'll just SEAN MCENTEE ni t}'." play something really fast His dream job would be to on the guitar and get it U11ited States when it comes to instructor.sand opportunity, work a t a design finn branding out over there. My fam drir)kiog alcohol. He was a]so Skouras decided to leave his products, working with typog ily didn't listen to stuff into skating around his neigh srnall town, cross the Atlantic., raphy and web design. But like like that, they were into borhood with his friends, play and re-establish hi1nself in the most in ternational sh1dents, Greek '60-70s music, but ing guitar in a band and going paved metropolis of Chicago. Skouras has to obtain a visa my brother introduced me to concerts and live shows. i'.\'1canwhile, Greece slid into after he earns a bachelor·s de- to that music, so that was "(We'd) talk about weird bankmptcy, layoffs, record gree in 2014. He's currently on the influence, but I kind things and drink... bad the joblessness and st1ikes during a sh1d e.nt visa, but he's started of went even further, into crew, skate around, cause 11·011• the Great Recession. Skouras the process of applying for a the more hardcore punk." ble, • Skouras says. says he's pretty luc~y he moved green card through his brother. The follo\'.iing are some Hea,,ly influenced by his when he did. If thaLd oesn"t v.'Ork out, Skou· of Skouras's favorite brother's taste in music, Skou "\A/hen I left, we didn't have ras says he wi11 have to find an bands: ras was into the New Wave the crisis yet. It was just start· employer to sponsor him and 1. Joy Dnfision music genre and 'Sos punk, ing to show up," he says. i.But esscntial1y pay for bis green 2. The Cure which helped him through now that I see all the things card so he can continue liv- 3. Iggy Pop his ang.st-ridden teenage happening, it worked perfectly ing and working in the United 4. The Clash as far as avoiding trouble. All years. This contrasted with his States. 5. Black Flag hometo\'m ofTripolis, which of my friends going to school Having to move back to Skouras describes as beiag sur there are behind because Tripolis wouldn't be the worst rounded by open fields - the schools are closing, and people thing in the world, but Skouras gaUug the s1.reeL~ of \"Vicker opposite of Chicago's metro go on strike. I might get a says he has made a home in Park and Logan Square, or politan vibe. [bachelor's] and a master's and Chicago, so much so that he'd peering up nt tl)e skyscrapers He attempted to study at a they'll stiU be getting their first consider taking more classes in Chicago's Loop, Skouras fine arts college and attended degree in that time." to buy himself more time here. koow·s L1lis is where he belong.s. classes about sculpture, but Skou ras wanted to study He lives in the Jefferson Park "I d ri:.am in Eng1ish now, it wasn't his area ofinterest. architectur,,, but after tal student wanderer 15 A LIGIA OF HER OWN Guatemalan sn1dent reflects on her country and its art BY COLIN PETERSEN Her ultimate goal ~ to be the learn English since I was little," "pioneer of performing arts in she said. "But my first language uatemala has a troubled GU<1tema1a, • she said, in a srudy is Spanish." history, Once a Spanish room at Columbia College's Along with her father and Ci colony, its independence library, where she works part brother. she is a graduate of the since has been marred by military time. The 19-year-old is a Musical American School of Guatemala. coups, American inteivention Theatre and Performing AftS But Sandoval's famity has been in and widespread poverty. The Management double major and Guatemala since he, great-great country's art scene remains takes 18 credits every semester. grandfather emigrated from underdeveloped. Ligia Sandoval's The abundance of aft in Serbia. lofty goal is to change that. Chic.ago is one of the reasons she "Columbia was the first school "'It's starting to exist. But it's loves living here. that accepted me, and I just mostly amateur stuff," Sandoval "There's more stuff to do here, wanted to 90," Sandoval said. sajd. "People are very ignorant and people appreciate what I "And I'd been to the city before." and they don't appreciate it. like. I'm around people I like and She first came to Chicago while There's no formal education. It's like what they're doing, too," on a trip to see her brother, who'S only viewed as a hobby." she said. an engineering student at Purdue Sandoval speaks English vety University in Indiana. Ligia Sandoval well, with onfy a slight hint of an Sandoval didn't have trouble and her boyfriend accent. "'I went to an Ame,ican adjusting to American cutture but Carlos Ramirez school in Guatemala, so I did missing her family was difficult. THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTRY IN THE WEST Guatemala was the fastest growing oountry of the 20th century, its populot<>n of 13 BEUZE mmron 13 times higher than it was in 1900. MEXICO S.UtGr,, o CoribOoon -...