Visit ISSS on the Web! http://isss.binghamton.edu

Editor's Note : A very informative workshop on employment will be presented next week especially for international students, so please mark your calendars. It is titled “Work Rules” and will be held on Tuesday, September 26. Please read about the workshop below. It is on a topic that is especially important!

Did you attend the Fall 2006 International Student Orientation? Were you an Orientation leadership volunteer? We may have your picture on the ISSS website. Go to: http://isss.binghamton.edu and click on “Fall 2006 Orientation Pictures.”

CONTENTS:

1. International Student Festival Sports Championships Results and Thank Yous
2. Classes Recess Later This Week
3. Planning a Trip to Canada During Class Holidays? A Visit to the ISSS May Be Required First!
4. “Work Rules” Workshop Tuesday, September 26
5. Song of Silk , An Evening of Chinese Music and Dance on October 7

1. International Student Festival Sports Championships Results and Thank Yous

BU's 6th annual International Student Festival was a great success! Beginning Friday, September 8 and ending Sunday night September 17, it began with a series of preliminary sports rounds, the completion of the championship table tennis matches this past Friday, and concluded with championship soccer, volleyball, and basketball this past weekend. Saturday night featured the popular Cultural Showcase with performances by students from South Korea, China, and India and nine attractive and informative cultural displays.

Here are the results of this weekend's championship games:

Table Tennis (Friday, September 15):
Women's Doubles Championship
Two teams from China played for the championship, the winners were Yan Zhu and Enping Li

Men's Doubles Championship
Two teams from India played for the championship, the winners were Shiva Mandupudi and Sridhar Ravinuthala
Mixed Doubles Championship

A team from China and a team from Turkey played for the championship, the winners were
Emir Guney and Gizem Gencol of BUTSA-TURCA

Women's Singles Championship
Hong Kong played China for the Women's singles championship. The winner was Enping Li of CSSA

Men's Singles Championship
Two singles players from India competed for the championship. The winner was Sridhar Ravinuthala

Soccer Championship (Saturday, September 16):
Turkey defeated Europe 3-1

Volleyball Championship (Sunday, September 17):
India defeated China in two games, 21-15 and 21-16

Basketball Championship (Sunday, September 17):
Africa defeated China by a score of 59-21

Thank you to BU's eleven participating student organizations: Binghamton University Japanese Association * Binghamton University Turkish Students Association * Chinese Student and Scholars Association * European Students Association * Graduate African Student Organization *Hong Kong Exchange Square * Indian Graduate Student Organization * Korean Graduate Student Association * Koran Undergraduate Student Association *Taiwanese Students Association * Turkish Cultural Association.

Thank you as well to the ISSS staff, Master of Ceremonies Swati Gupta, Stage Manager Pat Wrobel, Naomi Lazarus for the Sri Lanka display, Campus Recreation Services, the Office of University Communications and Marketing, Sodexho Dining Services, Audio-Visual Services, the University Union staff, and our wonderful Festival Friends for their efforts to make this a great festival.

A special thank you to all the sponsors whose financial support made this event possible. First, the major sponsors: Graduate Student Organization (pending approval) * International Student & Scholar Services * Dean of Harpur College Office * Late Nite. And, the event's other sponsors; * Office of the President * Office of the Provost * Office of the Vice President for Administration * Office of the Vice President for External Affairs * Office of the Vice President for Research * Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs * Decker School of Nursing * The Graduate School * School of Management * School of Education * Watson School * Alumni and Parent Relations * Asian and Asian American Studies * Dual Diploma Program * Office of International Programs * Languages Across the Curriculum *

Without our sponsors, there could not have been a program.

Finally, a BIG thank you to everyone who attended the many events.

2. Classes Recess Later This Week

There will be no classes after 1:00pm on Friday, September 22 because of a religious holiday. Classes will resume on Monday, September 25.

3. Planning a Trip to Canada During Class Holidays? A Visit to the ISSS May Be Required First!

The upcoming class holidays are a popular time for international students to travel, and Canada is an especially popular destination. International students planning to travel to Canada are reminded that a current signature on their I-20 (F students) or DS-2019 (J students) is required. If the travel signature on page 3 of your I-20 or DS-2019 is more than one year old (signed before October 1, 2005) you need to come to the ISSS for a new one.

