Home is where the world is for International House students
by Byron Kho
The Summer Pennsylvanian
July 15, 2004
Though International House is most known for its cultural contributions to the community, it is gradually earning another name for itself through its recent emphasis on some of the other aspects of global relations and understanding.
Oliver St. Clair Franklin, president and CEO of International House, began expanding the organization's mission after his appointment in July of last year.
"Eventually, I want to see International House become part of the public dialogue on internationalism," Franklin says.
The idea for International House came in 1908, after an encounter with lonely Chinese students looking for friendship on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Rev. A. Waldo Stevenson, along with the help of the Christian Association at Penn, invited them home and started an organization that would eventually help hundreds of foreign students grow acclimated to American culture.
Today, it is a non-profit organization dedicated to a "global community," and is located at 3701 Chestnut St. It is perhaps the most effective place to carry out its work -- only minutes away from Drexel University and Penn, which together enroll two thirds of the foreign students studying in Philadelphia. It holds the honor of being the first International House to be established -- and more importantly, it is the first to offer public programming.
As home to over 350 students from 80 different countries, International House is no stranger to the international perspective -- but Franklin's objective is to bring these ideas into the public forum.
"We are trying to represent the non-American perspective," Franklin explains. "To get to understanding, we need to be able to see other points of view. International House provides a space for that."
Drawing from his background in business -- with mutual fund company Fidelity Investments among others -- Franklin has brought a decidedly business-oriented feel to the new programming offered at International House.
Chief among these are such venues as the World Economic Lecture Series, which has brought in experts such as famed investor Jim Rogers, author of Adventure Capitalist. In coming months, International House will also host ambassadors from Mali, Afghanistan and Indonesia as part of the Ambassador Series. The intention of this program is for each ambassador to not only meet his constituency, but to meet local businesses as well in an effort to create global opportunities.
Other attempts at international dialogue include the high-profile Global Gala. For approximately 50 years, it has existed as a major Philadelphia social event and is today the main source of unrestricted income for International House. During this past year, it highlighted the Commonwealth of Nations and featured the Duke of Gloucester as a celebrity guest.
In the upcoming season, the Global Gala will feature China. Franklin and other members of the International House staff say they are excited about this prospect -- there are already plans for programming associated with China, from cultural festivals to film screenings.
Franklin also realizes that with such involvement in promoting internationalism in the community comes great responsibility.
"International House must also be an incubator for global leadership," he says.
In order to do this, Franklin has created programs such as the Jubilee International Education Initiative. This program offers inner city students the chance to network with experts in their fields, as well as to spend a summer studying in the United Kingdom.
For those unable to participate in the public dialogue as a result of language difficulties, there is the Spoken English Program and other foreign language courses.
"This program helps students, visiting scholars -- even au pairs -- develop survival skills and adjust to professional life," says Barbara Warnock, manager of the Spoken English Program. "They get comfortable with idiom, and learn what is culturally appropriate."
Artistically, International House is home to numerous music and dance performances, as well as cultural festivals -- which include participation from the public and residents alike.
Renae Dinerman, director of programs at International House, is particularly proud of its annual Chinese New Year festival.
"Initially, it started as a residential program, but it has extended to the rest of the city. Chinatown is now very involved, and they bring in food, vendors, artists for us," she said.
For the most part, Dinerman explains, designing programs for International House is very flexible. "Because we are so unbureaucratic, we can attach ourselves to the latest cultural offerings without a problem," she says.
One of the most visible programs at International House is its film program. Drawing students and city residents to the building for 25 years, it is the most respected venue for global film in Philadelphia.
According to Michael Chaiken, the director of Film at International House, the program attempts to show "international cinema that has come to the fore, and what's most vital."
"We try to be a pioneer and show stuff to people that wouldn't be shown here in Philadelphia otherwise," he says.
The film area also boasts impressive facilities, which include a 400-seat theater and the ability to show 16mm, 35mm and all digital video formats -- a feat unmatched by any other theater in Philadelphia.
However, even as the busy events calendar of International House brings acclaim to this burgeoning center for global understanding, the residents who are the reason for International House's existence cannot be forgotten.
Like the rest of International House, the residence is designed to allow a maximum of communication -- most residents live in suites of single rooms that open into a common area, perfect for interaction.
Windolyn Panganiban, a visiting scholar and resident, remarked that "they really want people to gel together."
Residents are also strongly encouraged to expose themselves to the cultural and social influences so readily present at International House.
"The effort is there, to expose us to different cultures," Panganiban says. "It's obvious every day."