Jan. 27, 2023
Greetings, Students & Scholars!
Snow's been falling, and events are calling! This week we have something for everyone, plus an important reminder about maintaining status. Whether you want to try out a new sport, catch an amazing performance, or stay inside with a documentary, there's always something interesting happening in the 'Burgh. We hope you enjoy this issue of the OIE "Friday Greetings" email.
OIE & CMU News & Events
Reminder: Maintaining Status
As a reminder, F and J students are required to be enrolled full-time each semester in order to maintain their status. If you are considering dropping below full-time, you MUST complete a Reduced Course Load Form (PDF) and submit it to OIE. OIE must approve your Reduced Course Load before you drop any classes. We recommend reviewing the Maintaining Status webpage for additional information on maintaining your legal status while in the U.S.
2023 Fitness Challenge
Take a trip around the world with "Oh, the Fitness You'll Go!" Beginning Jan. 30, join your fellow Tartans for a new fitness experience with events tailored around five countries close to our hearts at Carnegie Mellon. The 2023 Fitness Challenge will highlight a different country each week. The challenge will start in India with badminton, then focus on China and martial arts before shifting to Africa and running. Then head down under to Australia and try your hand at rugby, before finishing in Qatar and soccer. Come along and learn more about these countries' sports, food, and more! The goal of the Fitness Challenge is to exercise at least 20 minutes a day, four times a week, and last for five weeks. Learn more about the challenge and how to sign up!
Student Input Needed!
We invite you to help CMU leadership better understand the holistic CMU student experience in areas like belonging, well-being, academics, and satisfaction with resources and services. The insights you provide will influence university decisions to allocate resources and to continue to advance transformative student experiences at CMU. Your input is extremely valuable and the survey should take less than 15 minutes. Please fill out either the Undergraduate Student Survey or the Graduate Student Survey. Complete the survey by the extended deadline of February 3 for a chance to win your choice of a CMU bookstore item, DoorDash or Grubhub dinner, or a Pittsburgh activity/event.
Freedom House Documentary Screening and Q & A
Did you know that America's first EMT service began right here in Pittsburgh? On Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4:30 p.m., head to the Simmos Auditorium for the Freedom House documentary screening. This 30-minute documentary, Freedom House Ambulance: The First Responders, explores the rise and fall of Freedom House Ambulance. Comprised solely of Black men and women recruited from the city's Hill District neighborhood, the paramedics of Freedom House Ambulance became trailblazers in providing pre-hospital and CPR care that would become the basis for all paramedic training in the country. With rare archival images, the program features the story of inception, compelling reflections of surviving paramedics, stories of the world-renowned doctors who trained them, and memories of lifelong Hill District residents. Online registration is required; learn more about the documentary and register in advance.
Carnegie Mellon Opera: Così fan tutte
From Feb 2-5, catch a showing of Così fan tutte. This opera focuses on two friends, their fiancées, and a bet with two scheming strangers. Enjoy music by Mozart and performed by students in the School of Music. Tickets for students, staff and faculty are free, though please register in advance.
Citizen Science and Community Data: Inspiring Engagement between CMU and Local Communities
On Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries invites you to join a panel of experts from around the University for a virtual discussion celebrating the impact of citizen science and community data in Pittsburgh and beyond. Moderator Emma Slayton, the Libraries' Data Curation, Visualization, and GIS Specialist, will explore the exciting work of three CMU leaders as they share their passion for community-focused projects, innovative approaches to engaging communities in collecting and utilizing their own data, and ideas on how those in academia can support community-led advocacy. This event is free and open to all, learn more about the event.
Connect with us on Social Media
Join us on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest announcements and all things OIE related. You can expect the same great content, including all things OIE, news and events, our Friday Greeting round-up, and more. As always, you can reach out directly to OIE by emailing us at oie@andrew.cmu.edu. We hope to see you there!
Our Pittsburgh Picks
Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad
From now until Jan. 29, discover the courageous journey of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad as she freed herself and others from slavery. Filled with spiritual songs, Harriet Tubman is an inspiring story of determination and charity. Learn more about the show and purchase tickets in advance.
Fire & Ice in the Park
On Saturday, Jan. 28, from 4 to 9 p.m., experience the beauty of our community in a new light at Fire & Ice in the Park. This special event will be a moving illumination of the wonders of nature around us. While you immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the natural world, lanterns will guide you through the park and around breathtaking ice sculptures of local native animals. The unity with nature and one another, in reflective celebration of our local parks, is sure to be a magical winter night. Lanterns will guide you through the park and your discovery of breathtaking ice sculptures showcasing species native to our local area. After, gather by the fire, fill a complementary Fire & Ice event mug with hot cocoa, and enjoy the treats while supplies last. Learn more about the event.
The 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop: An Exploration of DJing
Hey DJ, turn the music up! On Friday, Jan. 27, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., come along for a fantastic ride through the decades as the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop! Guided by DJ Blakk Steel, DJ Big Phill, DJ Yamez, and DJ Femi, we'll groove through the 1970s, where hip-hop music started, and jam our way to the current hip-hop hits! Don't miss this non-stop party. Learn more about the event.
Gallery Crawl
On Friday, Jan. 27, check out the Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. This is a free, one-night-only, multi-venue showcase of Pittsburgh’s dynamic art and entertainment scene. This quarterly "open house" features local and international artists in exhibitions, performances, and screenings inside of galleries, storefronts, and restaurants throughout the Cultural District. Learn more about the event.
Have an Event or Announcement for Friday Greetings?
If you have an event or announcement that you wish to submit for inclusion in OIE's Friday Greetings newsletter, please submit it to ES-Communications@andrew.cmu.edu. Information should be submitted by Wednesday at 5 p.m. EST for inclusion in the following Friday's newsletter.
CMU's Office of International Education distributed this email. You are receiving it because of your status as an international student or scholar.
Carnegie Mellon University
Office of International Education
5000 Forbes Ave, Cyert Hall, Suite 101
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
www.cmu.edu/oie