Foreign students seek help abroad — Jessica Clarke Union-News, Monday, February 8, 1993

AMHERST -- International students at the University of Massachusetts are circling the globe for aid to broaden their support programs on campus. Led by Dimos Silvestriadis, a senior from Greece, international students -- those who are not United States citizens and are here temporarily -- and two UMass offices have started a newsletter and fund-raising campaign. Silvestriadis, president of the Five Colleges European Club, said they want to improve the quality of life for international students. With help from UMass' office of foreign students and scholars and development office, Silvestriadis launched the International Fund, a pilot program to raise money from UMass Alumni overseas and parents of current international students. About 3,000 copies of the first issue of "UMass around the Globe," the International Fund newsletter, were mailed recently to UMass international students, their parents and alumni overseas, Silvestriadis said. The newsletter contains articles about Michael Hooker, the new president of the five-campus UMass system, an appearance at UMass last fall by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and new buildings on campus. The newsletter is "the first step to establish a rapport" with students, parents and alumni, said Silvestriadis, International Fund manager. He already has received letters of support from a UMass alumnus in Austria and the father of a student from India. About 1,700 international students are enrolled at UMass, and more than 2,000 students, research scholars and professors from 151 nations are on campus, said Barbara Burns, associate provost for international programs Money raised will be used to assist international students, who have an average total annual cost at UMass of $19,000 with tuition , living and travel expenses. Those students are not eligible for financial aid from UMass because they are not U.S. citizens, Silvestriadis said. Based on a survey last year of international students, money raised by the fund will be used to broaden UMass' orientation program for those students, help with their expenses, publish a newsletter and add to the campus' loan fund for emergencies, Silvestriadis said. "International students arrive here with two suitcases," he said. "They must adjust to a very different way of living in a very small period of time...And the workshops and help given to them are not enough." A long-term goal of the fund is to establish a cultural center for international students "where each nationality will be able to celebrate and present to the other students its heritage and traditions," Silvestriadis said. "We're not saying that we don't feel comfortable so we need a cultural center," he said. "But of course having your own place does make you feel more comfortable."

Dimos Silvestriadis