A new program from University of Iowa Student Legal Services is trying to aid international students in understanding their rights while living in Iowa. Because international students are often unfamiliar with U.S. laws, the university started the program to inform students of their rights.

Every year, for decades now, the Iowa United Nations Association has held Night of 1,000 Dinners in honor of International Women’s Day. Over these decades, the role that we have played in Iowa City as proponents of international cooperation has shifted. It used to be that our role was to connect Iowans to an international community that seemed so far away and hard to reach. Now, the world has brought the international playing field to our doorstep. International cooperation is our goal not only abroad (“out there”), but also here, here in our state, here in our city, here in our schools.

An internship in Spain can cost roughly $8,000 — not including the $1,500 plane ticket — but some say the experience is priceless. Amanda McFadden, University of Iowa associate director of career advising and international services, thinks the programs can be worth the cost. “I think anywhere you get good work experience is valuable,” she said.

UI student Andrew Mogni sustained serious injuries after a fall in Rome on January 14. He passed away on Sunday morning, April 5, 2015, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

We are now living in the “Anthropocene” (pronounced AN-thruh-puh-seen), the literal definition of which is the “New Age (cene) of Humans (anthropos).” For many people, the notion that we are living in the age of humans might be unremarkably self-evident. But the concept of the Anthropocene challenges us to consider how humans have become the dominant agent of change on Earth. The upcoming Obermann Humanities Symposium at the University of Iowa, March 5-7, “Energy Cultures in the Age of the Anthropocene,” will showcase innovative thinking about how to conceptualize and deal with the large-scale human alterations of environments and ecosystems that have given a new name to the age in which we live.

University of Iowa students are participating in more summer and winter study-abroad programs in order to participate in more than just class. In the 2012-13 school year, 62 percent of UI students participated in study, work, internships, or volunteering during summer or winter sessions — as opposed to 55 percent just three years ago.

Fewer students are enrolling in foreign-language university courses nationally, a study says, but the University of Iowa is not following the trend. According to a survey conducted by the Modern Language Association, there has been a 6 percent decrease in aggregate enrollments. At the UI, however, enrollment numbers have stayed consistent.

Spring Festival — or Chinese New Year — is one of the most important holidays for many Chinese students. Because it occurs during the semester, many say they’ll miss celebrating with their family. University of Iowa senior Yan Sun said she hasn’t celebrated the Spring Festival with her parents for three years.

The Bijou Film Board and FilmScene are partnering on a spring series of foreign film screenings beginning Tuesday. “Movies are often the first experience we have with places in the world that are outside our own upbringing, outside our worldview,” said Leah Vonderheide, executive director of the Bijou Film Board. “And yet, it’s often hard to find international films on local screens — particularly international films from outside Europe.” University of Iowa students who see all five shows will be eligible to win a $1,500 scholarship toward a study abroad opportunity, courtesy of UI International Programs.

KCRG-TV special on Iowa City and its growing Chinese student population. "Leaders in Iowa City are working to better welcome members of the Chinese community with the hopes it will result in more international students eventually taking up permanent residency in the area..."

Zadok Nampala, international student adviser at North Iowa Area Community College, can relate to those he's helping because he was once in their shoes. Nampala, or "Z," as he is known around campus, grew up in Kenya and attended Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and the University of Iowa. Nampala, who has been at NIACC since August, speaks seven languages and frequently uses three of them — Spanish, Arabic and Swahili — when speaking to the international students at NIACC so "they feel at home," he said.

In 2014, major airline crashes killed more than 760 people and, understandably, raised concerns over safety issues and the risks of flying. Less understandably, tobacco use prematurely killed 480,000 people in the U.S. and about 5 million people worldwide but engendered little debate. People hear these figures, shrug and turn away — tobacco death fatigue?