News northern A trio of Northern State University administrators embarked on the university’s first-ever student recruitment trip to India this winter. Dr. Bill Broucek, dean of the NSU School of Business; Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith, director of special initiatives; and Dr. Jim Smith, president, experienced a brand new culture and received a warm welcome during their January visit. Northern is reaching out to that country because, though it has international students from 16 different countries, the university currently has no students from India. “We are working hard to rectify that missing piece of the international puzzle by actively recruiting in India and through other venues, such as EducationUSA,” Ruhl-Smith said. The group traveled to the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune. Visiting high school students at their schools (Podar International School; Tridha School of Mumbai, a Rudolf Steiner school; Oakridge International School; NSU GROUP TRAVELS TO INDIA Northern is reaching out to that country because, though it has international students from 16 different countries, the university currently has no students from India. Venkateshwar International School; St. Mary’s School, Dwarka) was one of the best parts of the trip, Ruhl-Smith said. Other highlights included meeting the people and getting a better understanding of their culture; and witnessing the way that the Indian people celebrate events, especially weddings. Like any trip abroad, this one came with some surprises – including the level of poverty they witnessed. “Up and down the sides of the roads are people living in cardboard boxes and leantos,” Ruhl-Smith said. Traffic in Mumbai and Delhi, they said, was horrible. “You are competing with bicycles, ox carts, auto-rickshaws, motorbikes and other cars/trucks/buses on the roadways,” RuhlSmith said. “The traffic can also include people walking down the street (maybe the middle or maybe the side) carrying items on their heads that they are transporting and animals roaming everywhere. The cows run free and will stop traffic (and the traffic does stop for them) – so too will pigs.” 6 northern today The group traveled to the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune, visiting high school students at their schools.
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