A year ago, I wrote an article about my experience at International Student Orientation (ISO) as a participant. Reading it now, my takes seem so simple, and perhaps that is due to the rigorous planning behind ISO that makes it appear seamless. This year, being an Orientation Leader (OL) for ISO was truly a through-the-looking-glass experience into all of its detailed logistics.
One of the remarkable parts of this experience was working with people who were OLs during my own orientation. I felt like I did not know nearly enough to work alongside them. And yet, the international Wesleyan community never ceases to surprise me: In between compiling 120+ orientation packets in under an hour, hauling bedding to students’ dorms, and bringing water to the Cardinal on duty, I not only learned how to handle OL duties for the first time, but also made many unexpected friends.
One of my mentors, returning OL Cecilia Foldessy-Stiegemeier ’26, helped affirm my first-timer experience by sharing her own.
“I feel a lot more confident in my role as an orientation leader the second time around,” Foldessy-Stiegemeier said.“I think it’s such a special role where I’m able to see my development in terms of the skills I’ve picked up both as a leader and an individual.”
As for my ISO group, I thought I was ready to be a great OL. Some top tips were to wear comfortable shoes for ISO; take a language course; don’t leave friends behind at parties; don’t be intimidated by the Americans; and most importantly, wait for the free orientation Wesleyan merch instead of buying expensive stuff.
But the position did come with its challenges: engaging students experiencing jet lag, homesickness, vaccination side-effects (or a combination of these), while being very understandable, taking careful, resolute actions. It was important to make space for participants’ own well-being while also ensuring that they did not miss out on important events and information.
Another challenge, one of the more important points all the OLs discussed in the feedback session, was the issue of the flags during the group photo.
The group photo was a part of ISO I enjoyed rather thoughtlessly last year. Country flags are handed out to ISO participants on a first-come basis, with no rigid formula as to who would get which flag. As a participant, I thought it was endearing for students to hold flags of countries they didn’t necessarily have relations with.
This year, hearing participants’ and other OLs’ perspectives taught me how complex this activity can actually be. I had not imagined that some students would, in this scenario, have to hold flags of countries which their country/identity had tense relations with. This is especially more true for students hailing from post-colonial nations.
“While giving out the flags to the students–despite knowing the passport country of most students–I wasn’t comfortable deciding which flag to hand out to which student,” said ISO Intern Alex Arrieta-Srivastava ’27. “There’s also problems with how the photo and its promotion can be misleading regarding diversity…even if someone has a connection with the flag they’re holding, another student may feel uncomfortable seeing that flag.”
The student staff also discussed many alternatives with Arrieta-Srivastava for the group photo, such as having a choice form for the students to fill out addressing who would want to hold the flags, or having a banner that can be held up instead.
What should also be questioned is the social media promotion of photos like the ISO group photo. Since one flag of each country in the world is printed out, the OLs did have a conversation about how this could paint a manufactured picture of diversity at Wesleyan. And yet at the same time, without promotional strategies like these, the University would perhaps be limited in attracting international students from around the world, who are without a doubt core assets to the student body.
“[This is] true but I also think it’s very difficult,” Foldessy-Stiegemeier said.“Last year, the University posted on Instagram about New Student Orientation but not International Student Orientation, and we started commenting on that post saying things like ‘Hey, we exist too.’ So, this year they have learned from that, and immediately posted about ISO–but then there’s also the issue of sensitivity about the flags.”
So there seems to be a dilemma–representation and promotion for international students is important, but it may do just as much harm as good if not done well by the University’s social media teams. The Office of International Affairs (OISA) does remain open to feedback and updates that can make this experience more inclusive and comfortable, and perhaps we will see change in the future.
However, there were also memorable, tried and tested parts of ISO I was able to experience as an OL. One of the worries I had was connecting adequately with my group–two days to connect with 10 kids seemed like an emotional speedrun. But I was pleasantly surprised: With much of my group, it was so natural to connect with students, especially individually.
In my past article I wrote that my favorite part of ISO was a group bonding activity where everyone shared a song from their own country. This time around, my favorite part was arrival day: hectic at the time, but, in hindsight, so sweet. While picking up participants from the Bradley International Airport (BDL) who were traveling alone was difficult, especially considering my own navigational inexperience, seeing each student help the others haul up their luggage to their dorms (despite just having traveled for 15+ hours) was amazing.
In this reflection of ISO the second time around, I do believe pre-orientation programs such as ISO highlight the benefits of Wesleyan’s small community, but also taking a closer look at ISO provides more insight into the interactions between members of the global community here at the University. I stay ever convinced of the unflagging efforts of the international community here–be it students, volunteers, or professional staff–to support itself and create environments of prosperity.
Janhavi Munde can be reached at jmunde@wesleyan.edu.
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