[ S,a '\," GUATEMALA a GUAftMALAJII FOOD: o Antigua HONDURAS o Ouetz.altenango APRIMBR Because of a common Span· ish ancestry and similar ingre. dients, Guatemalan cuisine is similar to l at in America's most popular ethnic ruisine. However, there are a few key differences. Because Gua· "I'm very close with the rest of pointed with the current situa· temala is 40% indigenous, a my family: the stereotypical Latin tion in Guatemala. higher percentage than the American family. I know all of my " If they don't change it, then rest of the mostly Mestizo second, my third cousins," she it's going to go completely down (mixed) Latin America, old remain staples said. "Sunday is famity day, so W(? hil l. I don't know how it's going Mayan redpes go to my grandma's, or my other to be solved. A lot of people have for most families. The country's favorable di grandma's. So I miss that a lot." lost hope in th is country." mate allows it to grow every· Columbia is not the first college In ten years, if the situation is thing from corn to wgarcane she attended. After telling her still stagnant, she plans to fi nish to bananas, all ingredients parents she planned to go to her dream, incorpocated into popular school to study musical theatre. ··1f I have the P0l$ibility to go dishe$. They in.dude tamdles her mother, an engineer, and her out and learn and to bring back wrapped in plantain leaves father, an economist. wanted that knowledge, while doing (unlike Mexican tamales. her to tty something else, so sh~ what I like and what I want. then which are mostly padcaged in studied political science for a I should do it, I want to direct it corn husks), fried plantains, semester. to something greate,." and a variety of stews that "'{It wasJ interesting. It's just But Sandoval said she finds Jots include seafood and chi(ken not what I wanted to do with my to admire in Guatemala. "An as their main ing,edients. life," Sandoval said. "When I was other thing I really miss are the There are other dishes in political scien,ce, I was angry all beautiful diversity of landscapes, traditionally ser\•ed on holi· the time. I need to do something from black sand beaches and days. Those include Fiambre, that makes me happy. white sand beaches, to rainfor· a cold salad of assorted pkk· "I think the biggest issue right ests, mountains, lakes, volcanoes. led vegetables and vadous squMh dishes on All Saints now is violence and security that rrry country has and how I Day and DI;, de /os Muertos. lSStJes. Because a lot of the drug miss having everything so dose Popular desse,ts originate war ha$ been coming down by. Also, we are characterized by from Spain, Tres Leches Cake from Mexico and we have a lot being rich in culture and warm, the most popular dessert of drug violence going on right welcoming people. I think that dish. The country's national PhOc~ ~ t•G\.\ s~,cov~L now. And there is a lot of co«up is why people keep coming back d ri nk is /imonada BY JENAY WRIGHT ost Americans are used to sitting down to big meals when they go out to a restaurant. But Mitsuki Tatebe, who moved here from Japan, said he was stunned the first time he ate dinner with his college roommates. TI1en a freshman at Columbia College, Tatebe joined h.is roommates in a meal at Bar Louie, across the street from his dormitory, Plymouth Court. It was $1 burger night and Tatebe ordered a hamburger, one of America's favorite foods. \\Then the server brought the burger, Tatebe said he was shocked by its size. He recalls that his first thought was, "How am I going to finish this thing?" Tatebe's roommates had to help him eat the monster burger. 18 student wanderer HOMETOWN HISTORY: KOBE, JAPAN Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefe Now 201 Tatebe came to him to explore the world aJ\d J.>pan is a count,y of rich culture that upholds trad~ion.Oesp~e being America when he was 18 learn different values and tl1in;s and events. M Chi<.--ago· s tn-insit system was very unfamiliar to him, as well as • D the way people spoke English. Pliillipit1vs He is on an F1 visa., which ' $oo will expire when he_gr.1duate.