From the intimate to the ordinary, life in this Midwestern college town is changing. The iconic Hamburg Inn, the diner where presidential candidates have stumped for decades, still dishes up its famous "pie shakes." But take a closer look: Bubble tea shops outnumber Starbucks 3 to 1, and nearly 1 in 10 students at the University of Iowa hails from China.

The 2015 International Student Support and Integration Report, prepared by the University of Iowa International Student Committee, is now available. Covering the period from 2008-2015, the report assesses the growth and effectiveness of programs and initiatives related to international students on the University of Iowa campus.

More than 400 incoming freshmen, their parents, and alumni joined UI faculty and staff in early July for pre-departure orientation sessions in Beijing and Shanghai, China. This was the third year of on-site orientation sessions and the largest group of attendees to date. Attendees heard orientation presentations from UI staff, personal reflections on life at Iowa from panels of UI students and alumni, and had the opportunity to ask their own questions during a Q&A and two reception events.

Two young professionals from Southeast Asia will spend May in Iowa City as part of a cultural-exchange program started by President Obama.

Nigerian student Esther Bila said she thought she was competing for a school trophy when she was asked to take a special exam. However, she ended up earning a yearlong scholarship to study in the United States through the Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program.

Known by some as the "Dumpling Darling," Lesley Triplett began her own Korean-style dumpling stand at the Iowa City Farmer's Market in July 2014 and has been expanding the business ever since. The UI communications graduate says her unique business venture was inspired by her love of travel, which began with a study abroad experience during her time at the University of Iowa.

A photo exhibition of Wang’s work will run through May 12 in the Adler Journalism Building Resource Center. Photographs include representations of bicycle repairmen and construction from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

In an effort to raise awareness about the tragedy that has struck Nepal, community members gathered for a candlelight vigil Tuesday in Cedar Rapids.

Twelve Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) scholars were honored at the College of Engineering’s Student Recognition Luncheon on April 17, 2015 with certificates of achievement.

Members of organizations seeking to purchase new luxury automobiles in order to export them to China for resale are approaching University of Iowa students. Luxury cars that typically sell at around $50,000 to $80,000 in the United States can be sold for as much as two or three times those prices in China.

In the run-up to the International Dance Day on April 29, UNESCO's official Dance Day Around the World webpage highlighted an Iowa City event Tuesday. InterDance, created nine years ago by Nora Garda, celebrates the world of dance in the state of Iowa. It features two days of free performances and workshops throughout central Iowa City on Friday and Saturday. The events include tango at Trumpet Blossom Café, 310 E. Prentiss St., performances by dance companies on the Pentacrest, and workshops featuring Afro-Caribbean-Indian dance at Gateway Dance Theater, 700 S. Dubuque St.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Thursday unanimously approved the creation of a community ID program, the first of its kind in the Midwest and one that supporters say will help bring hundreds of local residents out of the shadows. "I just think that this is an incredible, historic day in Johnson County," Jesse Case, Community ID Group member and president of the Iowa City Federation of Labor, said to the supervisors after the vote. "I've never seen a city with elected officials so willing to come together and work with people for an issue like this."