Detecting Dawgs From Around the Globe

by Adrienne Kay | illustration by Shannon Douglas

About 1,200 of them mingle among Athenians every day. They assimilate among us, integrating themselves into our innermost networks: our clubs, our classes, our culture. They could be eating beside you at Snelling, passing you around the Ramsey indoor track or sliding into the next seat on the North-South bus line. There could be one standing by your side at this moment. To discover these embedded emissaries, you must recognize their subtleties and become well-versed in their ways. By taking note of the following characteristics, you just might be able to identify these adventurers from afar, these pioneers from distant places, these untapped treasures of worldly wisdom that we commonly refer to as… international students.

Imagine: while hauling yourself up the endless series of steps that lead to North Campus, you notice that the pants of an otherwise manly stud climbing ahead of you seem to stop a little short of his ankles. Suddenly realizing that those pants register as no form of highwaters, you tremble at this flagrant fashion violation: a man in capris. The reality, however, may be that he is simply a European transfer student who dragged his extremely trendy closet across the Atlantic. European men often don capris, descendants of the knickers, without concern or awareness of any feminine association, although their popularity differs across regions.

“Guys wear something like that when they go to the beach or the woods, but if you go to a party, you will see no one wearing pants like that,” remarks Nataliya Kozak, a Ukrainian transfer student studying business informatics. Kozak also was shocked when she saw students wearing hats, t-shirts and even pajamas to class. In Ukraine, students dress up for school.

Other stylish trends may differentiate international students from domestic dawgs. Upon spotting Captain Capris again a few days later, you find him sporting a tighter-than-acceptable button-up shirt complimented by matching, brightly-colored kicks—further clues of a European connection. Instead of holding his style against him, consult mutual friends who can confirm whether you have correctly pegged an international student.

Scenario two: while inching along in Milledge Avenue’s painfully slow traffic, you observe an unusual sight amid the standard array of afternoon joggers: a power walker with a pair of highly evolved hiking sticks. You pull up beside her and gasp, realizing that this wacko is trekking along Milledge with ski poles. Before writing off a potentially normal person as a total nutcase, consider that this girl could be from Germany. Bjoern Krausmann, a third-year German exchange student studying business and economics, explains the girl’s seemingly erratic behavior by describing Nordic walking, a common exercise activity from his home country. Popular throughout Europe and closely related to the NordicTrack treadmill, Nordic walking involves using “fitness poles” to enhance normal arm swing. Track down the Milledge hiker later, and you may find yourself Nordic walking the intramural fields with a new international friend.

Suppose later that evening you treat yourself to dinner downtown. Over the din of restaurant diners, you overhear the next table’s request for soda without ice. Odd, but intriguing. When the server returns with drinks and bread, the confused party informs her they never ordered an appetizer. An equally confused waitress explains the concept of complimentary bread, but the patrons remain skeptical. The plot thickens as the waitress attempts to refill their drinks. They clutch their cups to their chests before her pitcher can pour a drop and vehemently insist they need no more, despite the state of their empty glasses. There can be only one answer: international students.

Dian Sanders, a Bulgarian transfer student, recalls his first restaurant experience at Clocked!, a diner on Washington Street. He stubbornly rejected the idea that soda needs ice, despite the raised eyebrows that his European preference elicited. Friends had to constantly reassure him that his iceless coke refills came free of charge. The server’s attentiveness also surprised Sanders until his companions explained American tipping procedures. But Sanders says he enjoyed his experience. “It looked like in all the American films, like a place to get fast food,” he says. “I was happy.”

Still haven’t spotted one of UGA’s internationals? Greetings constitute yet another litmus test for foreign origin. Meet Katur Spiegel for the first time, and she will immediately lean in for the double-cheek kiss. “It’s just something I do without thinking,” says Speigel, a third-year marketing major from Santiago, Panama. She indiscriminately doles out hugs and kisses all the time at home. Here, she must restrain her affection so that others don’t misinterpret her intentions.

So whether you detect “manpris,” a Nordic walker, iceless soda or kissing Katur, please make sure your investigations are not made in vain. UGA hosts talented international students from the farthest reaches of the world, and they arrive eager to make friends. Each student comes equipped with diverse perspectives and unique experiences that we, as UGA students, can gain much from exploring. Find out more about funky European fashion, figure out how foreigners exercise, try iceless soda and learn worldwide greetings. Initiate the process by dropping into International Student Life Coffee Hour, attending International Street Festivals and, most importantly, keeping a sharp eye out so you can sight and correctly identify a new international friend.