Well, that was interesting.

Since October 1st, the U.S. government has been on partial shutdown. That means a lot of different things, but most relevant for us is that since about 11:30am last Tuesday, I have been officially furloughed as an employee at the Voice of America. You may have seen a couple posts we prepared to auto-post once I walked out the door, explaining a little about the shutdown and what it would mean for the Student Union.

However, as of this morning, I and some of my colleagues have be designated "excepted" - which is an official government term for "back to work." Of course, there still is no money, and excepted employees across the federal government around the world are working without pay for the moment. But at least we can again start moving forward with this year's Student Union.

Very soon I hope to be reaching out to each of our new team members individually, as well as continuing to recruit new contributors. Tomorrow, we've got a post cued up from an international student from Africa and his thoughts on what racism means in modern-day America.

Most importantly, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the shutdown. What you're reading, what you're talking about with your classmates, whether it's affected your studies as some labs and facilities close and aid payments slow down and other thoughts you have. Is the shutdown hurting the U.S. image overseas, or is it a good example of democracy in action?

Leave your thoughts, and feel free to respond to any comments you see here. Like I said last week, let's consider this a teachable moment.

It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.