Hi friends,
Greetings from Truman State University International Club. My name is Ismail Adiputra and I am currently the president of the International Club here on campus. My friend Rachel asked me if I can share a thing or two about my experience here at Truman, and just how it has impacted my life. So now, I will share a little bit about it, and also about the International Club and how it has helped my transition here at Truman.
I am an International Student from Indonesia. Just like you, deciding to come to Truman was a big decision for me to make. I try to weigh all of the possibilities; the positives and the negatives. I was excited, I was nervous, I was afraid, and I was confused. It was expensive, it was unfamiliar, and it was across the ocean. It was a long process for me, but I finally made the big decision to go to Truman. Not because I figured out everything that I needed to know, nor because it was perfect for me. I just made the decision, period. I decided to go and see what it has in store for me. Yes, I did some research and what not, and I was pretty comfortable with the results. However, I was still flying with some uneasiness in my stomach and in my mind. Little did I know that I would be very surprised.
My first impression when I got here was that Truman was a very friendly place. When I first arrived, I had to haul my luggage to my room. And to be quite honest with you, it was not easy. Just like any other student, I had a lot of luggage (after all I had to stay away from home for four years). And on the ride to Truman, I was expecting people to be walking around, minding their own business and would care less about me and my luggage. However, it was quite the contrary. I found people volunteering themselves, sacrificing their time to help me with my luggage. I also found people who did not volunteer to do so, but still helped me and my helper with other little things such as holding the door open for us, etc. That really gave me a good vibe, and instantly I thought, “This is not so bad.”

Just like all other International Students, as soon as I got to Truman, I found myself hanging around the International Students Affairs Office (ISAO) often. After all, that was my only connection. Yes, I did meet some people from other places, but I felt reluctant to go with them. I thought, “If there were anybody who cared about me (an International Student), it would be the people at ISAO.” (I found out later that I was wrong. There are many people out here who genuinely want to know you and me. It was so wonderful to know that.) It was good to be talking with the people up there. Later on, from my conversation with somebody at the office, I found out about International Club. I found out about their meeting time and without any hesitation, I decided to go there along with my brother.
It has been four years ever since the first time I went to International Club. To be honest, my time with them has not always been cheerful and bright. Just like committing into doing anything else, it took my time and also my dedication. However, I have never regretted my decision in getting myself involved with the International Club.
My first meeting with the International Club has been a memorable one. When I went to the first meeting, I remember the president at the time went up to greet me. I was kind of lost, not sure if I was going to the right meeting place. I peeked into this one class room, and upon seeing me, she got up and started talking to me, inviting me to go into the room. There were a lot of other new students just like me. The meeting was fun, and it was also educational. Ever since then, I started coming every week and started getting to know people. Because of the International Club, I got to know plenty of friends; most of which became really good friends of mine. Through the club, I got the opportunity to meet both the International and American students alike. It was pretty exciting. The thought of being in a foreign land was not so frightening anymore. I was more and more convinced that I made a good decision by going to Truman.
Truman is not an ivy-league school; however, they do value the importance of education and academics. As far as classes go, they have their share of workload (a pretty big one, I would say) and to be honest, I have never had a more challenging class than the one that I’ve taken here. I often found myself struggling in some of the classes that I was taking. However, through the people I know from the International Club, I was able to get help on my homework. Of course International Club was not my only resource; I had other people from my class helping me, too. Anyhow, just like before, I found myself really thankful that the people were willing to help me and cared about my struggles.
My first year finally passed, and it was finally an election time at the International Club. Since I was (and still am) a computer science major, I ran to be a webmaster. I finally took a leadership position at the International Club. I was not sure at first, but after thinking about it for a while, I thought that I was ready for it. And so I nominated myself. To be blunt, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned a great deal on how to be a good leader: on how to listen, how to lead, how to voice opinions, how to deal with differences, how to disagree, etc. I have always thought that being in an executive position of a club would look good on my résumé; however, I did not know that it was for this very reason that it would be so valuable: that I will learn so much by being a leader.

It was a big time-commitment being in the International Club executive position. However, it was definitely well worth it. Years later, I became the president and we (people at the International Club) still strive to provide this wonderful environment that I once felt. Some people argue and urge me to take things more strictly, saying that we need to do more and that we need to have penalties and what not. I personally think that it is not a bad system, and we can definitely use it to our benefit. However, just like its name says, International Club is not an organization. It is a club; a warm place where everyone can feel welcome and feel at home.
As a club, we try to be a bridge between all International Students and American Students on campus. We provide a peaceful environment where people from both ends can meet, converse, and get to know each other. We give the members opportunity to not just learn, but also teach others in the club about their own culture or just about anything else that they are well informed of. We also do many important events here in the university. To name a few, we do International Dinner and International Idol, which is always a big success. You can find pictures of those events on both the ISAO website (http://iso.truman.edu/gallery/default.asp) and on our website (http://iclub.truman.edu/Media/Gallery/). One thing is for sure; although we try to accomplish a lot, we put a lot more focus on the friendship and relationship between each other so that everyone enjoys being here and feels that they belong.
Lastly, I understand that it is a very big decision-making time ahead of you. People say that college is the most important time of your lives, and surely you would not want to make a wrong choice. I am pretty sure that there are many other universities out there that you also have considered to attend as well. I know that this small letter may not be able to convince you of all the wonders that Truman has to offer. So please, take your time and do more of your own research. That will always be a benefit for you. And when you have a clear picture in your head (or maybe just a vague one), I challenge and encourage you to do what I did: take the plunge and make the decision. You will be surprised by what Truman has for you.
Your friend,
Ismail Adiputra

