A New Way of Seeing by Alice Coghlan

"The lessons of our retreat were so vital to the way that I have approached the rest of my I-House experience. The retreat overwhelmed me with curiosity as to how the rest of the world could be. Suddenly I was no longer apathetic to my new environment but madly curious about it. I wanted to know these people and I wanted them to know me and who I was, am, and will become through them."

Believe in Your Dreams by Julia Zamorska

"The couple of months here helped me to get rid of my stereotypes, to grasp in reality the ideas that were presented to me in theories during my anthropology lectures, to understand my religion and to value my Polish identity fully. And most importantly, it made me a different person, a braver citizen of the world-wide community who believes that dreams do come true."

The Stoniness of Stones by Ariane Zambiras

"...For some weird reason, my good old stereotypes just did not apply here... I can not assume anything about the person I am talking to, and by a wonderful principle of reversibility, this person does not assume anything about me either, because we learn to think according to what we perceive and feel, and not according to what we think we know... This is the most wonderful lesson that I-House has taught me: defamiliarization, ...[and has] made me see the stoniness of the stone, in its most marvelous colors and spices."

My Name Means Peace by Irene Fernandez

"Yes, my name means peace, but I can make war if I need to defend my group. ...I [have] become more out spoken with my younger friends in the I-House about how they treat the older residents. Sometimes, they did not know that their comments were discriminatory. This semester my name means 'warrior'. I am going to fight for more understanding between generations."

A Ticket to Sunday Supper by Michelle Khine

"My International House experience was undoubtedly the most incredible, influential, and memorable time of my life. Here, I fell in love for the first time. I learned to truly depend on people...and to share a part of myself in return. I also learned never to really say goodbye to my I-House friends because, as the world is shrinking, I know our paths will cross again. So, until then, so long I-House, my dear friend."

Community:
What it Means to Me by Manolo Figallo

"As the semester draws to a close, and for me an academic career, I realize that learning the value of community is a lifelong skill. The world, much like I-House, is very crowded and constantly changing. We have to deal with surroundings that are constantly changing at an unprecedented pace, and we [find that] things are constantly coming at us. Respecting others and negotiating our differences to adapt to these changes are what living in a community are all about..."