'I-House" offers students a home away from home

The independent International House serves students from numerous area universities. A wide range of backgrounds and cultures unite at the International House, where students and staff members -- many of whom are University students -- work together to create a remarkably different kind of living environment. The International House program, or I-House for short, was first created in 1908 to aid some of Penn's international students who were unhappy with their current living situations at the University. Today, I-House, a gray, concrete building at 37th and Chestnut streets, is a place where international students have the option of living with American students in a multicultural environment. Because International House, a privately owned residence, is not affiliated with Penn, students from universities all over Philadelphia have the opportunity to live there. Penn students comprise about half of the building's approximately 400 residents. "We work closely with Penn," said Doris Fretz, the director of resident and international student programs at I-House. "We have Penn, Drexel and Temple students living together, which adds a whole new dynamic to I-House," said third-year School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Stephen Frye, who still calls England his home. Deeyin Leong, a first-year Education graduate student, said that living with students who attend different universities creates a very relaxed environment. "I think that there is a lot less stress here because each university has a different testing schedule," added Leong. One misconception about I-House is that it is only a residence for foreign students. Instead, Fretz described the building as "a residence for any student interested in diversity and multiculturalism." "It can be frustrating when you are trying to communicate with someone who doesn't have a grasp for English," Frye said. But he added that "it's rewarding when six months down the line, a foreign student's [English] speaking skills have really improved." According to Fretz, I-House's mission is to bring together people from different backgrounds and viewpoints so that they can learn from each other. Students enjoy free movies, concerts and dances at the Arts Center, which helps to bring residents together in social settings. The I-House also publishes a bi-monthly newspaper to keep residents informed about upcoming events, such as international film festivals. One disadvantage some students highlighted was the lack of privacy. "Because each suite has ten suitemates? people who really value their privacy might find it a bit overwhelming," said Leong. Leong stressed, however, that the close-knit environment at I-House continually forces her to interact and practice her English skills with her suitemates. "The rooms are so small that they force you to come out and talk to people," she said. The International House also has a limited amount of computer resources. Wharton junior Dhara Jani noted that "there aren't many computers here, but [I-House is] working on getting more." Frye added that "because we're not part of Penn, we don't have ResNet," the University's residential video and computer network. Despite these complaints, many residents said they were satisfied with International House's diverse atmosphere. "'Cosmopolitan' understates what the International House is all about," said Frye. "And it's great to see different cultures getting along with each other and seeing just how similar different cultures really are."

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