Friendship bridges borders

After a two-year absence, the International Friendship Association is making plans to ensure its presence will be felt on campus for the upcoming school year.\nIFA is a student association that brings international and American students together to foster stronger relationships and to help new students with questions so they are prepared when they arrive in Bloomington. IFA treasurer Ye Win Latt said this does not mean the group is only for international students, but includes domestic students as well. \nZhen Huan, an incoming graduate student from China's Peking University, can testify. Although he said he is looking forward to his studies in the math department, the beautiful IU campus and starting a new life, he is aware the move will not be easy. \n"There are many difficulties for our international students after arrival: the difference between cultures, the completely strange living conditions and some problems in communications with local residents, to name a few," Zhen said. "Therefore, knowing an organization like the IFA will be helpful. It will allow new international students to feel more confident and get used to the new life quicker." \nThe IFA will ease his transition by answering questions and introducing him to friendly faces. \n"I don't know this organization fully," Zhen said. "I will tell others what I do know. When you meet questions in life and don't know how to deal with them, contact with the IFA can be a good choice." \nThe IFA has already held its first event of the year. A group of about 100 students gathered July 9 in Ballantine Hall to watch the final game of the World Cup between France and Italy. The IFA collaborated with the University to bring together students from Iran, Burma, China, Italy, France, South Korea and the United States to watch the event. \n"We were there from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., watching everything going on," said IFA Vice President Yusuke Imamura. "There were supporters of both Italy and France and though Italy won, everyone was so excited and very happy to be there." \nTo improve the organization and to meet the ultimate goal, which is to assist the international students and to build stronger friendship among all IU students, a new structure has been implemented, Latt said. Reforms came this spring with the creation of a new executive committee, since the old one was inactive for the last couple of years. The new structure also included advisers from the IU Office of International Services to assist the organization.\nAnother new addition is "Buddy System." The Buddy System was introduced to meet the IFA objective of assisting new students with IU culture, Latt said. \n"New students have the chance to pick up any one of the IFA board members as their buddy," Latt said. "At this point, we have over 40 buddies who are excited to come to IU." \nThe Buddy System is valuable for a multitude of questions that new international students have.\n"They can ask both academic relative questions and non-academic questions," Latt said. "We all are happy to answer their questions and find out more information if they need it. We assist them in preparing to come to IU and we will be assisting them even after they arrived here"