A Break from the Hustle and Bustle

There are no classes, exams, papers, or extracurricular commitments to juggle, but for the more than 150 students who remain on campus, the six weeks of winter break can still be busy—but at a much more leisurely pace.

Swimmers and men's and women's basketball players remain for a few weeks into the break for scheduled competitions, while other students are conducting research or student teaching. More than half of the students on campus are international students who choose to stay because it's too expensive or time consuming to travel home.

Rebecca Eckart is the assistant director of international student services and schedules a number of activities to keep international students busy over break, including shopping trips and a table tennis tournament. "Students do a variety of things," says Eckart. "Some are traveling to family or friends they have in the U.S., some seniors are using their time to prep for the GRE and work on grad school applications, some are working on campus, and some are watching a lot of Netflix."

President Teresa Amott hosted a Thanksgiving dinner in her home for international students and many are spending time with their host families through the International Friendship Program, which pairs Knox students with local families. Priya Yeleswarapu of Malaysia traveled to Wisconsin with her host family to celebrate Thanksgiving. "It was a great experience to see how Thanksgiving is celebrated and see the United States," says the sophomore, who also helped her host family decorate their Christmas tree and make cookies. "They've been introducing me to American culture. They honestly are a home away from home."

Coltan Parker is on campus this winter doing research for College Honors on a therapy to treat PTSD and other anxiety disorders. "I've grown to really enjoy the quieter atmosphere (it feels as if all of the buildings on campus are hibernating), and the space I have to focus and schedule my days exactly as I want," says Parker. "People are constantly reaching out about taking trips to the supermarket, getting dinner together someplace, or just hanging out on the weekends. I've actually met a lot of new friends and gotten to know people very closely being here over break.

"In short, it feels nice. It's started to really feel like home."

Pictured above: Students compete in a table tennis tournament in Taylor Lounge. Zhaofeng (Jay) Wang won the singles tournament for the third year in a row. Pictured below: Senior Coltan Parker in the psychology lab.