The International Student Council wants to see more student participation next year.

The ISC holds regular meetings for people to address international student problems to the council as well as plan activities and events, ISC President Ashish Kumar said.

One reason international students are reluctant to take part in the meetings is due to all the costs associated with attending Iowa State, the students’ first priorty is studying, Kumar said.

The International Student Council was organized at Iowa State on April 21, 1984, to accommodate the needs of international students and bands together all international groups at Iowa State.

Akshay Naik belonged to ISC as a representative of the Indian Student Association for the past two years.

“ISC was formed as an umbrella organization which can represent all the international student organizations at Iowa State University,” said Naik, graduate student in physics and astronomy.

“The idea was that this organization would help promote international understanding in the Ames community and would serve as a platform to advocate the needs of international students,” he said.

Kumar, senior in advertising, said the ISC comprises members from different international organizations.

“We try to reach the international student community from these people,” Kumar said.

An important reason international students should participate in the ISC is to “put forth their culture to other people,” Kumar said.

Besides having meetings, ISC also hosts international week in the fall and the food fair during Veishea weekend.

In recent years, ISC has also arranged shuttles for incoming international students from the airport to campus, he said.

“I think ISC has done a commendable job by being active in various events on campus,” Naik said.

For more information about ISC, students can visit its Web site at http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/isc.