JCU students meet to discuss the gap that binds them

By Cheryl Wayne

ROME, Feb. 29 - More than 30 students came out to John Cabot University's student government sponsored round table on Wednesday to share their opinions on how to bring together visiting and degree-seeking students.

The free pizza was a big draw too. “If you have free pizza, people talk,” said one student attendee.

Student government representative Alessandro Lanutl introduced the forum saying, “there is a lopsided balance between the two groups of students, and I want some ideas about how to integrate these two groups.” Lanutl is a visiting student at JCU from Fordham University in New York.

The students were eager to express their feelings. One degree seeking student said she didn’t want to get attached to visiting students because "it's just too painful to say goodbye." She added, “why invest time in someone if you know they aren’t going to stay?”

 

Another noted that degree-seeking students and visiting students have different priorities. Visiting students tend to travel every weekend, which is when the two groups might socialize. A faculty member interjected, “ I think what happens is that visiting and degree students have different interests. If visiting students are away every weekend how can they assimilate?”

Still, ideas were suggested about closing this divide. Many students suggested JCU should plan more events and create more clubs to improve relations, including the formation of more extra-curricular clubs.

Also, Next year, JCU is planning to conduct a more elaborate orientation that involves degree-seeking students so the two groups can get to know one another from the start of the semester.

Dania Bianuni, a visiting student, closed the forum by saying; “Most Americans are expecting to be in America when they get here. That’s why all the Americans hang out with Americans. Whenever I meet an Italian, the American students always ask me how I met them. Then they continue to go to Campo De' Fiori every night”.

Comments

[Kathleen]

I am an American Student from CT and was recently accepted into John Cabot for the '08-'09 academic year. It's encouraging to see that the students are being proactive about integrating the different groups of students. I know that upon my arrival I will be eager to meet as many people as possible, especially degree-seeking students, so that they may help introduce me to the culture. Maybe I'll see some of you soon!