news

for more information

Kate Seamans
College Communications
(603) 526-3878

Currents: know your world

Colby-Sawyer Gives Students the World with Passport Application Event and Raffle

Staff from the New London Post Office will be in Wheeler Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, to take passport photos, collect supporting documents, help students complete the application form, and will even supply Priority Mail envelopes so the applications can be mailed immediately. This event takes care of an important step in getting students ready for international travel opportunities. After all, in the 21st century, a passport is as important as a driver's license.

Three students will get their passports free – in addition to the passport application service, there will be a passport application fee drawing. Students who participate in a global knowledge game will have a chance to win $140 to cover their application fee. To qualify, a student must have completed the passport application and have proof of payment.

“Colby-Sawyer is expanding its study abroad opportunities for students, from short faculty-led field trips overseas to semester and summer programs abroad,” says Associate Dean of International and Diversity Programs Pamela Serota Cote. “Americans now need a passport even to enter Canada. Those who have a passport tend to want to use it, and we want to make it easier to navigate the process of getting that passport. We want to give students the world, essentially, and help them have the proper documentation to travel, explore and learn.”

Applying for a passport requires documentation that proves U.S. citizenship. Students are encouraged to bring to campus the required paperwork (a certified birth certificate issued by city, county, or state; consular report of birth abroad or certification of birth; naturalized certificate; or certificate of citizenship).

For more info about U.S. passport application requirements, see the Department of State's website.

Colby-Sawyer College Celebrates International Education Week with Photo Exhibit, Passport Application Event, Films, Food and Lectures

The week of November 15-19, 2010, Colby-Sawyer College will celebrate International Education Week, an opportunity to explore the benefits of international education and exchange planetwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of a national effort to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences in the United States.

Throughout the week, the flags of nations representing Colby-Sawyer's international students will be on display in the dining hall; Sodexo Dining Services will serve international cuisine for lunch, and language posters in Wheeler Hall and Colgate will collect languages spoken on campus.

International Education Week Schedule

Monday, Nov. 15

Vietnamese Lunch in the Dining Hall

International Travel Photo Exhibit Opening Reception

Wheeler Hall, 4–6 p.m.

Peruse photographs from around the world contributed by members of the Colby-Sawyer community on display to showcase the beautiful, memorable and moving places we have been… and to inspire the travel bug in others! Exhibit will be on display through Friday, Nov. 19.

Global Film Series and Discussion Hosted by Professor Eva Szalvai: “Masquerades”

Wheeler Hall, 7 p.m.

Beautifully brought to life by a memorable cast, this heartfelt comedy suggests that when dreams become reality, it's time to wake up.(Arabic, with subtitles in English. Algeria, 2008)

Tuesday, Nov. 16

French Crepes Lunch in the Dining Hall

Student Perspectives on the Middle East Conflict

Wheeler Hall 6-7 p.m.

Student Michael Bisset spent last summer at Tel Aviv University studying the Middle East conflict. Sameh Matar is a freshman from Palestine. These two students will engage in a dialogue with Professor Joe Carroll about the region's conflict from their perspectives.

Kids 4 Peace Presentation by Josh Thomas

Wheeler Hall, 7 p.m.

Kids 4 Peace is an interfaith initiative that creates peacemakers amongst the children of the Abrahamic faith communities in Vermont, Palestine and Israel. Each summer, Kids4Peace tries to plants the seeds of long-term peace for the next generation of Middle Easterners and Americans by focusing on the spiritual commonalities within Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

Global Film Series and Discussion Hosted by Professor Linas Kalvaitis: “Adrift”

Wheeler Hall, 8 p.m.

Saturated with erotic tension, director Bui Thac Chuyen's sensuous and absorbing second feature traces the emotional and psychological landscapes of lust and desire, weaving an atmospheric tale of love and life in modern Hanoi.(Vietnamese, with subtitles in English. Vietnam, 2009)

Wednesday, Nov. 17

Brazilian Lunch in the Dining Hall

Passport Event and Global Knowledge Game/Passport Fee Raffle

Wheeler Hall 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

New London post office staff will be on hand to process Colby-Sawyer students' U.S. passport applications. In addition, students may play a global trivia game to enter to win a passport application fee raffle (value of $140). There will be three drawings for the passport fees.

Stories of Study Abroad

Wheeler Hall 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Stop by this poster session to learn about Colby-Sawyer students' reflections on their study abroad experiences.

My Afghanistan: Student Iraj Khaliqi Speaks About his Country

Wheeler Hall, 6 p.m.

Global Film Series and Discussion Hosted by Professor Randy Hanson: "Becloud"

Wheeler Hall, 7 p.m.

In this shrewd and well-acted story, director Alejandro Gerber Bicecci turns a tangled neighborhood tale into an enthralling mix of history, memory and atonement, creating an unexpected parable of modern Mexico itself. (Spanish, with subtitles in English. Mexico, 2009)

Thursday, Nov. 18

Moroccan Lunch in the Dining Hall

One Tibet, Many Meanings

Wheeler Hall 6-7 p.m.

Students from the U.S., China, Tibet and Nepal, with Professor Eric Boyer, will present and lead a discussion on the situation in Tibet.

Global Film Series and Discussion Hosted by Professor Eric Boyer: "My Tehran For Sale"

Wheeler Hall, 7:15 p.m.

Set against the backdrop of Tehran's thriving arts culture, and framed through a series of artful and dramatic flashback sequences, poet-turned-filmmaker Granaz Moussavi boldly registers the trials of a modern woman struggling to flourish in Iran's contemporary political climate. (Farsi and English, with subtitles in English. Iran, 2009)

Friday, Nov. 19

Middle Eastern Lunch in the Dining Hall

For more information about events at Colby-Sawyer during International Education Week, email Pamela Serota Cote, Associate Dean of International and Diversity Programs, or call 603-526-3750.