~ E and complicated,· he said. "My body needed Whenever he has had time to digest difficulty adjusting to life here and adapt to the or bas had qtiestions, he has gotten help from Gigi Posejpal. amount of food on director of International the plate" Student Affairs (ISA). "It's like a family crwironmcnt," Sc'lid -MITSUKJ TATEBE, 0 11 Amen'can eat;ng Jrab;ts Tatebe. Tatebe SO)~ he misses the food back home, especially \\'bile sipping on a beverage curry. from Starbucks, Tatel>e said He uses social media to stay he wants to work in Chicago in co1tnected with his friends in an area related to his major, in Japan, and some ha\'e tra\'eled audio, recording or perhaps a here as well. film studio. He also plays the In thefotureTatebe wants guitar. to visit other parts of the world, Tatebe found his first two such as Europe, with his friends. years of college fairly easy. · rf you just work your way .. But \,•hen you go deep down tluough some1hing.. you will get into the major, it gets com pie>: there,M said Tatcbc. student wanderer 19 20 student wtnd..-er Yana T1ra11 cl1c)sc (:c)ILt111l1i.,1 ( :c)]]cgc tc) <.lc\·clc>11 lier crc,1ti\ c cx11rcssic>11 i 11 :1d,·crtisi 11g ,1rt <.i i rcctic>11 ,111<.i J)l,111s tc> t,:1kc \\'l1:1t sl1c lc,1r11s l1.,1cl, tc> lier • l1<>111c i11 K.1z,1J.;:]1st,111 . • BY FEDAA ODEH new it. 1\vo of the young mcm in Kazakhstan.·· prcfor to cook at home. charged in the bombing were When asked about food in "'I love to cook! I cook Ka· ....r ew 10 the from Ka.7..akhstan. the States, Tyan s..1.id she would 7.. .akh, Russian and Korean student wand-erer 21 BY RATlSHA NASH pop, or Korean I p0p music, • is growing in popularity, as more Ameri• CiU)S follow it on YouTubc and go to concerts by South Korean bands. Penelope K.ang, vd10 is from South Kore,1, says she is study ing music at Columbia College so she can launch a career in music and cllange the music scc.nc in her home country. She also dreams ofstarting her ve,y 0\\"11 record label and creating more opportunities for Korean musicians beyond K-pop. "'I want other people to know that the.re are other types of genres, such as jazz. I really Jove j azz music," sajd Kang. *'I believe. ja:t.z is one of the most historic genres throughout the world,"' Kang, 18, was born in Seoul, but she lived for t\'IO yearS in America t1nd went to an elementary school bere whiJe ber father attended c'()lloge. Transitioning from Seoul to Uic United States has been easy for her. into [a university1, onceyou·rc a career in music," Kang said. lievc they will SJ)CJ\d too much Kang said she finds the in, you don·t hitate, ~ said "They weren't aware of my time focusi ng on dating rather United States very progres Kang. talents and didn't really care than studying. Parents want sive compared to life in South Kang said she enjoys nrnet• to find out When it comes their children I<> get into col Koi'ea. ing people a.nd friends from to art, sports, music or basi lege or university first before "Seoul is very conservative. different majors at Columbia cally any kind of artistic type or they start dating anyone. Evet)1hing is basicall)' black College. The clru;ses at Colum thing. Korean patent,;; instantly '"My mom sort of knew 1 a.1\d white and old-fashioned," bia help everyone get acquaint say 'r)O.' Til,H 's ho,\' conserva had a boyfriend in high school. said Kang. "The fathers go to ed, said Kang. tive Korea is. and it's really She ,,..-ouJd say, 'l know you work ar~d the mothers stay at "In Korea, people can't sad." h;we a boyf-ric11d, I can tell.' 1 home - very different from choose what college. they want Kang's grandmother, a pia would say 'no I don't' and she America." to go to,.. said Kang. ·1 was no teacher, encouraged her to would say, 'yes you do,'.. said Kang wanted a career in mu happy to know tha1 here in become a singer-soogwriter. Kang. sic; ho,.,.·ever, her parents hn\"e America, I can choose what "My graodmother loved Kang attended an all-girls not been entirely supponive, classes I want to take and not playing the piano, but tht:,m she high school for two years be she said. 111e music business in be forred." had my mother, so she had to cause her mother also went to South Korea is very competi The Korean education S)'S· take care of her children and • school for girls only. tive, and it is often difficult to tern is set up for students to make sure. the household was "I would never regret at fi nd a job there. take the same classes u11til they OK," said Kang. tending An all-girls school be· In Seoul, there are not graduate from high school, Many Ko,·ean women today cao.sc it was amazing, but the many colleges to chose from, preparing them for college, she: still fight for their indepen reason why my mother sent so people fight to get into the said. dence. In Korea, pare,tts don 1t me there was wrong, now that best university, said Kang. "My