Global Partners, a program with the purpose of culturally uniting campus, held its kickoff event Monday evening.
The program partners one first-year international student with an upperclassmen domestic student. There are about 90 students in the program that will meet twice a month.
One meeting is meant to be a social outing. For the first month, each partner set received a Starbucks gift card loaded with enough to buy each person a drink.
The other meeting is at an intellectual event, ideally a speaker related to diversity.
These meetings are meant for more than breaking down language barriers, though, Loutfi Jirari, director of international student services said.
"We don't want to make it domestic students helping international students with language."
Instead, Jirari hopes the programming will push both sides to become more unified.
One of the major changes in programming is the consolidation of the International Office and the Multicultural Life Office into one office for both, the Intercultural life office.
"I think that a lot of times having a good connection starts with a one on one connection," Jirari said. "To address the disconnect, we need different programs and strategies."
Jirari believes that the new programming will do just that by allowing international students to learn about the culture in the United States and vice versa.
The new programming will also feature "Real Talk," which will feature different student organizations and their experiences with diversity.
The event on Monday featured two students who spoke on their experiences connecting with international students. The first was senior Kristin Otto, who has spent the last two summers working for a teaching assistant for an English immersion program. Otto also has several friends on campus that are international students.
"All my friends bring a different perspective," Otto said.
She believes that the different perspectives added to her experience at DePauw.
The second student to speak was junior Rudra Vishweshwar, who is an international student from India.
"Everything was different," he said of when he first came to the United States. He specifically noted the difference in measurements and sports, specifically football, which he knew as what Americans call soccer.
First-year Midori Kawaue, an international student from Japan, noted that it is helpful to have another mentor figure.
"My partner is a senior and she's majoring in what I'm interested in, which is environmental science," Kawaue said. "It's really nice to have a senior doing what you want to do."
Vishweshwar related with first-year students who may feel homesick and assured them that it is normal for students to miss home.
"The only way you're not going to miss home is when you make DePauw your home," Vishweshwar said.
Vishweshwar said he likes the new Global Partners program and thinks it is helpful.
"I wish we had that when I was a [first-year]