International students engage in civic dialogue at town hall

In an effort to increase engagement of international students in the upcoming election, despite their ineligibility to vote, the Office of International Students and Scholars hosted its first ever International Student Town Hall on Oct. 28 in Whitaker Lab. 

The panelists at the event — Katherine Lavinder, Carolina Hernandez, Andrew Fuller, Brian Fife, Donald Outing, Frank Roth, Nathan Urban, Cheryl Matherly and Jason Schiffer — discussed the influence American politics has on international students and the role they have in democracy.

Amanda Connolly, the director of the Office of International Students and Scholars said the International Student Advisory Board was created this year, composed of 16 students from 15 different countries. 

“It became apparent in our second meeting that international students have a lot of questions regarding how the election process works and affects them,” Connolly said.

She said some international students began to wonder how they fit into the elction process, so the board decided to give them an opportunity to learn how to become more involved.

Eileen Kandie, ‘27, is from Kenya and is a member of the International Student Advisory Board. She said she believes international students should become more involved in the election.

“You know how immigration policies can be changed depending on who is president,” Kandie said. “I think that was part of the main reason why we are holding this meeting because we don’t know how it might affect us.”

She said having more information about the election process may empower international students to have conversations with locals who have the power to vote.

Andrew Fuller, an immigration attorney, was also in attendance and addressed audience questions surrouding immigration and said international students shouldn’t be scared by rhetoric portrayed in the media. 

He said Congress hasn’t made any big changes since 1950 and that the U.S. is working on the bones of a system that is outdated.

“Most immigration changes come through the executive branch, but the Congress hasn’t made any sweeping changes recently,” Fuller said. “Know that if there is a sweeping change, there would be an authority to challenge that.”

Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, Katherine Lavinder, addressed concerns surrounding potential implications of participating in political demonstrations as an international student. She said it’s important to engage in open dialogue while ensuring that differing perspectives are shared in a way that is both safe and respectful. 

She also said while university policies support having diverse viewpoints, demonstrations can’t interfere with operational activities. 

Fuller said he advises students to carefully consider whether demonstrations are lawful, and he acknowledges that legal consequences can be more severe for international students than for domestic students. 

“As an immigration attorney, my job is to think about all the things that can go wrong,” Fuller said. “I want you to put those glasses on and think about whether the demonstrations are consistent with university policies.”.

Implemented by the Office of Student Center Operations last year, Lavinder said the Demonstration Response Team aims to prevent the escalation of demonstrations on campus.

Carolina Hernandez, an assistant dean and the director of the community service office, said there are other ways students can make a difference beyond voting. 

She said students should encourage their peers to vote, involve themselves with partisan and nonpartisan organizations, or even serve as poll observers for the election.

Zelalem Ayalew, ‘26, is from Ethiopia, he felt more informed about the election process after attending the event.

“Sometimes you hear a bunch of stuff, but you don’t know whether it is right or wrong, even if it is from your friends,” Ayalew said. “Hearing the panelists’ great answers helps me understand what’s happening better.”