Inside this issue

2NOTICES &

INFORMATION

4TAX FILING

6AN OPEN

LETTER TO CHINESE PARENTS

8EVENTS

Office of International Student Affairs 120 Boylston Street, Walker 10th Floor Boston, MA 02116Tel: (617) 824-7858

Photography by Renos Gavris

SPRING 2015 VOL. 16 ISSUE 2

The Emerson Globe

EDITOR: Pascale Sylla / OISA Junior Coordinator CONTRIBUTORS: Changhong Zheng, Renos Gavris

Message from theDean of Students

Emerson College takes the safety and well-being of its students very seriously. To ensure that we know who to contact in the event of a personal emergency, the College requires each student to provide us with 2 emergen-cy contacts and 1 missing person contact. One of the emergency contacts also can serve as a student’s missing person contact. Please take a few minutes to visit http://ecommon.emerson.edu/ and complete the necessary emergency and missing person contact information or update what is already there. Thank you for your assis-tance and cooperation.

Emerson utilizes a state-of-the-art Emergency Notifi-cation System to communicate with students, faculty and staff in the event that an emergency occurs on the Boston campus or for a weather event that disrupts nor-mal operations. It is a robust system that simultaneously transmits messages by telephone, email and SMS (text messaging). Please visit ecampus.emerson.edu/emer-gency_contacts and submit your contact information so you can be notified in the event of a community emer-gency. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.

The OISA is your first stop for getting your I-20 signed.

Every 6 months.

International Student Affairs:Virga Mohsini

Susannah Marcucci120 Boylston Street. 10th Floor (617) 824-7858

Be sure to plan ahead. Documents will be signed and ready for pick-up within two business days of

receipt, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays.

If OISA is not available the following administrators are also authorized to sign

I-20s:International Study & External Programs

David Griffin120 Boylston St. 10th Floor x 8567

Professional StudiesAlfonso Ragone

148 Boylston St. x 8278Writing & Academic Resource Center (WARC)

Linda Miller216 Tremont St. 5th Floor x 7874

ONLY IN CASES OF EMERGENCY AND IF ABOVE CONTACTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, SEE

BELOW:Graduate Admission

Sandra Orlowski120 Boylston St. x 3113

Undergraduate AdmissionCamille Bouknight

120 Boylston St. x 8469

Susan Pottenger120 Boylston St. x 8600

Hours and staff availability may vary

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS LET OISA KNOW OF ANY CHANGES IN ADDRESS. THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT REQUIRES THAT YOU UPDATE THIS INFOR-MATION WITHIN TEN DAYS OF YOUR MOVE. PLEASE ALSO

NOTIFY THE COLLEGE OF YOUR CHANGE ONLINE AT https://ecommon.emerson.edu

Emergency Contact Information (personal emergency)

Emergency Notification System (campus emergency)

Need your I-20

Signed for Travel?

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Moved recently?

Ronald Ludman Dean of Students

3

OPT and Travel

Students traveling outside the U.S. may face re-entry restrictions during post completion OPT periods. If you plan to travel during that time, please contact us to discuss your travel plans and

immigration requirements

OPT and CPT workshops are being offered at the OISA most weeks throughout the semester. Advance booking required.

Call (617) 824-7858 to sign up.

OPT workshops are Tuesdays 1:00pm – 2:00pm and Fridays 2:00pm-3:00pmCPT workshops are Tuesdays 2:00pm–2:30pm and Fridays 3:00pm-3:15pm

Plan Ahead for OPT & CPT

Going Somewhere?