亲爱的朋友们，
    首先，我代表杜鲁门大学国际学生社团向你们表示问候。我是国际学生社团现任主席Ismail Adiputra。我的朋友Rachel希望我能和大家分享一些在校的经历和感受，以及杜鲁门大学对我的影响。
    我是一名来自印尼的国际学生，和你们一样，选择杜鲁门对我来说是一个非常重大的决定。我尝试去衡量所有的利弊以及可能性。激动、紧张、害怕、迷茫。出国留学价格高昂，对于在大洋彼岸这个陌生的国度我一无所知。选择杜鲁门是一个漫长的过程，然而，我为我最终所做的决定感到满意。
    杜鲁门给我的第一印象是“友好”。刚到杜鲁门，很多行李需要堆进房间，坦率的说，对我来说，并不是一件容易的事。和所有人一样， 要远离家园，我有很多行李，我以为大家都会只顾自己的事情，不会在意到我，事实相反，不管是志愿者还是非志愿者，都给我很多的帮助，顿时让我觉得：“这一切并不算糟糕”。
和其他的国际学生一样，在我来到杜鲁门以后，我发现自己更多的时间都和国际事务办公室的国际学生相处在一起。虽然我也通过其他方式认识一些朋友，但是我并不情愿跟他们相处。我想 ：“如果有人会关心我，他必定是国际事务办公室的国际学生。”事后，我发现我是错的，我的身边有很多的人都热情慷慨的给我尽可能的帮助。后来，在我和一些朋友的聊天中，我了解到了国际学生社团，于是我毫不犹豫的决定参与其中。
    我在国际学生社团已经四年了。坦率的说，在社团的日子并非一直一帆风顺。和钻研任何一件事情一样，要付诸很多的时间和精力。然而，我从未后悔过。
    第一次参加国际学生社团会议记忆犹新。在会议室门口，主席上前向我问好，当时的我怀疑自己到错了会场。当我紧张的在会场门口四处张望时，主席走过来和我交谈，并安排我坐进教室。会议很有趣，并且很有教育意义。从那以后，我每周都会参加社团活动，认识越来越多的同学。通过国际学生社团，我认识很多朋友，并和大多数人成为好朋友。通过这个社团，我不仅认识了国际学生，还有很多美国人。在异国他乡的畏惧感不复存在，我很开心，很兴奋，这使我更加确定选择杜鲁门是正确的选择。
    杜鲁门非常注重教育的重要性，课堂信息量很大。当我对某些课程的作业感到困惑的时候，国际学生社团的同学会给予我帮助。当然，除了国际学生社团，我也常常通过其他渠道得到帮助。不管怎样，我非常感谢身边的所有人对我的关心和帮助。
    在国际学生社团一年后，迎来了国际俱乐部的选举。因为是计算机科学专业，我通过竞选成为网络主管，我终于在社团有了一席之地。虽然起初并不确定是否要竞选，但思考之后，我自荐了自己，事实证明，这是我所做的最正确的决定之一。我了解到很多做为领导所需具备的能力，例如倾听别人的心声，表达自己的想法，如何处理分歧等。我曾以为作为社团的领导，会给我的简历添光添彩，事实上，更重要的是，这份工作，让我学到了很多可贵的领导才能。
    管理国际学生社团需要大量的时间和精力，但是非常值得。一年以后，我成为社团主席，我们努力创造一个美好和谐的环境。有些人希望我们可以严肃社团规范，例如实行处罚条例等，我个人并不否定这样做的优点。但是，国际学生社团并非一个组织，正如它的名字，它是一个社团，一个像家一个温暖自如的地方。
作为社团，我们努力建立国际学生和美国学生联系的纽带，我们创造一个和谐的环境，让国际学生和美国学生见面，交流，互相了解。 不仅仅是学习，我们让成员互相交流各自的文化和任何他们所感兴趣的事。我们开展很多有意义的活动，例如：我们曾非常成功的组织过国际美食和国际偶像活动。有关这些活动的照片可以在国际事务办公室(http://iso.truman.edu/gallery/default.asp)或我们国际学生社团http://iclub.truman.edu/Media/Gallery/的网站上找到。可以肯定的是，我们非常专注于创造一个友好和平的环境，使所有成员都能享受在社团的生活，让他们有归属感。
    最后，我知道你们正面临人生重大的抉择。人们常说，大学生活是一个人一生最重要的一段时光，千万不要做出错误的决定。我深知还有很多个大学在你们的考虑范围之内。我也知道这封信对于你们的选择微不足道。因此，请多做一些调研，多收集一些信息，这将使你们受益匪浅。当你的脑海里有一个较为清晰的图像之后，我鼓励你们像我当初一样，大胆的做出决定。杜鲁门一定会让你们惊喜！

你们的朋友，
Ismail Adiputra