Student population continues to grow

Mark Sadek recalls the first time he came to Southern Illinois. As a lover of the outdoors, he took a camping trip last year to the area. One look around was all it took to hook him right in.

“I loved the atmosphere,” said Sadek, a pre-med sophomore from Chicago.

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It was then he packed up his stuff and headed to Carbondale to begin classes this fall semester.

While Sadek may seem like an average student, there is something about him that is more unique. He transferred to SIUC from Triton College, which is located in a suburb of Chicago, but he originally hails from a small town in Egypt. He even changed his name to “Mark” because his original first name is the same as his last. He figures it is less confusing that way.

Each year, students come to Carbondale from countries all around the globe ranging from Albania and Bangladesh to Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. While numbers decreased during the 1990s, the University has seen a steady increase in the past few years. In 2001, 1,466 international students enrolled at SIUC, up from 1,425 in 2000 and 1,342 in 1999.

While Sadek chose the University for its appearance, other international students come to SIUC based on its reputation. Erina Tanaka had been taking classes at SIUC’s sister school in Niigata, Japan, when she found out about the Carbondale campus.

“I heard that the business major was really strong here,” said Tanaka, a junior in business from Japan, who transferred from Niigata to SIUC last year.

With the miles between them, American lifestyle and that of their own countries can seem like worlds apart for international students. For Tanaka, the obvious difference is food.

“I like American food, but it is very different from Japan,” she said.

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Some cultural differences are harder to adjust to. Sadek had to undergo several surgeries in the last few years in order to correct his speech. Although this experience did halt his academic career, it has since become his drive to become a doctor.

“I wanted to help people the same way I was helped,” Sadek said.

Communication between continents can also become a hurdle. Although Sadek occasionally speaks on the phone to his immediate family, which still lives in Chicago, he still has relatives in his native homeland. Tanaka also talks to her family and friends on the phone and through e-mail. But as time progresses, the calls and messages become less and less often.

While she misses everyone she knows at home, Tanaka has had the opportunity to befriend fellow international students. She finds it easy to get along with them because of the common ground they share.

Tanaka also has made an effort to meet more Americans on campus.

“Since last semester, I am making more American friends,” Tanaka said, “but I still have more international students as friends.”

“The people are really nice and friendly here,” she said

The University tries its best to welcome new worldly students with open arms. Last Friday, Week of Welcome staff members met with interested new students and answered any questions they may have had. SIUC also offers many activities specifically for international students, including recreational programs, a student council and a variety of student organizations.

As much as Sadek loves Southern Illinois, he wants to return to Egypt after he is done with school.

“There is a lot of stuff I want to do over there that I haven’t got the chance to,” Sadek said.

Reporter Leah Williams can be reached at [email protected].