The adventure ended up turning out for the best, the student says, as she went with her host family on a ski trip to New Hampshire.

"It was really a narrow escape this year, and I'm really thankful to the people in the International Office," the student says. "It's really bad if you don't know where to go. It can get really frustrating."

The International Office works to ensure that all international first years have plans for winter break, says Seamus P. Malin '62, the office's director.

"But sometimes we have to hustle and find a local family," he adds.

In addition to locating emergency vacation lodging for students, the International Office provides a range of official support services to foreign students, Malin says.

The office and the Freshman Dean's Office jointly sponsor a picnic for new foreign students during Orientation Week. In addition, Malin says, the International Office holds an annual event for new students to introduce them to the ins and the outs of the University.

"We discuss what a proctor is supposal to do, what are the undergraduate organization that can help, what the Woodbridge Society is all about," he says. "We talk about the frustrations of getting used to a new culture, like how to get a Social Security card and how to persuade the banks in Harvard Square that you're for real."

The office also serves as a clearing house for legal information that international students need, including lists of visa restrictions and instruction on how to tile American tax forms.

While students appreciate the work that office does, some wish it would provide more personal support to students.

"On the whole, I don't think the University does anything for international students," she said. "Not in terms of visa information, but on a personal level, you need a support structure."

Emotional Concerns

But the International Office does not present to serve students' social or emotional needs. For that level of support, international students often find that their best resource is other students.

For those who did manage to stay at Harvard over the vacation, for example the Woodbridge Society organized group meals and outings.

"There were about 15 of us. We ate meals together and went out for New Year's Eve," says Kaniaru Wacieni '98, a Kenyan student and Woodbridge Society officer who stayed in his Eliot House room during the break.

The Society also organized a Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant for students who remained at school over the Thanksgiving break, according to el-Gaili.