The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 had a major impact on Penn's American students, but the ripples have also stretched into the University's community of international students.
Wharton graduate student Constantin Von Wentzel was in his native France last September. His wife's sister was working at a New York Chase Manhattan Bank at the time of the attacks.
"Communication was virtually impossible for a long time afterwards," he said.
Wentzel relied on his computer, providing the one form of communication that had remained intact despite the chaos, and he spent the morning of the attacks furiously sending Instant Messages to his friends that lived in New York.
Unlike the U.S., Wentzel said, France has had its share of terrorist attacks, as have many other European countries. For this reason, he claims that many international students, despite being away from home, approached the situation with a bit more equanimity than their American counterparts.
"We've been through this before with the Algerians, and so have the English with the Irish," he said. "This is a totally new experience for the U.S."
Wentzel added that the pervading sentiment throughout France at the time of the attacks was one of sympathy and fear.
However, in the time that followed the attacks, many international students questioned the fairness behind the inconsistencies within the U.S. embassy's treatment of students, which Wentzel claimed, in his experience, varies significantly based on the country from which they emigrated.
New security measures can be a headache for many international students, who must regularly make the extensive traveling commitment between Philadelphia and their hometowns, often hundreds of miles away.
While many of Wentzel's French classmates waited less than three days for their visas, he said his Lebanese friend participating in exactly the same program waited an additional three months before receiving a go ahead.
Mauricio Hoyas, a student in the English Language Program at Penn, left his native Colombia four months ago. He said that he was afraid if he did not leave as soon as possible to take advantage of the University's program, he would not be welcome in the country at all.
Now that he can demonstrate his status as a student at Penn, Hoyas said he receives little trouble from airport security, a problem that many international students have encountered.
Temple Ph.D. student Wissam Raji missed almost a month of classes while the U.S. investigated his background before renewing his visa.
But, Raji said that this is not only fair -- it's imperative.
"They must investigate the people who hurt them, and naturally, they will be more precise with Arabs," Raji said.
Drexel undergraduate Gaurav Menon, an Indian, said that he has no complaints regarding the U.S. embassy itself. In fact, its expediency following the attacks astonished him.
"I sent my passport on the 10th of September and received my visa in the mail on September 12," Menon said. "I was so worried that it was going to take much longer."
But many international students have not been quite as fortunate.
As the security surrounding international flights tightens, some students claimed that the security procedures are useless.
Wentzel found the new security to be ineffectual, claiming that even a credit card when sharpened at the end can be used as a form of cutlery.
"They are basically there to give people a false sense of security," Wentzel said of airport security.
But the new issues facing international students extend far beyond the airport.
A number of darker-skinned students have born the brunt of the repercussions from the attacks -- just based on their appearance.
Menon faced a storm of snide remarks and insults as an Indian living in America.
"I was at a bar one time with a few of my friends and some people nearby said that they should not let Middle Eastern people into this country," Menon said.
Menon and his friends have discontinued wearing the traditional Indian clothing that they used to occasionally wear, for fear of standing out amidst the American crowd. They have also ditched their prominent beards and mustaches, a common feature among Middle Eastern men, sporting the popular Americam clean shaven look.
Ziado Adwan, a Temple Ph.D. student, has faced identical problems as a Palestinian immigrant.
In the subway and even on the streets, he said that he hears insults.
However, Adwan's summer vacation plans did not stray far from Philadelphia. He said that he was afraid that by going home, he might be prevented from returning.
