The I-House Connection: March 2021

March 11, 2021

Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director

Dear I-House Alumni and Friends,

Today is the Day!

International House is pleased to participate once again in Big Give, UC Berkeley’s premier 24-hour online event. Big Give marks the kick-off to our celebrations and activities for our reopening in the Fall. If you’ve already made a Big Give gift, THANK YOU!

Watch the video message below about these unprecedented times and the reopening of I-House.

I-House Reopening - Big Give 2021

You can join in on the fun by helping us spread the word, participate in social media contests, or by making a gift as all online donations(link is external) made to International House through 9 p.m. PST TONIGHT, will be counted on the Big Give Leaderboards. Be sure to bookmark biggive.berkeley.edu/leaderboards(link is external) to catch the excitement by being able to check the standings and contest winners throughout the day.

You can increase the impact of your gift by helping us unlock these Big Give Matching Challenges:

I House Board Challenge - will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for the first $10,000 raised;
I-House Alumni Challenge - will provide a match for gifts from our International Community;
Nancy Tivol I-House Challenge - will provide a match for gifts from previous Big Give supporters and participants.

Your support will benefit The Fund for I-House, a valuable resource that provides for life-changing scholarships, inspirational programming, and preservation of our historic home.

See more ways to participate at ihouse.berkeley.edu/biggive

Sincerely,

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director
Shaun R. Carver
Executive Director
International House, UC Berkeley

I-House Admissions Update

Roxanne Pifer, Director of Admissions and Housing Operations

Dear I-House Community,

We are now accepting room and board applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. If you are looking at future housing options, International House offers a once-in-a-lifetime intercultural leadership development and living opportunity. I-House provides UC Berkeley students the best mix of conveniences, entertainment, and social activities of any student residence at UC Berkeley! At I-House, you’ll be part of a global community that supports your academic pursuits, career development, and mentorship networking while making your stay one of your life’s most enjoyable and memorable living experiences.

To ensure that our residents and staff are as safe as possible in light of the pandemic, we are updating all cleaning and sanitizing standards to the highest levels, reimagining virtual and in-person resident programming, implementing new dining safety standards, and planning for an all-single-room environment for the Fall 2021 semester.

Applications are open now! Visit ihouse.berkeley.edu/apply to secure a housing contract for the upcoming school year.

Please visit our website to determine if you are eligible to apply for room and board scholarships.

Still have questions about living at I-House? For more information on life at I-House and the application process, please visit our website or contact the I-House Admissions staff at admissions@ihouseberkeley.org. If you know someone who would like to apply, or can help spread the word, please take a moment to share our expression of interest form.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Admissions at admissions@ihouseberkeley.org.

Celebrating 90 Years of Notable Alumnae

As we celebrate Women's History Month, I-House is proud to have been the first coeducational (and first multiracial) student housing institution west of New York City.

When the idea of International House was first proposed to the Berkeley community in the 1920s, there was considerable resistance to men and women living under one roof. One cannot deny the remarkable contributions to society made by women who resided at International House.

Women's History Month

Featured above, from left to right: neuroscientist Marian Diamond (IH 1949-52); aviator Maggie Gee (IH 1950-51); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata (IH 1956-57); mountaineer and environmental health scientist Arlene Blum (IH 1967-68); philanthropist Wendy Schmidt (IH 1978-80), and Baroness Oona King (IH1989-90). Learn more about these extraordinary women and other notable alumnae at ihouse.berkeley.edu/notable.

I-House Executive Director Spotlight: Joe Lurie

In case you missed it, Joe Lurie (IH 1988-2007) is featured in an oral history “spotlight” series, where he is interviewed by journalism graduate student Chan’Cellore Makanjuola (IH 2019-20). All four parts of the video series have launched and are now available in audio podcast format. You'll find links in this summary blog post, in addition to behind-the-scenes photos, comments from viewers, and additional thoughts from Joe himself.

The oral history discussions are a way to help keep the International House Berkeley alumni community connected virtually. If you would like to provide an interview or volunteer to help produce more videos, please contact Laurie Ferris at lferris@berkeley.edu.

Now, as we look forward to the reopening of I-House in the Fall of 2021, its mission of building bridges across different backgrounds and perspectives could not be more urgent during this period of cultural, political and ethnic polarization across the globe. For those of us deeply touched by the intercultural magic of living, dining and learning together under the dome, let us light the way forward for a new generation of residents with our stories and with, yes, our important financial support.

Joe Lurie, I-House Executive Director Emeritus

We thank you for staying connected to International House Berkeley. We welcome your participation in our online Global Community.

Sincerely,

I-House Alumni Relations, Communications, and Philanthropy Team
(510) 642-4128
ihalumni@berkeley.edu