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2014 TAX FILING INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) provides the following information to Emer-son College students as a courtesy service. Emerson College neither endorses nor takes any responsibili-ty for the services rendered by these agencies, companies or individuals.Please contact the below-listed agencies if you have any tax-fil-ing related questions, as Emerson College and the Office of Interna-tional Student Affairs (OISA) are not authorized to provide any type of international tax advising ser-vices…

To all International Students:

The 2014 tax year’s filing season is soon approaching. As many of you know, U.S. federal and state tax fil-ing requirements can be difficult to understand, so we have attempted to provide you with as much infor-mation as possible. The following resources are available to assist you in the process of preparing your 2014 tax returns:• Pick up forms and publica-tions at the Boston Internal Rev-enue Service (IRS) office, or any public library, including the Boston public library. Federal Taxes:• Federal forms are available for downloading from the IRS web site at: http://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/index.html • For help with federal in-come tax return, or to order tax forms, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or go to: www.irs.gov

State Taxes:

• Download State tax forms at: http://www.mass.gov/dor/forms • For help with your state income tax return, call the Massa-chusetts Department of Revenue at (617)-887-6367 or toll-free in Mas-sachusetts 800-392-6089. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm, or go to: http://www.mass.gov

In-person tax help is offered at: JFK Federal Building15 New Sudbury St.Boston, MA 02203• For more information visit http://www.mass.gov/dor/individ-uals and http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-My-Local-Office-in-Mas-sachusetts ***IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: OISA staff does not specialize in tax law and is not authorized to pro-vide any type of tax advising or tax preparation services. Other options, including free tax filing clinics, are listed below:The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program offers free tax help to people who generally make $51,000 or less and need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return prepa-ration to qualified individuals in local communities. They can inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient loca-tions. Most locations also offer free electronic filing.

Full-service location where certified volunteers will assist you (if eligi-ble) in completing tax forms (Walk in or by appointment):• Bunker Hill Community College VITA250 New Rutherford Avenue, Room D206 Boston, MA 02129Phone: (617) 228-3268Open: March 17 through April 15, 2015Hours: Tuesday & Wednesday: 10am - 7pm, Thursday: 10am – 1pm; 2:15 – 4pm, Friday: 10am – 4pm, Saturday: 10am-3pm.• ABCD South End Neigh-borhood Service Center 554 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA 02118 Phone: (617) 267-7400 Open: January 20 through April 15 2015 Hours: Monday: 12pm-5pm, Tuesday & Thursday: 10am-6pm, Friday: 10am-3pm, Saturday: 10am-2pmPlease note that the filing deadline for the 2014 tax year is April 15th 2015.

Currently the College is researching other tax filing software options but they are not yet available at this time. Please watch your email inbox for further updates from OISA on this later in March. *Please contact the above-listed agencies if you have any tax-filing related questions, as Emerson Col-lege and the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) are not authorized to provide any type of international tax advising services.

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An Open Letter to Chinese Parents with Kids Abroad

Changhong Zheng, GR ‘17China

Publishing and WritingDear parents,

My kid has been studying in the United States for three years at Boston University. Ever since she went there, I’ve been hearing from her of all the bad things that happen to Chinese students in high schools and universities of America, which haunt me endlessly. I feel very fidgety. So I’m writing to make you aware of the situation, since you also have children abroad or soon to be abroad. This way we can all do something to protect our dar-lings.

First, let me share some terrible facts with you:Jack Lin, my daughter’s classmate, lost his $3,000 bracelet at a gym class. “That’s all right, don’t worry. It’s just a bracelet. I can buy a new one.” How adorably well he reacted to such a tragedy!

Vincent Gu begged his mother over the phone for a Ferrari 458 Speciale on orientation day at the University of Pittsburgh, otherwise he would have to immediately buy an air ticket back to China. So I got to know that life in America without a car is too harsh.

Catherine Chen, a sophomore at Newman School (a high school in Massachusetts), was seen walk out of a store on Fifth Avenue in New York, but didn’t have time to pick up the hundred-dollar bill dropped from her cute purse. Those accompanying her judged her, but these were the same people she was busy trying to keep chat-ting with, you know, to maintain a sound social network. Networking matters in America as much as it does in China.

