Fordham's Newest Club: International Community at Fordham (ICF)

Big news for International Students! As of Friday, October 15 Fordham University officially welcomed it's newest student club, the International Community at Fordham.

ICF members at the first meeting of the 2010-2011 school year

As a new member myself, I spoke with Social Chair Monica Stark to get to know the club, its members and its purpose.

Michelle FlorCruz: Who makes up ICF?

Monica Stark: ICF is open to any member of the Fordham community. We represent a wide range of students. We have members from China, India, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, American, and many more countries.

MF:Why was ICF formed?
MS: ICF was formed by senior Alex Slavtchev FCRH '11 and graduate Lee Su CBA '10 because there was no club at Fordham that represented the international community as a whole. They saw the importance of forming a strong relationship between international and non-international students at Fordham.

MF: What kinds of goals or plans does ICF have for the future? What are a few things the group has already done?

MS: ICF has three main goals. The first is to bring cultural awareness to the Fordham community. The second is to build a global network for students. The third is to have a mentor program for incoming international students. One of our most successful events was during International Business week last spring. We represented over 15 countries any had over 100 people attend the event. It was a great learning experience for many of the Globe Students.

MF: Why do you believe ICF is essential to Fordham?
MS: ICF is essential because the international community is the fastest growing sector of the Fordham population. Last year there were 300 international students throughout Fordham's campuses and now there is 1,000 international students. There is no other club that brings everyone from such diverse backgrounds together. ICF is also a support for international students who want to voice their issues with being a international student at Fordham.

ICF representing different countries at a networking event, International Business Week

For more information about the club, visit their Facebook page or email them directly at icfordham@gmail.com