ISS February Newsletter
February 1, 2015
I nt er n a t i o na l
S t ud ent
S er vi c e s
In This Issue
What is
1
Valentine’s
Day
General
2
Reminders
Upcoming
Events
3
Valentine’s Day: The Month Of Love
What Is Valentines Day?
The origins of Valentine's Day are not
clear but many sources believe that it
stems from the story of St Valentine, a
Roman priest who was martyred on or
around February 14 in the year 270 CE.
How he became the patron saint of lovers remains a mystery but one theory is
that the church used the day of St Valentine’s martyrdom to Christianize the
Valentine’s Day is on February
old Roman Lupercalia, a pagan festival
held around the middle of February.
The ancient ceremony included putting girls’ names in a box and letting the
boys draw them out. Couples would then be paired off until the following
year. The Christian church substituted saints’ names for girls’ names in
hope that the participant would model his life after the saint whose name he
drew. However, it was once again girls’ names that ended up in the box by
the 16th century.
Eventually the custom of sending anonymous cards or messages to those
whom one admired became the accepted way of celebrating Valentine’s
Day. There was an increase in interest in Valentine's Day, first in the United
States and then in Canada, in the mid-19th century. Early versions of Valentine cards fashioned of satin and lace and ornamented with flowers, ribbons,
and images of cupids or birds appeared in England in the 1880s.
Fun Facts About Valentines Day
Tax Info &
ITC Update
5
Approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually,
making Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after
Christmas.
Hearts, the colors red and pink, roses, images and statues of cupids, and
cupids’ bows and arrows symbolize the feeling of romance and love on Valentine’s Day.
People who fall in love are sometimes said to be “struck by Cupid's arrow”
General Reminders
Page 2
Employment information
On-Campus Employment
F-1 students in active status are eligible to work on-campus. First, DSOs must
approve students for on-campus employment. The DSO must provide the student with a letter of approval and then they should follow the appropriate steps
to obtain a Social Security number (SSN). (Every F-1 student that becomes
employed in the United States needs an SSN.) Keep in mind, unless the student is eligible for an exemption under emergent circumstances as recognized
by the Secretary of Homeland Security, F-1 students can only work 20 hours
per week with on-campus employment when school is in session.
Your next job could be a click
away!
Off-Campus Employment: Curricular Practical Training
Students who have been in F-1 visa status for one academic year, are eligible to do a internship and/or work off campus. Through Curricular Practical
Training (CPT). The work/internship must be related to their field of study and
tied to a course. Students must obtain this authorization before they start to
work.
We advise that students meet with an ISS advisor to review the application
process and policy. Full details of this is listed on the CPT form located on the
international student portal on CSP connect.
Are you requesting a letter?
We are happy that so many students are using the new international student
portal for letter request. Remember we implemented this system in oder to
better serve students. We ask that you allow up to 3 business days for us to
process the request. If we are slow, we will complete it sooner.
Letter, Letters, Letters!

Remember to fill out the form completely and include as much information as possible.

Letters for tutoring services require documentation from a professional
service.

