Foothill I-News

In the Spotlight...

NEW! - International Student Graduation Luncheon

Are you graduating from Foothill College or transferring to another college/university this summer? If so, you are cordially invited to attend our International Student Graduation Luncheon to celebrate your achievements!

When: Friday, June 27, 12:30 pm -2:30 pm

Where: Rooftop Gardens (on top of Lower Campus Center Complex)

Enjoy a spectacular view of the Foothill campus and its rolling foothills atop the new Lower Campus classroom buildings. The program includes:

Welcome by the new Director of International Programs, Lark Cratty

Keynote Speaker: John Mummert, Dean of Business and Social Sciences

Student Speaker: Tammy Fan (Hong Kong)

Special award announcements - find out which international students are selected for one-of-a-kind awards and prizes

Come to sample some delicious international hors d’oeuvres, such as sushi, Vietnamese egg rolls and desserts, and win unique raffle prizes!

All international students and their families are invited to join this luncheon. Staff and faculty will be present as well. Participation in the Foothill commencement ceremony in the evening is not required.

Students who are leaving Foothill will receive a special e-vite with further details by the middle of June. The first 70 graduating/transfer students who RSVP to the e-vite will receive a special commemorative "Foothill College International Graduate" stole.

Nominate an International Student for a multicultural contribution award! Nominate an Outstanding Instructor for an award!

Help us to make this ceremony memorable by filling out a short survey. All participants of the survey will be entered into a free backpack drawing.

For more information, please contact Viktoria Kolesnikova (650-949-7159) or Allison Largent (650-949-7105).

Immigration & Administration

Planning to Travel? Get Travel Signature On I-20 Between June 2-13

If you plan to travel outside the U.S. after the end of spring quarter, you should apply for a travel signature on your I-20 between June 2 and June 13. Many students request travel signatures for summer travel, and it takes time to process these requests under SEVIS. Help us and yourself by applying early!

Check your I-20 to make certain it is signed for travel and reentry on the bottom of page 3. If the I-20 is not signed for travel, or if the signature will be more than 6 months old at the time of your expected return to the U.S., you must request another signature.

If you don’t apply by June 13, your I-20 may not be ready by the time you are scheduled to leave the country. Please stop by the International Student Office in Room 5922 to drop off your I-20 for a travel signature.

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Travel and F-1 Visa/Passport Issues

If you are planning to travel outside the United States, please check the validity of the F-1 visa in your passport.

If your F-1 visa is expired, you must re-apply for a new F-1 visa only if you plan to leave the United States and re-enter. It is not necessary to re-apply for your F-1 visa if you are not planning a trip outside the U.S. Remember that you cannot re-enter the U.S. with an expired F-1 visa and will have to obtain a new F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate (unless you are visiting Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands for less than 30 days – see Arthur Levine for more information).

If you don’t have an F-1 visa in your passport because you changed to F-1 status while in the United States, you must get an F-1 visa in order to re-enter United States. If you are in this situation, please come in to the office to have a personal consultation with Arthur Levine before departing the U.S. You should carefully consider whether or not you should travel, because it is highly possible that you may not be able get an F-1 visa at the U.S. consulate or embassy.

SEVIS Fee: If you have never had an F-1 visa, you must pay the I-901fee/SEVIS fee of $100.00 (the fee may increase in the near future) online before you apply for the visa and attach the fee receipt to your visa application. The SEVIS fee is in addition to the visa application fee and cannot be paid at the embassy/consulate. If the embassy requires the SEVIS fee, the visa will not be issued until you submit a receipt showing that the fee has been paid. You can pay the fee online with a credit card and print a receipt immediately. Please visit our office if you need more information about this fee.

If you are a continuing F-1 student that has paid the fee in the past, or if you are a continuing student that was in the U.S. prior to September 1, 2004, you should not be required to pay the fee again. However, it is possible that the embassy will insist that you pay the fee anyway, because some consular officers are not aware of the SEVIS fee requirements. If the consular officer insists that you pay the fee, only you can decide if it is easier to pay it or dispute the fee with the consular officer.

Valid Passport: The expiration date in your passport should always be at least 6 months into the future when you apply for a visa and re-enter the U.S. To extend your passport beyond the expiration date, please contact your country’s nearest consulate or embassy in the United States or an appropriate organization in your home country.

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June 15, 2008 Deadline for Filing From 8843 if You Were Present in the U.S. in 2007

In order to comply with U.S. regulations, EVERY nonimmigrant who was physically present (whether you worked OR NOT) in the U.S. in 2007 should file some type of form with the Internal Revenue Service. This applies to every nonimmigrant in F-1/ F-2, and J-1/ J-2 status.

