June 2, 2008

Important Summer Announcements from ISS

1. OPT information sessions

If you will be graduating at the end of Summer or Fall quarter, then it's time to start planning for Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT allows F1 students to remain in the U.S. after graduation to work in your field of study. To learn more about the application requirements, the timeline for applying, and all the new OPT regulations, please RSVP to iss@rit.edu and indicate which date you plan on attending:

Wednesday, June 11th, 12pm - 1pm, Clark A or
Friday, June 20th, 3pm - 4pm, Clark A

2. Volunteers Needed for Henna Workshop on June 19th

International Student Services will be hosting a workshop on Thursday, June 19th from 9:30am - 12:30pm for a group of adults from the Rochester community (who have mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities) to learn about the art of Mehndi/henna. Handouts and a power-point presentation have been created by OASIS and Global Union to highlight the history of Mehndi. The workshop is designed to be hands-on, meaning participants will also have a chance to actually apply a simple henna design. We are in need of approximately 6 volunteers to assist us in leading this workshop. If you are interested, please email Deidre Serrano at dssisa@rit.edu.

Thank you in advance for your help!

3. Baseball Game at Frontier Field, Friday evening, June 27th

Rochester International Council invites you to see an All-American Redwings Baseball game. $10 will include your roundtrip bus ride from campus and your ticket. If you have never experienced this classic American pastime, you're in for a treat! Seats are limited, so stop by the ISS Office soon to reserve your place! (Cash or check payment is required at the time of registration.)

4. Day trip to Canandaigua, New York, Saturday, July 26th

This is a brand new Rochester International Council trip to the beautiful lakeside town of Canandaigua, NY! We will stop for a visit at Sonnenberg Garden & Historic Mansion State Park and spend the afternoon at the Waterfront Art Festival. $20 will include your roundtrip bus ride, as well as your entrance fee to the museum and the festival. Seats are limited, and cash or check payment is required at the time of sign-up. As a reminder, ISS is open 8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday.
We hope you'll join us!

5. Drivers needed to welcome new students August 18 - 21

ISS and Global Union are collaborating this year to expand the airport pick-up service we offer to new international students. If you have a valid U.S. driver's license and are interested in helping us out, please email Deidre Serrano at dssisa@rit.edu for more details.

6. RIC Cookbook

The Rochester International Council is preparing a taste-tempting cookbook featuring international recipes from our diverse body of members, students and visitors. The cookbook will be beautifully illustrated and bound. We would like you to submit as many of your favorite international recipes for consideration. We are excited to begin this project and we'll send you information on purchasing the cookbook once it is completed. Proceeds from our cookbook sales will help fund future RIC programs. To submit your recipes, please go to: http://www.rifc.org/cookbook/recipe_form.html