The International Buccaneer Buddies are continuing to support international students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Promoting friendship and international understanding, IBB is a student organization set up to help new international students adjust to life at ETSU. Students who sign up are paired with a volunteer student buddy for their first month at ETSU, who helps them adjust to their new life as a student in America.
Throughout the year, IBB students can participate in activities and trips that allow them to get to know other students better. The organization has around 200 students from 28 different countries and welcomes everyone, regardless of race, social class, culture, religion, sexual orientation, or political and social views.
“Isolation is a big barrier for international students being successful here,” said Brittany Brooks, International Student Success coordinator. “IBB is just meant to help with that.”
Some international students returned to their home countries after classes moved online, while others remained on campus. IBB assisted students with finding flights to return home and is continuing to support students on and off campus by informing them of resources and opportunities still available to them.
The organization uses social media to connect students, who can send in videos to the IBB Update Series and participate in a “Cooking Around the World” series. There are also weekly zoom hangouts, and Brooks has open office hours on zoom for students to check in with any questions or concerns they may have. Brooks also puts out a weekly IBB newsletter. Graduating students had a virtual farewell social, and IBB has set up a closet for graduating students to leave items from their apartments that can be passed on to new students.
“It’s really about letting IBB students know that we are still here for them, supporting them, and they’re not in this alone,” said Brooks. “We’re all in this together.”
IBB has allowed students and leaders to see different perspectives of how the pandemic has affected countries and people around the world. Sophomore and IBB leader, Morgan Weathers, said many international students are currently living a dual life as they continue their studies from home.
“The biggest thing is staying connected with the students that they met [at ETSU,] because a lot of them were just forming deeper relationships with people here, and they basically lost a whole experience,” she said.
Weathers also encouraged international students to reconnect with friends from home who they may have lost touch with during their time at ETSU.
The effect the pandemic will have on the number of students choosing to study abroad is uncertain, but Brooks hopes the long-term effect won’t be too severe and international students continue to choose to study at ETSU.
“We love our international students, and we value diversity and different perspectives,” she said. “[Studying abroad] is important and life changing.”
Brooks encouraged international students to join IBB because it gives them an automatic support system, and domestic students should join because it gives them the opportunity to meet others from a different cultural background. Weathers encouraged American students to join because they will learn a lot.
“I grew as a person,” said Weathers. “It makes you realize different perspectives in life.”
Some of the events at the beginning of the semester included a welcome social to welcome new international students to ETSU, a bowling night, a K-Pop dance tutorial and Battle of the Brains, an annual trivia night, which was the last event before students moved off campus. There was also an event in the Multicultural Center to answer any questions international students might have about COVID-19.
The organization is working on new developments to help international students settle at ETSU, such as international advisors and more international food choices through dining services.
