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Beyond
Fm dreaming of a
green Christmas
By James Williamson
Staff Writer
Because of the wastefulness inherent in the
holidays, it's important to celebrate sustainably in
order to save money and reduce your environmental
impact. In addition to giving, throughout the
holidays we consume and waste a great deal, so
consider these tips, save some cash and invest
greenly.
Bust out the awkward sweaters, turn down the
heat and reduce your energy bill.
Q Create your own gifts, cards and ornaments to
save money and packaging.
"Homemade gifts are more sentimental," said
senior Peter King. "Making something special
for someone becomes more about the gift than
the money."
Be your own decorator: reuse old greeting
cards or make garlands from strung popcorn or
cranberries. Make pretty wreaths with artificial
greenery and festive potpourri containing
kitchen spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Let baking cookies fill your apartment or
house with a delicious holiday ar^ioa. After
baking, leave the oven door open to waiu. up
the house.
Tote your own reusable bags from home when
going to the store to reduce paper and plastic
waste.
Stir up some warm chili for a winter meal.
Include earth-friendly local and organic
vegetables like tomatoes, corn, black beans,
carrots, garlic and spices. Substitute veggie
crumbles for ground beef to have a vegetarian
delight.
Local animals are more environmentally-
friendly than conventional rheats; try free-
range turkey or pasture-raised beef or pork.
O Wrap gifts in recycled wrapping paper from
other holidays or in old newspaper, or use bags
instead of wrapping paper.
"My family uses the funnies for gifts and we
only give each other things we make by hand
like scarves or quilts," said junior Ailey Greig.
"For Christmas, we put our presents in
bags rather than wrapping paper," said
Sustainability Engagement Consultant Bryce
Bjornson.
Turn off and unplug lights during the day
to prolong light bulb life expectancy, reduce
energy use and cut your electricity bill.
Recognize the long-term value of a gift by its
durability. Give presents that can be reused or
recycled, not gifts that will be thrown away.
Regifting is cheap, easy and reduces waste.
Just be careful not to give a gift back to the
same person who gave it to you.
O Be sure to recycle beverage containers, from
cans to bottles.
Reduce tree disposal: buy a potted tree so that
you can plant it after the holidays.
Be aware that having friends and relatives
over can increase water waste. Use water
consciously.
Practice these tips and enjoy the warmth of chili,
awkward sweaters and family. Having a green
holiday brings in new traditions and saves money.
May you, dear reader, have a merry one.
Meg Holden contributed to this article
— ^FEATURES
Leaving home ain’t easy: international
students adjust to life on campus
By Benjamin Sepsemvol
Staff Writer
Imagine if, one day, you traveled across
the world and attended a college where
everyone spoke a different language
from your native tongue. How would
you feel? Excited? Anxious? Welcome
to the life of an international student at
Guilford College.
Less than one percent of the total
student population at Guilford is
international. According to Randy Doss,
vice president for enrollment services, of
the 1,331 traditional students enrolled,
only 14 are international. Of the 1,307
CCE students enrolled, only six are
international. Students come from
countries ranging from Japan to Rwanda
to Brazil.
Kunga Denzongpa, a first-year student
from Sikkim, India, said that a major
challenge she had in adjusting to life at
Guilford was the shift of academics from
her life in India. Denzongpa said that
at the college she attended in India, the
average class had over 150 students.
"In some ways, (Guilford) is easier
because I don't have memorize
everything," said Denzongpa. "But in
some ways, it is harder because I'm
required to say what I think. I have
to be proactive and ask teachers for
help instead of just listening to what the
teacher says."
However, Denzongpa said that despite
the "academic shock" she felt at first,
the change in her overall academic
experience has been rewarding.
"(One of) the best things about
Guilford is that I'm actually learning
things," said Denzongpa. "(In India,)
the professor would lecture to us and
we would never get to ask questions. I
would cheat off of people next to me."
Although academics was an area of
adjustment for Denzongpa, a common
challenge for other international
students is being immersed in a foreign
language. Jorge Zeballos, Latino
Community program coordinator and
international student advisor, said that,
even though students who come here
are required to have a certain level of
English proficiency, reading academic
writings can sometimes be challenging
for international students.