Why are these kids always getting hurt? They are our future. How can we just sit back and watch them lose their own accessories, suffer at jubilant parties, or live without a car? Oh, some of them still have to take care of their own everyday trifles. What is wrong with us? We must take action for the promising young generation of a big country like China, before it commits self-annihilation some day. All right, maybe just for our own sake. But it’s just as important.Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Give our children enough back-up money in case they get lose their brand accessories. Bear in mind: you should never blame them for the lost items, which, as we all know, is just a matter of money. It’s far more difficult to live in a foreign country than we can imagine. There is huge peer and academic pressure. So, do remember: MORE MONEY. 2. Do field research before hand. Choose the most convenient house to rent for them. In my case, I prefer to buy one, which I believe will sure give my kid a sense of belonging and it feels good to possess something. More importantly, when throwing parties, no landlord will interfere. I advise you to find a reliable property agent to handle it. Plus, I highly recommend hiring a few guards, just in case.3. Remember the girl who didn’t have time to manage her money properly? A reliable butler is needed. I’m not quite familiar with the American butler market, but I think there must also be a certificate or something for professional butlers. Yes, we must never be careless about the butler thing. It’s about managing money, and our children’s lives.

“An Open Letter”, cont’d on p.7

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Life is Here. Keep it. And Go.

Birds singing in the verdant willow trees under the soft blue silky sky spotted by chunks of fluffy clouds. Julia stood beside me at the window, my elbow against the sill. We’d never been such good observers of life to see all the pretty details outside that sullen and depressing senior high school classroom—we were so occupied in laugh-ing, singing, talking, and enjoying our small time with friends, on top of doing well in school work.

“But we promised each other to go to the same college.” I grumbled.“I know! It’s not me! My father filled that damn form,” replied Julia, “…and I don’t think it’s a bad idea to let parents make big decisions for us.” It’s been eight years since that smothering summer afternoon. Before long, the College En-trance Examination ended, we both did well, and got admitted into our first choices. In two cities thousands miles away; I flew to Shanghai, and she went to Harbin; a northeastern city in Chi-na, where snow is always piled as high as that in Boston but stays on the streets for quite a longer while, because shoveling is not an easy job there. People prefer to sit around a furnace or a shabby stove, gossiping over sunflower seeds for several straight hours. Julia told me it was enchanting to chat idly with people, old or young, around the heater while it snowed outside, no one bothered to care the world was covered in the overwhelmingly white pall. She would call to cheer me up as I got no stove, no snow, and no random guy to talk to; since everyone around me was always in a rush, to work, to intern, or to study, and she’s always been the one who talks a lot more than me. Just like when we first met in the third grade. We began our intimacy with a fierce fight. The reason was simple—I didn’t like her, and vice versa. We both couldn’t tolerate anything that we didn’t like. So we waged a war against each other in a gym class, without any reason that remains in both of our memories but I do remember how we freaked the teacher out. She hated my loud voice, my chubby face, or my bulgy belly under my bright blue cape coat, I bet, for she has kept teasing me about my fat old days till now. I was unwilling to look at her dark skin for any one more minute than necessary. And her loud voice. And similar charac-

ters get along. That’s the way it is. Julia and I exchanged diaries to catch up with each other’s life when we were in separate classes in middle school, went to food courts together on weekends to chat for a whole day, so we ate, slept and breathed the fact that we were grouped in the same classroom for the three years in high school. Three amazingly crazy years, in-credibly happy in a school filled with fellow stu-dents who wished to be buried in math exercises or chemistry tests 25 hours a day, 367 days a year, and teachers who never smiled at you even when you finished your homework on time. Which we didn’t do a lot. So I was thrilled at the idea that she was likely to go to Shanghai for a graduate degree if she could pass a pre-test, while I was preparing for one, too. I couldn’t help but tell everyone around me that my best friend would be here with me the next year; we didn’t have to pay that crazily high phone bill any more, or we could go to every cor-ner of the city to do something or nothing! That depressed version of me stuck in creepy homesick-ness would go away as Julia came to change all that crappy life for me I used to be pestered by quite a bunch of idle, good-for-nothing, bad boys in middle school, when I discarded my chubby face and belly with that cape coat fading away from my life in the ir-reversible river of time. At least in my mom’s eyes, these boys who were chasing after me at any given point would be blocking me to a bright future. So I left my secret, girly gloomy, and inevitably affect-ed diaries with her to keep from my mom’s pro-spective interrogation. Those teen dairies ended up being discovered by Julia’s mom. And her father. Her omnipresent father in every decision-making moment of her life. But we kept seeing each oth-er though not so openly any more, at least to her parents. I became an idle, good-for-nothing, bad girl in their minds. But I somehow kept my name in the first place of the school report for the whole schooling years. So not idle that much.She prepared for the test.She booked the ticket to Shanghai.She took the test.She was told to come again for a further test to be finally admitted.

