International students desire campus experience
Erica Tuggle
Issue date: 9/17/09 Section: News
One month after classes started, 10 international students are still living in Chattanooga area hotels and away from the dorm rooms they requested and paid for, according to three international students.
Lionel Probest and Stefan Rottuueiler, both seniors from Germany, and Jan Benes, a graduate student from the Czech Republic said they feel like their American experience has been put on hold by living out of a suitcase for so long.
Probest said the room that he and Rottuueiler stay in at the hotel is small and poorly lit.
"We only have one microwave for the entire hotel," Probest said.
"No oven, no fridge, nothing. It's gross and unhealthy," he said.
Rottuueiler said they only have one small table on which to study in the room, and this makes it hard to get work done.
"We are far away from campus, and don't feel a part of the UTC community," Rottuueiler said.
Rottuueiler said it is stressful waiting on the shuttle to take them to and from the hotel.
"Just a trip to the gym to workout takes several trips and about an hour, when living on campus it would take ten minutes," Probest said.
An international student from Spain moved out Tuesday and the rest of the students are planning on moving in the next few weeks.
Benes said that the International Student Exchange Program threatened to sue UTC for breach of contract, and that is why the students are finally able to move.
Fifty non-international university students were moved on campus during the first few weeks of the semester, but only one international student has been moved, Katie Christie, a junior from Oakland, Tenn., who works with the international studies program wrote in an e-mail.
"These students should have been first priority, since this is not their country and they are only here for a limited time," Christie wrote.
Steven Hood, the director of housing, has stated that all students will be moved on campus by Christmas, but Christie said this does not do some international students much good since they are only here for one semester.
Probest and Benes said it was a month before UTC noticed their problem, and said they feel like the university does not care.
"It's not like we just came here to study," Probest said. "We want to get to know people and party and interact."
Benes said, "I want to know how important international students are to UTC. Are they proud we are here, or are we a nuisance?"
Probest said, "We saved money and worked hard to get here in obtaining visas. This was a lot of money, and we want to have the best experience."
Rottuueiler said, "This is something you do once in a lifetime."
Probest said he has adapted to it.
"Getting angry doesn't make sense, but this makes me feel powerless," Probest said.
Lionel Probest and Stefan Rottuueiler, both seniors from Germany, and Jan Benes, a graduate student from the Czech Republic said they feel like their American experience has been put on hold by living out of a suitcase for so long.
Probest said the room that he and Rottuueiler stay in at the hotel is small and poorly lit.
"We only have one microwave for the entire hotel," Probest said.
"No oven, no fridge, nothing. It's gross and unhealthy," he said.
Rottuueiler said they only have one small table on which to study in the room, and this makes it hard to get work done.
"We are far away from campus, and don't feel a part of the UTC community," Rottuueiler said.
Rottuueiler said it is stressful waiting on the shuttle to take them to and from the hotel.
"Just a trip to the gym to workout takes several trips and about an hour, when living on campus it would take ten minutes," Probest said.
An international student from Spain moved out Tuesday and the rest of the students are planning on moving in the next few weeks.
Benes said that the International Student Exchange Program threatened to sue UTC for breach of contract, and that is why the students are finally able to move.
Fifty non-international university students were moved on campus during the first few weeks of the semester, but only one international student has been moved, Katie Christie, a junior from Oakland, Tenn., who works with the international studies program wrote in an e-mail.
"These students should have been first priority, since this is not their country and they are only here for a limited time," Christie wrote.
Steven Hood, the director of housing, has stated that all students will be moved on campus by Christmas, but Christie said this does not do some international students much good since they are only here for one semester.
Probest and Benes said it was a month before UTC noticed their problem, and said they feel like the university does not care.
"It's not like we just came here to study," Probest said. "We want to get to know people and party and interact."
Benes said, "I want to know how important international students are to UTC. Are they proud we are here, or are we a nuisance?"
Probest said, "We saved money and worked hard to get here in obtaining visas. This was a lot of money, and we want to have the best experience."
Rottuueiler said, "This is something you do once in a lifetime."
Probest said he has adapted to it.
"Getting angry doesn't make sense, but this makes me feel powerless," Probest said.
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