April 26, 2022

Illustrated by Bailey Rizzo

Mara Dumitru is a sophomore journalism student at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about lifestyle for The Maneater.

Many international students leave their home countries and families behind to travel across the world and experience the American university life they’ve dreamed about. Yet MU does little to help them adjust and integrate with the student body. 

I am one of those international students who feels MU could be better. I changed my visa in December 2022, officially becoming an international student at MU. My ‘welcome’ consisted of a Zoom that went over important paperwork I needed to complete. Not exactly a great American greeting. 


Both international and local students only get a Welcome Week at the beginning of the semester. But it is important to provide more events tailored to international students throughout the year because these MU students lack something fundamental that domestic students can easily access. International students lack something fundamental that local students can easily access— a community and support system.

A student from Kansas City, Missouri, can quickly drive home for a weekend to visit their family and have a home-cooked meal. With the recent prices of plane tickets, plus the time difference between continents, this feat is nearly impossible for students who don’t live in the U.S. Everyone deserves an accessible support system, and it falls on MU to create those connections for international students. 

Ramadan fasting breaks, Easter dinners and Thanksgiving meals are family-centered events international students often end up experiencing alone. It would require little work on MU’s part to put these students in contact with each other. A simple “Hey, all of you are from the same country and might want to celebrate this culturally significant holiday together” email would be sufficient. 

Another simple solution could be a spreadsheet containing all cultural clubs on campus. 

International students aren’t familiar with the way American universities operate. They might not be aware of student clubs or know how to find them online. Again, most of these problems can be resolved with a straightforward email, yet that seems to be too much work for university administrators. 

In my experience, finding a community of international students wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. About 6% of MU’s student body is made up of foreign students, and somehow I couldn’t find any others. With no help or incentive from university administration, I scrolled through the 661 registered organizations and clubs until I was able to find something that fit international students’ needs — the Missouri International Student Council. 

While MISC does not function as a regular student council — after all, MU doesn’t seem to like international students having a say in campus affairs — it still serves as a good place for international students to start off. The current president of MISC, Maya Moreau, said she has also experienced issues with MU’s administration. 

“The International Center is a great resource for students, and they’re doing the best that they can with the resources they have, but the system is cutting budgets to things that are typically geared to minorities or multicultural students,” Moreau said. “You do feel the impact of that sometimes.” 

Looking at MU’s International Student and Scholar Services advising staff directory, we can quickly spot why this rift occurs: lack of cultural understanding. The all-American staff can only read and listen to what it’s like to move away from your home country. They don’t understand how a young person can feel shy establishing their own culturally significant connections and might need a little help when arriving at MU. 

A well-established support system can help elevate students’ spirits and learning drive. It’s an issue that must be fixed, and quickly — before a new wave of international students arrive fall semester and find themselves as lost as the previous students. 

If you feel inclined, donate to Save the Children, a humanitarian aid organization that provides food and shelter for children in need. You can make a donation at the following link: https://support.savethechildren.org/site/Donation2?df_id=1631&1631.donation=form1 


Edited by Sarah Rubinstein | srubinstein@themaneater.com

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