Changhong Zheng, GR ‘17China

Publishing and Writing

6

7

4. A car. It’s better to respect our children’s will to buy their own favorite ones. Our poor little kids need some support when we’re not around.

So, I’ve briefly listed a few things we can physically do to guaran-tee our children’s success when studying abroad. But we should also pay attention to some emotional aspects. I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the cruel school environment in American schools, but my daughter told me it’s almost impossible to finish the daunting homework on time or even after the deadline. So our encouragement is need-ed. Here are some tips:

(You should be careful when communicating with your kid,

who, under great pressure, is not always in a good mood or in the mood to talk to you.)2. If they feel it is necessary to hire someone to write some pa-per, don’t blame them for spar-ing the money for that purpose. Education is the priority so back them up.

3. Once they post some beautiful traveling pictures with fancy food or gorgeous hotels on Microblog or WeChat, don’t forget to like immediately. Your passionate reaction is their driv-ing force to go against all odds lying ahead. They need to relax from the crazy busy schedule of school.

4. They may probably com-plain to you about how they don’t like the way American

students are dressed: too dull, without much variety, and no one seems to care about the ap-pearance at all. Some even go to class without any make-up! On this occasion, you’d better tell your glamorous children to bear in mind who they are and where they come from. This is the only way they can they keep their sense of aesthetic and pursuit of a quality life. You know, some-times, life must come a little before education.

5. Don’t call them too often. We are not supposed to be both-ersome.

I do hope you strictly follow my guidelines.

Sincerely,Jasmine Zheng

And she gave up.

“But you promised me to come.” I grumbled. A quite familiar feel-ing. “I know! It’s not me! My boy-friend is afraid of any instability in life, he wants me to stay and go to graduate school in my col-lege.”“Sure.” I hung up the phone. “It’s your boyfriend’s decision anyway.” I said out to the air. The weather in Shanghai never got better, always damp with a moldy smell everywhere. A familiar smell from the wet floor of my high school classroom.

We did fight a lot, vocal-ly and sometimes physically. I threw all her textbooks away through the classroom window,

and she shoved me to the newly mopped floor. In that northern city with rich coal resources hid-den right under our feet, floors in classrooms were never short of dirt even after cleaning, or espe-cially after being cleaned with mops. You could smell it. Dust mixed in muddy stains. Sitting on the stinky floor, I couldn’t figure out why she insisted so stubborn-ly about such a stupid, meaning-less physics exercise of which the answer was quite obvious in the wave properties of light, but she still fought ferociously against me.

I’m happy that they got married before he decided to study abroad, with her of course. I thought he was not that into changes of life.

They live in Knoxville, do-

ing Ph.Ds. in Chemical Science, which she hates, but she doesn’t want to change.“I don’t know, maybe I lost my ability to make my own deci-sions long ago. My father, my boyfriend-become husband.” She came to spend the Christmas holiday with me.“And a couple years later, your kids.”“Maybe, I want a quiet life, with-out struggling, fighting, or even taking any efforts.”“If that’s what you want.” It’s good to find someone who takes care of her, who may give her a life she wants, and who makes decisions for her.

“But I’m not happy.” Julia turned around to me at the Logan Air-port in Boston, on New Year’s Day, 2015. I walked away from the terminal. It snowed.

“An Open Letter”, cont’d from p.5

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Hey international students! Want to work on campus?

The Office of International Stu-dent Affairs (OISA) is looking to fill multiple openings for Junior Coordinators.

Qualifications: ·Basic knowledge of F-1 student visa processes, cultural sensitiv-ity, strong communication and customer service skills·Flexibility and readiness to learn new skills·Year-long commitment for Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 required For more information, please refer to the job posting on eCampus.