If you did not earn any income but were PRESENT in the US in 2007 (EVEN FOR 1 DAY), you are REQUIRED to file a federal Form 8843 with the Internal Revenue Service by June 15, 2008

IMPORTANT: This rule is also applicable to your dependents, spouses and children in F-2 and J-2 immigration status.

Note: If you are considered a resident for tax purposes, you do not have to fill out Form 8843. For more information about tax residency, please check the special Tax Edition of I-NEWS.

Note that June 15, 2008 deadline is not applicable to those individuals who already filed their 2007 tax returns by April 15, 2008.

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Form 8843 Instructions

This form is not an income tax return. Form 8843 is merely an informational statement required by the U.S. government for certain nonresident aliens (including spouses and dependents of nonresident aliens) who were present in the US in 2007.Form 8843 is a rather simple one-page document that requires you to answer some immigration questions and provide information about your program.

A sample filled-out form is attached for your convenience.

CINTAX PASSWORDS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE! You must fill out the form yourself.

Specific instructions:

No special postage is needed: the envelope with the form simply needs to be postmarked "June 15" and mailed to:
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301 - 0215
Download the form
A sample filled-out form is attached for your convenience.
Students should simply fill out information above Part I, Part I itself, Part III, sign and date at the back.
Question 4 b: put the same number as you put for 2007 in 4 a (count the actual number of days).
Every person (your spouse and children) should mail the form in a separate envelope.

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Important Procedure for Students Transferring Out

Meet the conditions for admission by the school/university to which you intend to transfer.

Submit a copy of your acceptance letter and a completed Foothill Transfer Out Request Form to the ISO after the 8th week of your last quarter. Your new school may also give you its own transfer form to be completed by our office.

The transfer form and acceptance notification will be reviewed by the International Student Advisor to determine if you are in lawful (valid) immigration status. Since the review process can take 1 to 2 weeks, please submit your request as early as possible.

If approved, Foothill will enter the name of the school/university you want to transfer to and the "release date" into SEVIS. The "release date" is the official last day of your last quarter as stated in the Foothill College schedule.

When the release date is reached, SEVIS will electronically transfer your immigration record to the new school. SEVIS does not allow the new school to issue an I-20 to you prior to the release date, only on or after. If you are not traveling outside the USA before attending the new school, many universities will not give you the new I-20 until you arrive on campus.

If you are planning to travel outside the U.S. after Spring 08 and are not returning to Foothill, you must use the I-20 of the new school to re-enter. It would be a violation of immigration regulations to use the Foothill I-20 to re-enter the U.S. if you are planning to attend another college/university.

If you have applied to more than one school/university, it is very important for you to consider the timing while notifying Foothill about your transfer school choice. Before the release date, Foothill can change the name of the school to which you want to transfer. For example, if you told us you want to transfer to school "A", and we enter the transfer information about school "A" into SEVIS, we can change the transfer school name to "B" or "C" only until the day before the release date. However, if we enter the name of school "A" into SEVIS, and you inform us after the release date that you want to transfer to a different school or remain at Foothill, the process becomes much more complicated. After the release date Foothill cannot stop the transfer process, and your SEVIS record will be transferred to school "A". In that case, you would have to request school "A", the original transfer school entered into SEVIS, to transfer you to another school that you would like to attend. You should be certain of the school you want to attend before you request Foothill to release you.

If you are unsure of your school choice, you have 60 days after June 27 to request Foothill College to release your record in SEVIS and to complete the transfer out procedure. Please see Barbara Brown in the ISO if you have questions.

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Health Insurance Expiration for Students Transferring Out

Registration for Summer Session Starts June 3, Classes Start June 30

Programs & Events

I Care for Chinese Earthquake Victims Benefit Concert

ICCEV (I Care for Chinese Earthquake Victims), a student volunteer group, is organizing a benefit concert at Foothill. Enjoy live music and student performances, such as piano, Chinese and English pop songs, hip hop dances and more, while contributing to a great cause! The purpose of this event is to raise funds for the victims of the recent earthquake in China. Tickets are $2 and can be purchased outside the Smart Shop every day at noon or by contacting iccev512@yahoo.com. All donations will be forwarded to World Vision. This event is co-sponsored by the International Student Office.

When: Friday, June 13 at 7:00pm
Where: Appreciation Hall (Room 1501)

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International Night Follow-up Meeting and Certificates

The International Night Planning Committee will have its last meeting to debrief International Night on Monday, June 9 from 12:00 pm -1:00 pm in the Toyon Room. All committee members are invited to attend. We will provide certificates of appreciation and refreshments (pizza) to thank all of you for your hard work to help make this a truly outstanding and memorable event!

If you volunteered or participated in the fashion show/performance and would like a certificate of appreciation, please email Allison or call 650-949-7105.