parents began to cut allo,'1 their children to date in I Lhiok about it,"' Kang said ...I "Because it is difficult to get me dO\'ltl when I said I wanted high school because they be- had the girls-only moment and 2.2 student wanderer 5eouL.T11E NOkTHKOREA Seoul is the capital BIRTHPLACE OF and largest K-POP metropolis of Seoul isco,lSidered a mega city, with a pos> • SlOUl South Korea . Its population ulation of more than density tS 10 million. It has the about 44,776 largest area of arr, dty people per in the world, covering SOUTH square mile. 233.7 squ.are miles. KOREA Situated on the Han Ri1Jer, Seoul was estaJ>. Y~llowSea lished more than 2.000 )1~1'$ ago when it was &srSoo foun student wanderer 23 An international Columbia College student fn>m Singapore, Adel Rashid takes on the Chicago music scene. STORY & DESIGN Rashid is one of the many Singapore because I've been work and making friends in BY EMMA KLUG international students who goes there pretty much my whole the local music scene that he to Columbia College Chicago. life.. .. said Rashid. "I'm close began to feel connected to he sound of the Coming all the way from to my family so that was a bit the city. He cites ' My Dad,· guitar amplifies Singapore, the 23-year-old mu.sic tough. It was tough leaving my "Russian Circles, .. "Pelican"' and a wave of business majo, chose to move friends and my bands. It's just a and 'Tortoise," as some of his harmonies crash in to Chicago after visiting a booth different way of life. It feels like favorite local b.ands and has as the song "A Bad for Columbia at the Pitchfork you're starting from scratch." been to sho"vs at The Bottom Corpse" begins. music festival in 2010, After a grueling process Lounge, Subterranean and lhi,s is "I Am David Due to the culture of that consisted of an intense Lincoln Hall. Sparkle," the five-piece melodic Singapore, which is heavify questionnaire. in-person "All the venues I've been to post-rnck band from Singapore. influenced by the Western interview and weeks of pending ha\le been great." said Rashid. "I guess fate led me to way of life, and having already papen11ork, Rashid was finally "The sound has been awesome, Chicago somehow,· said Adel visited the U.S. and Chicago, able to enter the U.S. w;ih the bands I've watched have Rashid, the new guitar player while on tour with his last a student visa. He moved to been awesome. for •1 Am David Sparkle," and band, "Amateur Takes Control " Chicago, having only a few Despite finding a community student at Columbia College Rashid had an idea of what to wnnections in the city, but to join in Chicago, Rashid still Chicago. Sun beamed in through expect when moving to the othe,wise was completely alone does miss home, specifically the the window as he sippC!d from city. However, what he didn't and stayed on the couches of warm weather and his mom's the warm coffee creation in his anticipate were the struggles acquaintances until he found an cooking. hands and then laughed, "The that come with being an apartment. •oh man, I miss the foo 24 student wanderer I AM DAVID SPARKLE It is is a five.piece instrumental posi.rock band from Singa· pore. The band formed in 2001 .Jnd has since gained a large fan base locally a.s vvell as touring in different parts of the U.S. and Southeast Asi.J, The band is currently signed to KittyWu Records, a Singa· pore-based record label, and ··~refoascd ~ --:-c- :. it.s second • - ~ full length . ~,.. album A\~ entitled ~ "Swords," b in 2010. Members recentety welcomed Adel Rashid to the band as a guitar· i:st and are working on re<:ord~ ing new material, ~IAMC.AVO~~t(~tl> "The reason why I'm here is the market is very small. .. I want bands from Singapore However, until then, Rashid is touring the U.S. because that'! open to whatever OPPortunities where every band should try he may find. He plans to take out the U.S. to see if they can the Optional Practical Training, make it or not." said Rashid. "I which is offered with his St\Jdent know bands in Singapore that visa, and stay in the country are really awesome but there for another year .so long as he's aren't many opportunities for wO(king with a company. them to show that they"re good. "If a good opportunity In a small count,y like Singapore comes, and it's worth it, 1"11 there's onty so many shov,s you definitely take it,· said Rashid. can play plus there's a limit to "I want to be wherever the how big you can get because music takes me," SINGAPORE: THE CITY, THE STATE & THE COUNTRY Comprised of 63 islands, Singaµore is the only sovereign city-state island countty in the world. With a p0pulation of about S million, Singape>re