GLOBE, one of Fordham Lincoln Center’s newest student clubs established this fall, was created to cater to the needs of over 2,500 international students across both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses. Vishesh Chawla, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’25, one of the club’s co-presidents, said that the name “GLOBE” is derived from “Fordham’s Global Link to Openness, Belonging, and Engagement.”
According to Fordham’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions website, 7.6% of the class of 2027 is made up of international students, hailing from all over the globe. The club’s main mission is to support international students, many of whom are adjusting to living in a new country; GLOBE aims to provide these students with a chance to build a community with other international students.
Chawla shared that the current E-Board members filed for club recognition in the fall semester of 2022 and it has taken a year to gain approval for the student organization.
The club held its first meeting on Oct. 19 and opened with a short PowerPoint introduction to GLOBE’s goals from co-president Jacobo Fliman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, and Chawla. During the welcome meeting, the E-Board highlighted that GLOBE “aims to encourage the growth of the international community at Fordham by giving international students a medium to voice their concerns, receive support, and learn about the American culture.”
GLOBE expressed in their first meeting that they hope to provide a safe space for international students to discuss any issues they face during their time at Fordham. Members will get the chance to meet with international students in their junior and senior years, and possibly some international student alumni, who can offer mentorship and advice throughout their undergraduate journey at Fordham University.
The remainder of GLOBE’s E-Board members include treasurer Pauline Pryzwara, FCLC ’23; secretary Aryan Girdhar, FCLC ’25; and programming coordinator Arina Medvedeva, FCLC ’24.
The student organization’s leaders have expressed disappointment that such a club was necessary due to the absence of adequate support from the university.
At the club’s first meeting, the presentation and introductions were followed by a few rounds of “speed friending” and closed with an opportunity for students to mingle and get to know one another as Insomnia Cookies were served. While GLOBE has a noble mission of helping international students familiarize themselves with life in the U.S., the student organization’s leaders have expressed disappointment that such a club was necessary due to the absence of adequate support from the university.
“The Office for International Services is severely underfunded and … not easily accessible,” Pryzwara said, referring to the absence of a phone number on the office’s web page. Pryzwara also shared that in her conversations with other international students, concerns regarding the difficulties of finding the Office for International Service’s (OIS) contact information arose.
OIS states on their website that all general questions should be directed to [email protected].
Minjoo Kim, FCLC ’26, a member of GLOBE and an international student from South Korea, said that he “felt a general lack of community and support for international students after Global Transition” which led him to join GLOBE in order to reconnect with people he had met at Global Transition as a first-year participant and as an orientation group leader in the summer of 2023.
According to Chawla, the Thanksgiving Feast, GLOBE’s biggest event of the semester, will be a collaboration with Lincoln Center’s Campus Activities Board and Commuter Students Association. GLOBE plans to have students come together to mingle and enjoy great international food and possibly win various gift cards.
GLOBE also intends to offer informational workshops focused on helping international students navigate topics like applying for social security numbers, obtaining insurance, taxes and more. There are also exciting events planned for the spring 2024 semester, featuring excursions across NYC and an event aimed at celebrating international students already in the works.
Though GLOBE is targeted toward supporting international students, the E-Board members emphasized that their club is open to everyone. As the name implies, GLOBE is a place where students from diverse backgrounds can come together and find a community where they belong.