"An article that could take you
30 minutes to read could take (an
international student) 2 hours," said
Zeballos. "They would have to look
up words they don't know and reread
selections they don't understand
multiple times."
Dominique Crespo Mijares, a first-
year from Quito, Ecuador, said that, at
first, speaking English regularly was a
major challenge for her. Any trouble she
had talking would make her feel self-
conscious.
"I used to feel very insecure with my
speaking, and, for me, communicating
and interaction is what determines who
you are," said Crespo Mijares in an email
interview. "(Eventually,) I just stopped
caring whether my pronunciation was
okay or not and decided to overcome
those fears by participating more in
class (and) socializing more with friends
instead of being just the listener."
Language is just one of many aspects
highlighting international students as
"different." Rather than blending in
with everyone else, Denzongpa said she
stands out as someone foreign and feels
she is sometimes treated differently as a
result.
"(People treat me as if) I've been living
out in the jungle," said Denzongpa. "I've
been asked 'Oh, have you ever heard
of McDonald's? Do you know what a
burger is?' Of course I have."
Ganna Zheng, a junior from China,
said she had difficulty connecting to other
students because of their contrasting life
experiences.
"Since I was raised in a different
culture and a different country, a lot of
my friends here don't share common
growing-up experiences with me, which
makes us have different perspectives
and understandings toward everything,"
said Zheng in an email interview.
Zeballos said that as part of his job as
international student advisor, he tries
to build a strong sense of community
among international students so they can
rely on each for support. He often holds
group activities such as taking students
out to dinner. Both Crespo Mijares and
Lesley Manuh, a first-year from Ghana,
said the Multicultural Resource Center
has been a great help to them.
"The great friends I've made here (at
Guilford) are like family for me," said
Crespo Mijares.
Despite the challenges in adjusting
to a new environment, studying abroad
provides invaluable lessons for many
international students, from discovering
who they are as a person to how to be
independent.
"I have learnt to live in a whole new,
different environment and be happy, and
I am learning about a whole different
culture," said Manuh in an email
interview. "I believe Guilford has this
warm and friendly environment where
anyone can come and feel welcome. I
cannot describe what it is, but I feel one
has to have an open mind and heart to
experience it."
GMMG
New campus group gives voice to multiracial experieuce
Continued from Page I
have come up a lot ... Terminology, that is one that we're still
grappling with."
The question of multiracial identity is a tough one to
undertake, but this group is
assuredly finding out what
their experiences are and how
to articulate them.
"Where we are at the
moment, we can't really
express our experience,"
said junior Nigel Espey.
"Everywhere I live, it's really
complicated and people
don't exactly see me as who
I actually am. It's mostly
frustrating, and over time I
just learn to ignore it."
GMMG is actively trying
to help multiracial Guilford
community members find a
voice for their experiences and
"My main intention for starting the group
was that I wanted that sofe space ... for
people who are multiracial or multiethnic to
talk about these things."
Junior Olivia Holmes, founder of Guilford Multiracial and
Multiethnic Group
discussion about what it means to be multiracial, especially at
Guilford, and to let them know that we are here."
The creation of this safe place reflects a greater cultural
shift in the United States, as reported by the New York
Times. Many people, students in particular, are stepping out
of the box and identifying as
bi- or multiracial instead of
just marking themselves as
one race or another. People
do not fit into predetermined,
limiting groups, and that is
why GMMG is so important.
"I noticed when I was
interviewing people that they
had similar issues (to mine),"
said Holmes. "If they came
together, they would be like
'Finally, someone understands
me.'"
Multiracial students
are happy that they finally
have this space where they
can grapple with issues and
to help the greater community understand their experiences. simply find others that they can relate to.
"My main intention for starting the group was that I wanted "It's really nice to have a place to talk about it," said
that safe place ... for people who are multiracial or multiethnic sophomore Samantha Derr. "It's really nice to have a place
to talk about these things," said Holmes. "(I wanted) to bring where I can talk about those issues and I can relate to other
it further to the outside community and talk in an open people."