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Foothill College Graduation Ceremonies

Foothill College will host its annual graduation ceremonies at the following times:

Reconocimiento (Latina/Latino Student Recognition Ceremony): Thursday, June 26 at 5:00 pm in Appreciation Hall
International Student Graduation Luncheon: Friday, June 27 at 12:30 pm in the Rooftop Gardens, Lower Campus Center Complex
APAN (Asian Pacific American Network): Friday, June 27 at 3:00 pm
Harambe (Students of African Ancestry): Friday, June 27 at 3:00 pm in the Student Lounge
Foothill College Commencement: Friday, June 27 at 6:00 pm in the Library Quad Mandatory graduation rehearsal will be from 10:00 am -11:00 am on June 27. If you are graduating in June, don’t forget to pick up information about Commencement from Student Activities or Counseling.

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Inside the International Student Office (ISO)

ISO Welcomes New Director - Lark Cratty

As you know, Darlene Culbertson has retired from her position as Director of International Programs at the end of last year. We have just completed the interview process and are happy to welcome Lark Cratty to be our new Director of International Programs.

Lark will be transitioning to Foothill from the California College of the Arts where she worked as the Assistant Director of International Admissions. She is expected to start her full-time position at Foothill in the middle of June, and we will share more details about her background and aspirations in our next issue of I-NEWS.

Please welcome Lark by visiting her in the International Student Office (Room 5922) after the third week of June. If you stop by, you might notice that some desks have moved as well!

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Housing Resources

Are you looking for housing or do you have housing to share? Are your roommates leaving soon? Come to our office in Room 5403!

If you would like to live with a host family or in a shared living accommodation, contact International Student Placements or visit their website.

If you would like to live in an apartment with other students, you can come to our office in Room 5922 for a list of local apartment complexes that often rent to international students, or you can ask Allison for an updated list of students who are looking for housing. If you have a room available in your apartment or if you are looking for housing, please email Allison or call 650-949-7105.

Two other good housing resources are Foothill’s online housing board and Craigslist (look under “housing”).

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Transfer & Career Corner

Meet With University Representatives

Are you interested in transferring? This is your chance to talk with admissions officers from many different universities. They can answer your admissions questions, discuss opportunities within your major, and much more. Sign up in advance by contacting the Transfer Center in Room 8329.

Art Institute - June 10, 10:00am-1:00pm (Campus Center)
San Francisco State University – June 12 (time varies, Transfer Center and Library Quad)
UC Davis – June 5, 12, 19, 26 from 9:00 am-2:00 pm (Transfer Center)
UC Santa Cruz – June 11, 10:00 am-2:00 pm (Transfer Center)

For more information, visit the Transfer Center website.

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Around Foothill & Beyond

Congratulations to International Student Government Officers

We would like to congratulate the following international students on winning the ASFC elections (Associated Students of Foothill College) for the 2008-2009 year. We are very proud to see our international students take an active part in student government and bring a unique multicultural perspective to the Foothill campus.

Rachel Siliki Mbassa (Cameroon) – Vice President of Activities
Fatima Traore (Ivory Coast) – Vice President of Senate
Gilbert Chan (Hong Kong) – Vice President of Administration
Yat Pong Ho (Hong Kong) – Vice President of Intramural
Joseph Kiboi Ngun’gu (Kenya) – ASFC Senator

We would also like to thank the following international students for running for office and showing their interest in leadership and campus life - Calvin Ip (Hong Kong) and Raissa Dina Mbassa (Cameroon).

The remaining ASFC officers for the next academic year are:

ASFC President – Steven Anderson
Vice President of Finance – Pratha Sangar
ASFC Senators – Elizabeth Garrett and Tai Myers
Student Trustee – Confiance Dukunde

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Scholarships Awarded to International Students

We would like to congratulate and recognize our talented international students for their outstanding achievements in receiving the following scholarships:

Eva Miller (Israel) - Judson Allen Memorial Photo Scholarship
Thuy Dang (Vietnam) - APAN Scholarship
Chin Lung Vincent Ng (Hong Kong) - APAN Scholarship and Foothill-De Anza Faculty Association Scholarship
Willy Ng (Venezuela) - Henning Bundgaard Memorial Scholarship
Yuko Azuma (Japan) - Galina Family Scholarship
Zhongqi Weng (China) - Gavin Award Scholarship
Yoshiko Shutto (Japan) - Tomoe Tana Scholarship
Jessica Lays (Singapore) - Woo Family Scholarship
Onas Fadal (Netherlands) - Steve & Lola Kaider Health Care Scholarship
Frederick Shadracks (United Kingdom) - Steve & Lola Kaider Health Care Scholarship

In addition, we would like to congratulate the following international students who are recognized as this year’s Foothill College Honors Scholars:

Claudia Bravo, Ngai Lung Chan, Tsz To Chan, Ka Lim Cheung, Wai Lun Cheung, Denise Cheung, Song Wai Choi, Cheuk Ying Chow, Wai Yeung Chui, Hiu Mui Chung, Jackson Tek Kon Ding, Tammy Fan, Suiting He, Yukiomi Hirayama, Hoi Tsing Ho, Wing Tak Law, Yung Lee, Hok Shan Leung, Bik Yin Li, Chin Yuen Li, Hoi Yi Li, Chung Pui Ma, Joseph Manansala, Saki Matsumoto, Ka Hong Mok, Cyndi Montana, Chin Lung Vincent Ng, Kelvin Ng, Khanh Nguyen, Hoi Suet Ong, Man Hoi Siu, Hiu Tung Tang, Gloria Wong, Siu Faat Wong

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"Quake Relief for Sichuan Children" Concert in Flint Center - June 7

A special benefit concert will take place Saturday, June 7 at 7:30pm in the Flint Center at De Anza College. Some of the finest performing artists in the Bay Area will come together to help with the relief effort in an unprecedented collaboration featuring Gwendolyn Mok, world-renowned piano soloist; California Philharmonic Youth Symphony (CPYO); Firebird Youth Chinese Symphony (FYCO); and San Jose Taiko.

Admission is free - premium seating with minimum $100 advanced donation. All production and administrative expenses are underwritten by Acorn Campus Ventures. Donations are accepted for any of the following charities: American Red Cross International Response Fund – China Earthquake Tzu Chi Foundation or Shin Shin Educational Foundation. To make an advanced donation or to reserve free tickets, please call 408-568-5861.

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42nd International Children's Games - San Francisco

From July 10 through 15, 2008, San Francisco will welcome 1,500 athletes (ages 12 to 15) with their coaches and city officials representing around 100 cities and 50 countries as part of the 42nd annual International Children’s Games (ICG). The ICG, founded in 1968, was established to promote peace and goodwill through children and their involvement in athletics. The athletes, both boys and girls, will put forth their personal best in basketball, golf, soccer, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

If you become a part of the volunteer team, you will be part of a process that will forever impact the image of the United States, the reputation of San Francisco, and the dreams of many children. That is why California Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and other leaders of our country have endorsed this event. Volunteers are needed in sports, liaisons, food services, security, ceremonies, etc. Hundreds of interpreters are needed - this is a great way to help your fellow citizens in an international environment! For more information and to volunteer, please visit the ICG website or send an email.

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Study Abroad in Ecuador This Summer

Foothill College will host a unique five-week campus abroad journey July 6 through August 10, 2008. Join an international team of researchers for anthropological and archaeological coursework, field trips and service learning projects, including investigating the Pre-Columbian fortresses of Pambamarca. You'll live with other project members at the 500-year-old Hacienda Guachalá Hotel and study archaeology and South American prehistory by taking classes and working shoulder-to-shoulder with scientists. You'll also have the opportunity to travel to the capital city of Quito, visit artisan markets and majestic natural wonders.

Foothill and De Anza Colleges also offer study abroad programs in Vietnam and Peru this summer, as well as in London, England during the Fall 08 quarter. For program information, call (650) 949-7614 or visit Campus Abroad site.

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Staying Here For the Summer? Watch a Theatre Performance

The Foothill Theatre Arts Department will present two excellent plays in the next few months.

The Adding Machine: May 30 – June 15 in the Lohman Theatre. "The Adding Machine" is a comic, expressionistic masterpiece that follows the exploits of Mr. Zero, a hard-working, psuedo-Everyman as he toils through his rather inconsequential existence.

The Pajama Game: July 25 – August 17 in the Lohman Theatre. The award-winning Foothill Music Theatre presents "The Pajama Game", a musical comedy from Broadway’s Golden Age set in the 1950’s.

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2008 Foothill Video Festival on June 19

Advisor's Corner

Why Do Americans Wear Funny Square Hats For Graduation?

The square academic cap, sometimes called a mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the hawk used by bricklayers to hold mortar) or Oxford cap, is an item of academic headgear consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel, or liripipe, attached to the center. In the UK and the U.S., it is commonly referred to informally in conjunction with an academic gown worn as a cap and gown.

Origins: The mortarboard is believed to have evolved from the biretta, a similar-looking hat worn by Roman Catholic clergy. There are suggestions that it might be the other way around. In any case, both are derivative of the Roman pileus quadratus, a type of skullcap with superposed square. The mortarboard may also have been influenced by practices in Islamic madrassas. It was originally reserved for holders of Master’s degrees, but was later adopted by Bachelor’s and undergraduates.

Information source: Wikipedia.org

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