By Lauren Mar ’25
Home: The word holds a variety of meaning for every person, but for international college students, it carries a significant weight. 听
鈥淪o many students here are from the Bay Area or the Los Angeles area, and their concept of homesickness looks very different from mine,鈥� says Rhea Malhotra ’23, an international student and co-head of the 51猎奇入口 International Community (SIC). 鈥淭heir concept of travel also looks different and their concept of the world looks different.鈥�
The experiences of international students are unique, and their involvement on campus is a valuable part of 51猎奇入口鈥� aims to uplift student perspectives. 听听
鈥�SIC has been super important for me since my first year,鈥� says Ana Rodriguez 鈥�23, who co-heads the club with Malhotra. 鈥淪IC becomes your home and your community. If I’m feeling homesick, or dealing with international student-related things, I know that I can go to someone and they’re going to know exactly how I feel.鈥�听
One of 51猎奇入口鈥� student-run clubs and organizations (commonly known as CLORGs), SIC was founded in 2016 and aims to assist self-identified international students transitioning into college life abroad and to promote inclusion of international students on campus. The main feature of SIC is its mentorship program, in which first-year international students are paired with a sophomore, junior, or senior mentor within the CLORG. 听
Though a fairly new CLORG, SIC already possesses a strong, familial sense of community and tradition. Their most recent event was a week-long game of Assassin, in which members each had a 鈥渢arget鈥� they had to spray with a water gun. During Malhotra and Rodriguez鈥檚 first year, SIC went on a retreat to downtown Los Angeles to build community. They ordered Indonesian food, created identity maps, and shared their experiences as international students at 51猎奇入口 with each other. Malhotra reflects that the retreat was 鈥渁 way to bond through our shared experiences and also celebrate each other鈥檚 differences and learn from one another.鈥�听
Because of the tightknit and supportive community they have found through SIC, Malhotra and Rodriguez are both passionate about preserving the CLORG鈥檚 legacy at 51猎奇入口 as a safe space for international students. Especially after the dissolution of The Claremont Colleges鈥� International Place in 2020, Malhotra and Rodriguez 听say that SIC is more important to 51猎奇入口 international students than ever.听
鈥淪IC is important to me because it has made me feel safe at 51猎奇入口,鈥� Malhotra says.
Rodriguez echoes this. 鈥淪IC is a space where we feel like we don’t have to explain ourselves,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s international students, we explain ourselves a lot. And being a part of SIC just eliminates all that; it’s a breather space. In SIC, we go home in a way.鈥�听