EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- Helping keep enrollment at records highs at the
University of Oregon, a record number of international students have arrived in
Eugene this weekend and the community is greeting them with open arms.
The majority of the University’s of Oregon’s latest group of International Students landed at the Eugene Airport on Saturday, September 10th, 2011.
On hand to welcome those students, volunteers from the local Friendship Foundation for International Students.
The group is comprised of about 130 volunteer families who serve as a kind of host family for the students, most of whom will live in the residence halls during the school year.
While the students are new in the community, the host families are there to introduce the students to everything they’ll need to get by, as well as showing them the fun thing in Eugene and about American culture.
“Even simple things like going to a store or going to a restaurant, or find your way around, it's just nice to be able to do that,” says Mike Lewis, a volunteer for the Friendship Foundation for International Students.
Lewis and Martha MacRitchie met with an international student from China on Saturday.
“He has been very responsive on email, it's been a lot of fun just to get to know him on email already,” says MacRitchie.
The student, who’s name is pronounced “Show-KU-shawn,” says from a bird’s eye view, Eugene is extremely green, and he’s excited to be here.
“I want to get more friends all over the world, so I chose the University of Oregon,” he says.
Sunday, September 18th, 2011, about 400 to 500 international students will meet in an annual welcome picnic with host families, also Mayor Kitty Piercy and UO President Richard Larivierre.
For more information on the Friendship Foundation For International Students at the University of Oregon, click the following link: http://www.ffisoregon.org/.
