The I-House Connection: August 2021

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director

August 12, 2021

Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director

Dear I-House Alumni and Friends,

In this issue of the I-House Connection, I’d like to offer some reflections on my first year, provide an update on our reopening, and share with you some thoughts on the year to come. Everyone at I-House has been working hard to prepare for the return of our residents, and it is an incredible feeling to have welcomed some of our first early arrivals this week! In this issue, Cedric Martin, Director of Hospitality Services, and Shanea Gideon, Resident Support Services Manager, share some of the ways we are working to provide a safe and rewarding experience. As Regina Parker, Human Resources Manager, highlights below, we are still looking for a few more extraordinary people to join the I-House team and welcome referrals from the I-House community. And speaking of community, we are delighted that we have exceeded our initial goal of 1,000 registrants as new residents and more and more of our alumni and friends have joined our ihberkeleyconnect.org platform. Thanks to all of you for your support and best wishes for our reopening this Fall!

Sincerely,

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director
Shaun R. Carver
Executive Director
International House, UC Berkeley

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director

Shaun Carver, Executive Director, reflects on his one-year anniversary at International House

Dining Reopening for Residents

Cedric Martin We have been hard at work putting practices in place that will promote a safe dining and events atmosphere. We know the last year has been a challenge for everyone and we look forward to being able to provide residents with a positive and pleasant dining experience. With that in mind, we have reduced the number of chairs in the dining room so that everyone has an acceptable amount of social distancing space to dine comfortably. Additionally, we have increased the dining hours of operation to accommodate the lower number of seats.  Below are some of the guidelines that have been implemented for the safety of our community:
1.   Masks are required at all times except when consuming meals;
2.   No outside beverage/beverage containers will be permitted;
3.   No backpacks will be allowed inside the dining room. The cubbies are available at the entrance of the dining area;
4.   No food is allowed to be taken out of the dining room;
5.   Residents and staff entering dining must show their green daily clearance badge.

These guidelines were created with everyone's safety in mind. Some of these guidelines may change as the CDC, State and local parameters are updated.

STAY TUNED FOR … A newly renovated International House Café featuring coffee, small bites, beer, and wine.

If you have any questions about International House dining and hospitality services, please feel free to contact me at ihdining@berkeley.edu

Cedric Martin
Director of Hospitality Services

Meet Shanea Gideon, Resident Support Services (RSS) Manager

Hello everyone! My name is Shanea and I am very excited to be back at International House! As manager of Resident Support Services, my primary role is to promote a positive residential experience for every person living at International House. I supervise all of the lovely Resident Assistants (RAs) who play an important role at I-House. I am a resource for them to come to and ask questions, express concerns, or just say hi and talk. I also serve as a mediator in conflict and crisis intervention, noise disruptions, floor disputes, and unauthorized gatherings.

A little about me: I am a UC Berkeley alumna who lived at I-House, so I know what it’s like to be a new resident here. I also have worked at I-House for many years as the Residential Life Coordinator, so residents can feel free to ask me questions about the house or about campus life. I enjoy going on boba (aka bubble tea) runs, swimming, and painting.

Join me in congratulating the 2021-2022 Academic Year RAs:

Yunde (Alexia) Li
Amir Mohiuddin
Haikun Liu

Josie Buchan
Paulina Tarr
Fatima Itzel Torres

William Kayitare
Nicolas Lezaca Melo
Mahnum Khan

Still Hiring!
Regina Parker, Human Resources Manager

We are continuing to recruit for a variety of roles at International House. The search is underway for job opportunities in our Dining and Hospitality Services, Operations, and Admissions.

If you or someone you know would be interested in any of these positions, please visit the Jobs portal: ihouse.berkeley.edu/jobs For hiring questions, please email HR@ihouseberkeley.org.

Our Global Community Welcomes Incoming Residents!

We are excited to welcome incoming residents to join us online at I-House Berkeley Connect. Alumni, and now residents, may join and sign up to be a mentor or a Global Community Ambassador to share the I-House spirit with new residents and fellow alumni.

I-House Berkeley Connect Recent Members August 2021

We delivered this platform at a critical moment in our history, and it has been key to staying connected during our temporary closure. Here are just a few more ways you can interact with the global community: