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February 7, 2020

Table of Contents

1. Greeting

2. Important Announcements

- Ski Trip February 23rd-- Sign-Up Open!

- OPT/CPT Workshop Schedule, Spring 2020

- Sprintax Code for Taxes

- Immigration Art: Immigration Attorney Consultations March 3rd

3. Other ISSS Updates and Events

- Travel Signature Day Schedule, Spring 2020

- Cultural Connections Welcome Back Reception February 21st

- International Circle: Empowerment & Connection

-UAlbany Project MyStory Schedule

- DMV 5 Hour Classes on Campus

- Research Workshops for International Students

4. University at Albany Events

- Winning Wednesdays at the Student Success Center

- Participate in the "Word Ratings and Processing" Psychology Research Study

- Editing Video with Adobe Premiere

- DAES/ASRC Joint Colloquium Series – Aubrey Hillman

- "A Historical Interrogation of the "N" Word" Panel Discussion

- #LoveIsLove Takeover

- Film Screening: I LIKE IT LIKE THAT

5. Capital District Events

- Mandeville Gallery: Jane Swavely Exhibition

- Spontaneous Broadway

- Come to Choral Evensong at The Cathedral of All Saints!

- The 2020 Flurry Festival

- Albany Patroons vs. Raleigh Firebirds

1. Greetings!

This is the Weekly ISSS Newsletter that we send out every Friday. It includes very important

immigration updates that you must be aware of, as well as information about events happening

on campus and in the area.

Are you a part of a student organization and want to see your event advertised to your fellow

students? Please send the details and/or flyer to ISSS@albany.edu.

2. Important Announcements

Ski Trip February 23rd-- Sign Up Open!

ISSS offers off-campus trips to students every semester, including a Learn To Ski or Snowboard Trip! On Sunday,

February 23rd ISSS will take a group of students to Willard Mountain for skiing and snowboarding (9am-4pm). The cost of the

trip is $55 per student; cost covers transportation, ski or snowboard rentals, and a lesson. Spots are limited. By signing up for

the trip you are making a reservation for your spot, and your student account will be charged $55. To sign up, fill in this

form: https://tinyurl.com/ISSS2020Ski

OPT/CPT Workshop Schedule, Spring 2020

ISSS has weekly employment workshops, either for CPT authorization or OPT authorization. Students must

attend one of these workshops before applying for OPT. Remember that USCIS estimates up to 3-5 months

for processing of an OPT application.

To view a full schedule, please click

here: https://www.albany.edu/isss/assets/OPT_CPT_flyer_Spring_2020.pdf

Sprintax Code for Taxes

ISSS has purchased Sprintax tax software to help international students and scholars to file their

2019 federal tax return. Codes for Sprintax will be available on Monday, February 3, 2020.To

obtain a tax code; please email ISSS, at isss@albany.edu. To obtain a Sprintax tax code, please

email isss@albany.edu. Please include the following information in your email: first & last name,

student id number, and the name of your employer. If you were not employed, please go to:

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8843.pdf, to obtain form 8843. For questions, please contact

ISSS.

Immigration Art: Immigration Attorney Consultations March 3rd

This is a great opportunity to receive 1-on-1 consultations and advice from

an immigration attorney: Arthur Serratelli, Esq.. Mr Serratelli.—from the Virginia law firm of Seratelli Mijal PLLC—will

be here to provide international students with information for: H-1B visa applications, other possible visa options, or

petitions for Permanent Residency. Immigration Art has been working with the UAlbany international community for

the last decade, and we are happy to welcome him back! Personal Consultations are available by appointment on

March 34rd. Additionally, Mr. Serratelli will host evening workshops via Skype on March 3rd. See flyer below for

details.

3. Other ISSS Updates and Events

Travel Signature Day Schedule, Spring 2020

Every F-1 and J-1 student must have a valid travel signature on their I-20 or DS-2019 in order to re-enter the

United States after traveling outside. These travel signatures are usually valid for 1 year while you are a full-

time student, though we recommend getting your I-20 or DS2019 signed every 6 months. Usually, travel

signature requests take 5-7 business days. On our special travel signature days, however, we will sign the I-

20 or DS-2019 on the

spot. You can view the schedule here:https://www.albany.edu/isss/assets/Spring_2020.pdf . We

recommend that every student attend one of these days, even if you don't have travel plans yet.

Cultural Connections Welcome Back Reception February 21st

A great opportunity to meet new and continuing students, including food, socializing and fun

activities. We hope to see you there.

UAlbany Project MyStory: Call for Volunteers

International Circle: Empowerment & Connection

This group, run by CAPS, meets on Thursdays from 4:00pm-5:15pm in Campus Center Room

308. This is a time to talk about the concerns and questions you may face while a student in the

United States. For information on this and other groups, please check out CAPS' website

here: https://www.albany.edu/counseling_center/groups_home.shtml

DMV 5 Hour Classes on Campus

Students and staff who are seeking to get their driver’s license can take the required 5 Hour

Course right here on campus. We have partnered with Albany Driving School and Right Way

Driving Center who will be facilitating the classes on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in

the Campus Center Student Success Center. No Sign Up is required, students can show up

and the cost to take the class is $45.00. Please see attached flyer for details and complete

schedule! The first opportunity is set to kick off this Saturday, February 1st from Noon – 5PM!

Research Workshops for International Students

Workshop I: Introduction to Research Process (Instructors: Mary Van Ullen and Yu-Hui

Chen)

Content includes: what is a research paper, steps in the research process, choosing a research

topic, finding background information and articles, using research databases, evaluating

research materials (including Web sites), and hands-on exercises.

February 7, Friday 10:30 am – 12:30 pm LI-B48 (University Library basement level)

To sign up, please contact Mary VanUllen at mvanullen@albany.edu

Workshop II: What is “plagiarism” all about? How to avoid it? (Instructors: Yu-Hui Chen and

Mary Van Ullen)

Content includes: in-text citations and bibliography; why acknowledge sources; when to cite;

differences among quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing; types of plagiarism; how to cite; tips

for avoiding plagiarism; academic integrity; and hands-on exercises.

February 14, Friday 10:30 am – 12:30 pm LI-B48 (University Library basement level)

To sign up, please contact Yu-Hui Chen at ychen@albany.edu

Workshop III: Citation Practice (Instructors: Yu-Hui Chen and Mary Van Ullen)

Content includes: rewriting passages taken from books or journal articles in your own words,

organizing these passages into a paragraph, providing information about the source in the text of

your paragraph, and creating a reference list/bibliography at the end.

February 28, Friday 10:30 am – 12:30 pm LI-B48 (University Library basement level)

To sign up, please contact Yu-Hui Chen at ychen@albany.edu

4. University at Albany Events

Click Here for a full list of upcoming UAlbany events!

Winning Wednesdays at the Student Success Center

Winning Wednesdays is a series of events held on select Wednesdays throughout the semester from 11AM – 1PM in the Campus Center’s

Student Success Center. We encourage all students to join us this semester for this series of programs developed to assist all students

(specifically 3rd and 4th year students) successfully prepare for graduation. All class years are welcome to attend. Please see attached flyer for

Winning Wednesday’s event listings.

Participate in the "Word Ratings and Processing" Psychology Research Study

Editing Video with Adobe Premiere

When: Monday, February 10, 20206:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Where:LI B15University Library

Cost: free

Description: Are you a YouTuber, filmmaker, television broadcaster, journalist, student, or videographer that wants to get the most out of

editing your content? Premiere is the industry’s leading professional video editing application. Learn the functions and capabilities of

Premiere to produce professional content. Walk-ins are welcome.

DAES/ASRC Joint Colloquium Series – Aubrey Hillman

When: Monday, February 10, 202011:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Where:Earth Science 242

Description: The Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and the Atmospheric Science Research Center invite you to their

joint colloquium featuring, Aubrey Hillman, who is an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Hillman will

present "Holocene Impacts of the Monsoon- Linking Lake Hydrology, Productivity, & Sediment Delivery in China." All are welcome.

"A Historical Interrogation of the "N" Word" Panel Discussion

When: Wednesday, February 12, 20203:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Where:Campus Center 375Cost: free and open to the public

Description: Dr. Oscar Williams, Dr. Marcia Sutherland, and Mr. Charles Rogers will be the lead panelists for a discussion on "A Historical

Interrogation of the "N" Word." This event is being sponsored by the Department of Africana Studies.

