AT&T; opens new lounge

There may be no place like home, but AT&T; is betting their campus lounge is the next best thing for international students. AT&T; opened the Philadelphia chapter of their International Students Program Friday with a coffee-hour and dance, providing foreign students the opportunity to meet people from their home countries and around the world. The weekly lounge, which will begin normal operation Sunday, will provide foreign news updates and international telephone information. "They come from Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa," said Anastasia Saverino, assistant director of housing at International House. "You name a country and it's represented." The program is currently running in 10 cities across the country and according to Suzy Joiner, a representative of Campus Dimensions which coordinates the program for AT&T;, it has been very successful. Joiner said the program has been running in Philadelphia for "several years." Campus Dimensions Representative Monica Johnston added that the University was chosen for the Philadelphia chapter becaues "[AT&T;] has had an excellent working relationship with this school." She added that Philadelphia was selected as one of the sites due to its large concentration of international students. Pakistani Mahrukh Shafqat, who lives in International House, said she hoped to win one of the free international phone calls raffled off during the two-hour party. An answering machine and AT&T; TeleTicket Service -- which allows users to prepay for telephone calls -- were also raffled off. Lee Suk Hyung, another resident of International House, won the first free phone call and said that he would call his father's home in Asia. The AT&T; International Students Program will host the AT&T; International Communication Cafe this year. The Cafe presents videos of recent local news broadcasts from countries including India, Japan, Taiwan and Germany almost every Sunday. Several times throughout the semester there will be American movies and speakers discussing subjects of interest to international students. "[The program will be] interesting and successful, and is very neccessary," said International House Residential Advisor Clelia Martinez. "For all of us [at International House] we want to know what is going on in our countries and sometimes we don't have this news from American TV and newspapers." Though some students said they feel that international student services on campus are sufficient, most said that the Cafe is a welcome addition. "There should be some of these things [for international students] because there are so many people from so many countries," Shafqat said. "For me, it is great to meet all of these people." The cafe, which will run almost every Sunday night this semester from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Berwind Student Center in International House.