Also, you may require a Canadian “temporary resident” (visitor's) visa to enter Canada. The following website, maintained by the Canadian Government, contains a list of countries whose citizens must obtain visas before visiting Canada. That list may be viewed at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.html

Such visas may be applied for in advance at the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo or the Canadian Consulate in New York. Visa applications may also be mailed. Canadian visas cannot be applied for at the Canadian border. Please note that the fee for a Canadian temporary resident visa has recently increased to $70.00 for a single entry visa and $135 for a multiple entry visa. Also note that any F or J student who does require a Canadian visa to enter Canada will need a letter from the ISSS first, verifying that you are a student in valid status. Such letters generally take two to three days to prepare, so please plan ahead!

The ISSS has information in the office and on its website regarding requirements for Canadian “temporary resident” visas, including the application forms. Please visit: http://isss.binghamton.edu/travel/canada.html

Also, be sure to read the Travel Check List at http://isss.binghamton.edu/travel/travellist.htm to determine that all of your travel documents are in order before you depart, and that you are aware of any U.S. special security clearances you may need to take care of prior to traveling to Canada (or any other country).

4. “Work Rules” Workshop Tuesday, September 26

Each semester, the ISSS and the Career Development Center jointly sponsor a series of workshops especially for international students on employment regulations and employment strategies for short-term employment, long-term employment and internships. This Fall, the workshops will take place through early November. A complete schedule may be viewed at: http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/Emp_WS.html Announcements will be posted in ISSS-BU as the dates draw near.

The next workshop in the series will be held Tuesday, September 26 in Lecture Hall 7, and is titled "Work Rules: What You Need to Know About Immigration Regulations If You Are in F-1 or J-1 Status and Want to Be Employed." Work rules for J-1 students will be discussed from 3:30pm to 4:00pm, and for F-1 students from 4:00pm to 5:00pm.

Karen Keefe-Guzikowski, Assistant Director of the ISSS and Amelia Shafer, International Student Advisor will take you through a Power Point presentation on federal employment regulations.

Thinking of doing an internship? Are you a new student unfamiliar with the regulations governing work? Are you getting close to graduation and want to know what your options are? Wondering what is legal and what isn't? Those questions and more will be answered at this valuable workshop!

The workshop series is sponsored by the Career Development Center and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.

5 . Song of Silk , An Evening of Chinese Music and Dance on October 7

Song of Silk , which had its debut last year at the Anderson Center, returns to present a new program of Chinese music and dance on Saturday, October 7 at 8:00pm at the Anderson Center's Osterhout Concert Theater. The performers include mezzo-soprano Hong Zhang and pianist Pej Reitz, both on Binghamton University's faculty, as well as Angela Chen, a gifted 12-year-old violinist and pianist, Yi Zhou, the best-known young pipa (Chinese lute) artist in the world, and t he Cornell Chinese Folk Dance Troupe. Their graceful and lively dances, from different ethnic groups in China, will bring extraordinary visual delight to the audience.

The concert's title, “Song of Silk,” has rich metaphorical meaning. Silk, native to China, signifies both the feminine and music in Chinese culture due to its associations with women's dresses and stringed instruments. All performers in the concert are females and will wear colorful Chinese dresses. In addition, “Silk Road” refers to the ancient route on which China interacted with the Middle East and the West. In a broader sense, “Song of Silk” hopes to bridge the East and West by presenting Chinese music and culture.

The concert is co-sponsored by Binghamton University's Music Department, Asian and Asian American Studies Program, and the Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages. Funding for Song of Silk: An Evening of Chinese Music and Dance is provided in part by a project grant from the United Cultural Fund, a program of the Broome County Arts Council. Admission is: $12 for the general public, $10 for faculty/staff/seniors, and $7 for students. Tickets are available at the Anderson Center Box Office, 777-ARTS, or online at http://anderson.binghamton.edu .

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