i:"S rougly 274 sq milts and only slightly smaller than New York City. MAIAYSIA Rashid. "I love spicy food and East is my favorite pizza place." ()IQ.I (I'll., ¥.IN>tj) Singap,ore is very multicultural As for now, the long term goal so there's a ton of food that you for Rashid is to return home and SIN'GAPORE~.,_, o,..V, can eat." apply the skills and network he's ...Jr However, while he does desire establtShed while at Columbia to eat authentic Singapore College Chicago to the music food, Rashid said he does enjoy S(ene in Singapore. He said he Chicago food, specifically deep would like to have his own booth • !r dish piua. at Pitchfork music festival to . ' ·1 could eat it everyday if promote Singapore bands, just .. I could afford it" said Rashid as he learned about Columbia .. while laughing . .. I guess Gino's before he moved to Chicago. • Sour« M.:.PS01WOftlO.CO M student wand in Spain, Chu bin. 18, said he enjoyed the outdoo~. But he found Co lumbia College when he did a 1\ online se::1reh for film schools in the United States. Tn August he moved from Valencia. the third largest city in Spa.in, and says he is ex1Tcmcly happy he de<:-ided to li\'e here. His career goal is to become a film director. -1 consider Chicago my new home," he said. -1 used to hate cities, but t kcc1>falling in love "ith Chicago ... Chubin said after his first rnonth here, he realized Co lumbia College was a great fit for him bce..1usc 1>eople are friendly and the city welco,nes families. "I consider Chicago my new home.. . I used to hate cities, but I keep falling in love with Chicago." - But he found that Chica goans think differently than S1>aniards. Hiscountrynum arc patriotic, he said, but not like Americans. And as much as he Uk~ Chi• cago, there are thi11,ss he misses back home, Chubin said he n\isses his dogs, especially be· cause one of them is older and he is worried about retuming home and not seeing her there. 26 student wanderer • He also misses Spanish ence shooting and directing food. "In Spain the food is films while at Columbia but DID YOU KNOW? healthy but delicious while in after gr..1du:;ition, he doesn't • Valencia meaM "stte student wanderer 27 Going to school in America's murder capital is a breeze for one student who hails from Latin A1nerica's murder capital. BY KATHERINE DAVIS dangerous than Chicago. beginning it ,,ms kind of ha.rd be group of friends. Howe... er. she "Caracas is tJtc first, most dan cause fin used to beaches and bas m:1de m;any frie1\ds among hie.ago has eanted gerous city in the whole world," trOpical weather,"' intenlatiooal students who are also the unfortu nate Ri"crosaid. "ln my country, they Rh·ero said the school system Lrying to adjust. nickname '"Murder kill you. So I know how to take in Venezuela is different than "We like tr)ing to get to know the Capital of the U.S.," C'(1re of myself. .. in the U.S. because the public city all together,'" Rh·ero said. "If we but camiln Rivero Although Rivero considers schools tl1ere are only for peo get lost, \\'e get lost together. It's fun ... She sa.id her closest friends an: says it's actually safer here than Venezuela her home. she ,vas ac ple on the lower end of the so cio-«:onomie scale. She said she from Colombia and Peru. and they where she hails from - Caracas, tually bont in Llma, Peru, and all koep Latin culture alive by speak· VCJ\C,.>1.UC)a. MO\'ed to Caracas at the age of5 attended a private girls school, ing, Spanish "ith each other. when her father changed jobs. which included grades K-12; Rivero, 18 1 moved to Chicago R.i\'tro said she chose to study at in Atigust 2013 to pursue a de "(Vene-;uela] is actually prct· there were only 40 people in her Columbia because she likes the city gree in marketing and comm t1- ty awesome,'" Rh•ero said. '1hc grade. vibe and she wanted to attend a lib nications at Columbia College people are very friendly because "I spent 13 years of my life in eral aru oollege. Chicago. She said her favorite of the tropical ,,-eather." the same school," Riven> said. "'I wanted to live i.n the city. I thing about living in the United Venezuela doesn't ha\'e sea · 1 liked it, but [going to school) didn't wan1 to go to fow:, or some· States is sometbing most Arncr sons, and ifs wam1 there with girls for 13 yea~ ifs not thing like that,· Rh'el'O said. ··111t icans take for gr3nted- walking throushout the )'taJ. which easy. lf you're mad at one. C'\'Cl')' · city is kind of artistic", and l like that. safely do,,11 the street. made it especially difficult for body knows ... I likoo the program a lot and that is Rivero g:rev.