LV Life

Foreign students high-five ULV

Foreign exchange students, freshman Paulino Alonso from Spain, junior Elizabeth Fuchs from France, junior Monica Carpio from Ecuador, and junior Tom Moese from Germany, can often be seen hanging out together on campus. They meet every Thursday for the International Student Organization meeting. Senior Josep Hernández-Escandell from Spain, not pictured, likes the company of his fellow friends, but enjoys meeting other people, which he sees as the purpose of studying abroad.
Foreign exchange students, freshman Paulino Alonso from Spain, junior Elizabeth Fuchs from France, junior Monica Carpio from Ecuador, and junior Tom Moese from Germany, can often be seen hanging out together on campus. They meet every Thursday for the International Student Organization meeting. Senior Josep Hernández-Escandell from Spain, not pictured, likes the company of his fellow friends, but enjoys meeting other people, which he sees as the purpose of studying abroad. / photo by Laura Ambriz

by Angelica Martinez
Staff Writer

A small huddled group of students, bright-eyed, energetic and often together, sit and laugh during their lunch conversation.

Josep Hernández-Escandell, a senior foreign exchange student from Spain and a marketing major, emphatically moves his hands to express his point of view.

Nervous laughter surrounds him as familiar looks are shared between the group.

“Yeah, I understand,” exclaimed Junior Mónica Carpio, foreign exchange student from Ecuador. The group nods and moves on with its conversation.

Within a few days the group known as “Internationals” has grown to understand and support each other.

Pauses take place and are soon replaced by little giggles coming from blue-eyed, red-head, Elisabeth Fuchs. Fuchs comes from France and giggles at the frustration of speaking in English. According to Fuchs, she “has to use simple words” when she does not “think that way in French.”

Hernández-Escandell said, “I’m used to speaking very fast and with complex words.” His fear of not dominating the language has been somewhat of a reality.

“You are thinking in Spanish and you are trying to find the words and you can’t,” said Hernández-Escandell.

Paulino Alonso, computer science major, also from Spain, feels “like a child” when he speaks in English, although he admits that he blocked his fears and “tried not to think of them.”

Today, a number of foreign exchange students fear culture shock as well as language barriers, although they consider themselves lucky.

“I think we were lucky,” said Carpio. “I was afraid of not finding any friends and that is not true.”

The group nods and smiles in agreement. School life at La Verne has helped these changes to be smooth transitions.

“I like the classes. There is a good relationship between the teacher and the student,” said Fuchs.

Unlike in Europe, teachers here “don’t act like authorities,” said Alonso. “Nobody laughs at each other. Here, we’re equal.”

Before coming to America, Hernández-Escandell felt good about his expectations.

“[The teachers] were very friendly, they e-mailed me every day to see how I was doing,” he said.

Although ULV has been up to par with the students’ expectations, California has been somewhat different than what they expected. Alonso said he sometimes feels like he’s “in the movies” because California is portrayed as glamorous and exciting. However, he thinks “it is not the same.” The glamour in Hollywood is gone and people here are “the same as everywhere,” said Alonso.

Hernández-Escandell is not upset by the culture differences. “It doesn’t upset me and I’m trying hard to get used to it.”

Carpio said, “in exchange for their nostalgic memories of home, they are ‘getting other experiences.’ That is what we came here for.”

Although the melancholic thought of being thousands of miles from home sometimes upsets the group, Fuchs is satisfied with her experience at ULV.

“I have met a lot of people,” said Fuchs; people who, according to her, are “really nice.” Fuchs did not expect to have as many American friends.

“In France people are selfish. They stand apart from foreign exchange students because they do not speak French well,” said Fuchs. She quickly found that to be a major difference as ULV students welcomed and included her.

Hernández-Escandell smiles and nods with Fuchs as he expresses his regret at not remembering people’s names.

“I feel so bad because people remember my name and I don’t remember theirs,” said Hernández-Escandell.

The group looks and smiles at each other. Their minds are in sync and the same thoughts are shared between them. It is obvious these students feel a close bond within themselves. Regardless of their appearance, they seek to be looked upon as ULV students by everyone else.

“We may dress and act differently,” said Alonso, “But we are people just like everyone else,” said Carpio.

Angelica Martinez, Arts Editor
Angelica Martinez
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Laura Ambriz, Photography Editor
Laura Ambriz
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