Letters for conference require detailed information about the conference
(date, cost, location, why you selected the conference).
Page 3
Join us for the Academic Success Workshop
Date: Wednesday, Feb 11
Time: 10:30-11:30
Location: L109
This workshop will review and discuss ways to be successful here at Concordia. Students will be
able to ask questions, and hear from other students ways they can improve their study skills, note
taking, and performance in the classroom.
Can We Talk: A Discussion & Demonstration on Police Brutality
Date: 2/12/2015
Time: 7:00 PM—9:00 PM
Location: LTC 213
Description: Please come join UMO-
JA as we
learn how to deal with police in different situations from an actual Police Officer and afterwards we
will discuss the issue of police brutality.
Residence Life Student Dance-
Date: 2/14/15
Time: 8:00 PM—11:00 PM
Location: Theatre 105 & 111
Description: Student Dance sponsored by Residence Life for CSP
students. 8-11 pm. Free
Upcoming Events continued
Page 4
Izzy's Ice Cream 13 Days of Giving Silent Auction/Movie Night
-Thursday Feb 12, 2015 – 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM -Riverview
For the launch of our annual 13 Days of Giving, Izzy's owners Jeff
and Lara have rented the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis (3800
42nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406) and will be hosting a
movie and ice cream night with this years movie pick of Antarctica:
A Year on Ice.
This year we are hosting our 2nd annual 13 Days of Giving from
February 1st through the 13th. These 2 weeks of the year are focused on giving back to local nonprofits working to strengthen our
Twin Cities community that we are so grateful to be a part of. With a
$10.00 ticket ($13.00 at the door), movie goers will receive a free
pint after the movie, are able to participate in a silent auction and
leave knowing that 100% of the proceeds are being distributed
amongst all of the nonprofits and organizations participating in our
13 day long event. The auction opens at 7:00pm and the film starts
at 7:30pm. For more information about 13 Days of Giving,
10.00 true Movie (and ice cream!) Admission 10.00
BEAR'ly Open- Saturday Feb 7, 2015 – 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Golf on Ice Winter Carnival fun event. In its eighth year, the event brings
hundreds of local residents to Ramsey County Beach on the frozen shores
of White Bear Lake to enjoy an afternoon of golf on ice. An 18-hole course,
complete with real pine trees, a hospitality tent, food and entertainment
make it a great way to have fun and raise money for charity. There is also a
Community Dance the night before the event at The White Bear Country
Inn. All net proceeds go to the White Bear Lake Area Food Shelves. Golfers wear fun costumes and golf with whatever they want...tennis racquets,
ice scrapers, and more! Good food and good drink !
Adult: $30.00 Student $15.00
Page 5
Ta x i n f o r m a t i o n ! ! !
All international students should file their taxes and the form 8843 even if they did not work in 2014.
Each year in the U.S. taxes are due on April 15. Generally filing taxes as a international student is
an easy process. There are numerous workshops open and free for international students and we
strongly encourage you to mark your calendar and attend. Below are upcoming workshops:

University of St. Thomas 3/21 and 4/11 Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm Location: OWS 150

MCAD 2/21 (Time & Location To Be Announced)

University of Minnesota Clinics: Tuesdays 6pm-9pm Blegen Hall 235 and 3/7 1pm-4pm and
4/4 Wilson Library Sub Basement
Also visit: http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/Pages/default.aspx .
ITC-International Tutoring Center
Page 6
Hello students! To schedule an appointment with the ITC for tutoring, email [email protected]. Please request an appointment at least 2 days in advance. In the email, please provide some days and hours that you are available. The ITC will reply to you with a specific appointment time!
ITC Hours
Monday & Wednesday
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday & Thursday
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Resource of the Month
Are you having trouble being creative with your writing?
Some students use a dictionary or a thesaurus to help find synonyms and antonyms. Try using an online dictionary, www.dictionary.com, or thesaurus, www.thesaurus.com, to help you find synonyms and antonyms for your
writing.
synonym = words that are similar in meaning
VS.
antonym = a word opposite in meaning
For example, if you enter the word “good” in the search engine for www.thesaurus.com, the synonyms (similar
definition) that come up are: acceptable, excellent, exceptional, great, and marvelous. The antonyms (opposite
definition) that come up are: insignificant, disagreeable, unacceptable, and unsatisfactory.
Fun English Fact: Did you know that there are some words in English that exists only in plural form? For example: glasses, pants, jeans, and scissors.
Meet the Student Tutors!
Andrea Beaver
Y
Cathy Carlson
ear: Junior
Major: Business Admin – Accounting
Major: Education & ESL Teaching License
Mohamed Malim
Y
ear: Freshman
Major: Marketing
Jaclyn Martini
Y
ear: Junior
Major: Creative Writing & Literature
Nicole Moberg
Year: Freshman
Major: Teaching English as a Second Language
Jennifer Thao (Head Tutor)
Year: Sophomore
Major: Criminal Justice
Ellyn Thompson
Year: Junior
Major: Secondary Education – Social Studies
Looking for a good environment to study in? Want to study with others? Book a Study Table!!
You and a group of friends can reserve a table in the ITC for study time. Please email [email protected] to
make a reservation!