#LoveIsLove Takeover

When: Wednesday, February 12, 20205:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Where:Campus Center

Description: Come join us in celebrating Valentine's Day with some chocolate covered strawberries at Corner Deli

Film Screening: I LIKE IT LIKE THAT

When: Friday, February 14, 20207:30 PM - 9:15 PM

Where:Page HallDowntown Campus

Cost: Free

Description: The first-ever film from a Hollywood studio to be directed by an African American woman, I LIKE IT LIKE THAT presents the

marital difficulties of a young Puerto Rican couple living in the South Bronx. Darnell Martin, who has worked on major films with Oprah,

Beyoncé and Spike Lee, will appear at the 1st Albany Film Festival (March 28th @ UAlbany). (United States, 1994, 104 minutes, color).

Written and directed by Darnell Martin. Starring Luna Lauren Velez, Jon Seda

5. Capital District Events

Mandeville Gallery: Jane Swavely Exhibition

When: Saturday, Feb 8, 2020 until Tuesday, Feb 18, 2020 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Where: Mandeville Gallery, Union College, 807 Union Street Schenectady, NY 12308

Cost: FREE ADMISSION

For more info, click here

"Jane Swavely" Exhibition Dates: February 8, 2020 – June 14, 2020

Reception: Thursday, February 27th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm, Nott Memorial

“The paintings simultaneously point to the history of the medium while maintaining a firm conversation in the now. My aim is to create a

place of space and light to inspire a shift in perception that is at once familiar and unfamiliar. Although the work depicts abstracted forms and

colors, it is based in the landscape tradition, exploring the boundary between the conscious and the subconscious, deriving inspiration from

both the natural environment and supernatural forces.” - Jane Swavely

Spontaneous Broadway

When: Saturday, Feb 8, 2020 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Where: The Mopco Improv Theatre, 10 N Jay Street Schenectady, NY 12305

Cost: $15.00 General Admission | $6.00 Kids/Students/Seniors

For more info, click here

Spontaneous Broadway, where performers audition Broadway-style songs that they create on the spot based on song titles created by you, the

audience. Vote for your favorite song and see it brought to life by our performers as they improvise an entire hour-long musical around it! It's

an experience that must be seen to be believed.

Act one? Audience members jot down never-before-sung titles of songs. Performers then improvise new Broadway musical numbers based

on these titles of the top of their heads!

The second act?! A full-length improvised musical based on the audience's favorite song! SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY is a virtuoso piece

that challenges improvisers and amazes audiences.

Come to Choral Evensong at The Cathedral of All Saints!

When: Sunday, Feb 9, 2020 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM

Where: Cathedral of All Saints, 62 South Swan St Albany, NY 12210

Cost: FREE ADMISSION

For more info, click here

Did you know that the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys is the oldest continuously performing choir of its kind in the country? This is an

opportunity to listen to a renowned choir with a reputation for musical excellence. The Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys sing Choral

Evensong at 3 PM on Sunday, 9 February. Robert Richter, Director of Music & Organist of St. Christopher Episcopal Church in Carmel, IN,

will present an organ recital at 2:30 PM. Evensong is followed by a reception hosted by The Friends of the Choir.

The 2020 Flurry Festival

When: Friday, Feb 14, 2020 until Sunday, Feb 16, 2020

Where: Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Cost: Prices Vary

For more info, click here

Shake off the winter blues! It's time to dance, sing, jam, and more at The Flurry Festival! The 33rd Flurry Festival will run from February 14 -

16, 2020, in Saratoga Springs, NY!

The Flurry is well-known as the best winter weekend ever for dancers and music lovers of all ages! Featuring: dances, workshops, singing,

concerts, jamming performances, family events, storytelling, vendors, and more.

Albany Patroons vs. Raleigh Firebirds

When: Friday, Feb 14, 2020 7:00 PM

Where: Washington Avenue Armory, 195 Washington Ave Albany, NY 12210

For more info, click here

See the Albany Patroons take on the Raleigh Firebirds at the Washington Avenue Armory! Tip-off is at 7:00pm.