• up in C.arJc.1S, her to adapt to Chicago·s cold cli She said learning English why rm at (Coh1mbia]: which is the C<1.pital. It's a big mate, she said. is a requirement in all private Ri"ero s\id when she was 1r.n"cl• c.ity with more than 2 million .., hate the wind," Rivero said. schools in Vene-r.uela. Although i.,~g 10 Chicago from VenE:'lllela, she people, but it is act\lally more ·Tnt getting used to it, but at tl1e she wasn't fluent, understand had a fayo\'crin Miami and almost ing some English missed her con· HIGHEST MURDER RATE IN LATIN AMERICA he.lped a lot when " In my country, necting flight be Venezuela has the highest murder rate in the world. Its capital. she moved to the cause airport se they kill you. curity offidals Caracas, ranks sixth highest in the world for murder>. In 2013, 24.763 U.S. She added that she had visit· So I know how were treating hc.r people were killed in the count,y. Chicago ranks highest in the like a suspect. United States for murder but doesn't rank worldwide for murder>. ed the U.S. 1ncln)' to take care of times before she "They see tha1 moved here, but myself." you're not Amcri• didn't get an ac- can and ask you a curate sense of the country until lot of questions/" Rivero said ...J she started living in Chicago. hate it because they think that .. because we're Latin, we deal C.rl ~ .. • ~ .. ."" .. stt.1dyin9 interior design but soon realized he wasn't realty interested in architecture. so he switched to gaming. He enjoys exploring Chi 30 student wanderer CAPITAL OF VIETNAM SMALLER THAN OTHER VIETNAMESE CfflES IN POPULATION There are over 88 miUtOn peopfe living in Vietnam. Ha.noi ii the capital bvt Ho O'li Minh Gty has the largest p0pulatloo of any of the United States as long as he goes online while he is in school.He ( to school, He cannot work off expressed sympathy for those campus except on internships. who uavel to the United States After finishing without documents. VIETNAM sthool, Vu can "Personally. I participate in one "Chicagoans understand why year of optional people do it but -• practical training, are always on it is very risky. No LAOS which is known a.s the run" way I could do it." OPT. This will allow he said. " Everyone him to be hired by strives for happiness, a company, or he can freelance. and they will do anything to He hopes to be sponsored get it tor their families. Lots of by a company for a green card people are willing to tisk their after he graduates. But he says lives knowing that they might the Job market is compet itive, be making below minimum and getting a company's wage in the U.S. while working sponsorship will be a challenge. undocumented, but in most THAN.ANO Asked about home and the cases this is better than staying things he misses, Vu responded in their own countries." like many other college Vu says he admires Americans' students: He longs for the food readiness to t,Y new things. at home and his parents. ,. Americans are a diverse " In Vietnam, our cuisine is group of people, very friendly a mix of French and Southeast and very accepting." he said. OWRODIA .,.., Asian. Vietnamese pho (beef "It is a melting pot here. It i$ noodles) and banh mi (a type kind of in the root of Americans • of baguette) are among the to like different stuff around world's top food," said Vu. the world since they have been Vu visits his parents every brought up with it." summer and talks to them -Design by Amanda Crawford South D • C1linC1Sl1<1 The Vietnamese fought French rule in the First Indochina War, ex· pelting the French in 1954. Vietnam was then divided politically into two rival states, North and South Vietnam. Conflict between the two sides intensified, with heavy U.S. inter• vention during the Vietnam War. As many as 3.1 million Vietnamese died during the conflict; more than SS,000 Americans were killed. The war ended with a Nonh Vietnamese victory in 1975. Vietnam was then unified under a Communist government but remained impoverished and politicalty isolated. In 1986, the govern ment initiated a series of economic and political teforl'M, which be· gan Vietnam's path toward integration into the world economy. By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with most nations. Since that year, Vietnam's economic growth rate has been among the Com Tam is a popular Vietnamese breakfast dish highest in the world. student wanderer 31 , Columbia College Chicago offers more than 100 programs taught by accomplished, award-winning faculty. At Columbia, students learn to transform their passions into successful careers as part of the world's next generation of artists and innovators. Columbia Live What You Love. COLLEGE CHICAGO colum.edu