Introducing International Students to Bloomington by Bus

BLOOMINGTON, Ill — In addition to the normal stresses that first-year college students face in adjusting to campus life, international students must confront the added anxiety of attending school in a foreign country.

At Illinois Wesleyan University, the International Office hopes to ease that stress with a special International Student Orientation which will feature an unusual scavenger hunt this year which begins Friday (Aug. 16) and continues through Monday (Aug. 19), the day before the rest of IWU’s Class of 2006 arrives.

The orientation runs from Friday, August 16, through Monday, August 19, and features a variety of group activities - from seminars on American manners and study habits - to bowling trips and a tour of Bloomington/Normal. The scavenger hunt is a new addition designed to teach the students how to get around their new hometown. On the last day of the orientation, the 14 entering international students from nine different countries will be given a list of clever word puzzles, which, when solved, are the names of local businesses, restaurants, malls, and supermarkets in the community.

Shannon O’Donnell, International Office Coordinator, said, "We created this activity because students weren’t using the city’s bus system to get around town. We feel that this is a great way for the students to get a good feel for how to get about the Bloomington/Normal area."

The only tools that the students will have to get to their pre-determined marks is a map of town and a bus schedule. The students will have to use the Bloomington bus system to get to each location on their list in order to recover items such as menus, mall guides, and shaving cream. Not only will this event teach the students how to get around town by using the busses, it is also an event to get the students aware of prices in America.

O’Donnell feels that this activity is a great way to promote the variety of local businesses. She adds, "It really should be a fun activity. We’re looking forward to seeing how it goes in this first year."