Volunteers from the International Student Centre hand out welcome kits Thursday outside Vanier Hall.Volunteers from the International Student Centre hand out welcome kits Thursday outside Vanier Hall.

International students gear up for life in Windsor

Even though most students aren’t on campus right now, the International Student Centre still wants them to feel part of campus life, says director Beth Oakley.

That’s why the centre set up outside Vanier Hall on Thursday, distributing packages of material to welcome new arrivals to the University.

“Our international students are travelling at all different times,” Oakley says. “Some are still trying to get settled. We want to give them a little piece of Windsor.”

Students received a drawstring backpack with a UWindsor Proud T-shirt, chocolate treats, and other gear to acclimatize to Canadian life.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Mostafa Faramarzi. The engineering grad student had just completed two weeks in quarantine after arriving from his home in the Iranian city of Shahrekord.

“When I got the email there was an event on that date, I knew right away I would come,” he says. “It’s a great way for me to celebrate my first day being outside.”

Organizers hope the recipients will share their Lancer feeling Nov. 4. They have invited international students to participate in Windsor Wednesday by sharing photos of themselves wearing blue and gold, tagging @UWindsorISC and #UWinProud. The centre will draw an entry at random to receive a $25 gift card.