Julia Hassen

Hi, my name is Julia Hassen, though you can call me Julie. I’m a junior transfer student this year from Orange County, CA. I went to community college down south, then took some time off and lived in Paris, France working as an au-pair. I also went to La Sorbonne, a French University, to learn French for two years before coming back to school then transferring here to UC Berkeley. I am a French and Marine Science major; though I wish I could major in EVERYTHING! I love to learn and I love to try new things. Traveling is something I hope to do it as much as possible. I look forward to meeting everyone in the International House community. Please stop me when you see me just to say hi or even to get into a long philosophical conversation. My motto is “C’est le moment present qui compte” which means: “It’s the present moment that counts…”

Luke Harley

Hi! My name is Luke Harley, and I grew up on the northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. I’m attending Berkeley as a visiting scholar, writing my PhD on how music relates to language, specifically in relation to the work of Nathaniel Mackey. Prior to this I was a music journalist in London. Apart from laboring away on my dissertation, I enjoy playing jazz trombone, traveling, drinking wine and going to concerts. Please feel free to say hello to me when you see me about the I-House, or suggest anything you’d like improved at I-House.

Naim Dargouth

Hello! My name is Naim, and this is my second semester on the I-House Council. I am also an RA on the fourth floor. You can stop by my room to talk about events or changes you would like to see at the I-house. I am especially interested in the greening of the I-house (including our energy use and sustainability issues) and on a lighting project (Energy efficient!) for the I-house dome. If you have ideas regarding these issues, please feel free to email me or stop by my room! (My email is naim@berkeley.edu)

Nima Rahimi

Hello, I am Nima, a fourth year at Cal studying Political Science and German, and I am currently serving on your I-House Council as Treasurer. I have studied abroad twice in my academic career. The summer between my first and second year I went off to the University of Sussex in the UK for a couple months on a summer program. And for my third year, I went to Berlin, Germany and studied at the Free University. I am in my fourth year now deciding what to do next. My passions are in politics and international relations, and I’m always interested in a good conversation and/or debate. As for council, if you have concerns or suggestions with respect to anything about your experience here, please feel free to approach me.

Pui-Wa Li

Hello, my name is Pui-Wa. In case you don’t know, “Pui-Wa” means “to admire the goodness” in Chinese. I grew up in Hong Kong and came to the U.S. few years ago. Now I’m attending Berkeley as a Civil and Environmental Engineering student. Besides engineering, I am also interested in art, music, and Chinese history. Whenever I travel back to Hong Kong, I would dig up my Four Features of Study (文房四宝: paper, ink, brush, and inkstone) and practice on my Chinese calligraphy, because I could contemplate myself and calm my mind from writing. I am looking forward to meeting you and listening to any ideas regarding I-House during the year.

Nathaniel Rice

Nathaniel is a graduate student in the Department of Design/Visual Studies within the Architecture School. He has also studied Physics, Math and Art as a Berkeley undergraduate. He has lived in France, India, Mexico and New York, and has traveled to Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia and Western Europe. He spent summers with his family kayaking off the coast of Vancouver Island. He enjoys hiking and reading biographies of creative individuals as well as art and literary criticism. Although he started childhood in Berkeley, his primary family home is in Santa Cruz. He has worked as a Night Supervisor and Resident Assistant in the International House and is currently the Chair of the International House Council. He has a deep appreciation for I-House, and hopes to return the goodwill and opportunities the house has provided for him. He is greatly enjoying Graduate School, where he currently teaches Freehand Drawing as a Graduate Student Instructor. He hopes to make a positive difference in the world.

Eric Jabart

Anne Nisenson

Annie, a native Northern Californian from the wine country, is a fourth year History undergraduate at Berkeley and a devoted council member. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading in the sun, dancing, and joking around. Her favorite pastimes include engaging in political debates, talking to strangers, and eating different types of food. Please don’t hesitate to ask her questions or confront her with house problems. She is always willing to listen and ready to work with you in the coming months to create a better house for all of us.

Frederik Hjorth

My name is Frederik, I’m a 22-year-old political science student on exchange from University of Copenhagen, Denmark. I will be studying at Berkeley for a year as part of my Master’s degree. Though I’ve lived most my life in Denmark, I was born in the US when my parents went to grad school at UCSD. I’m on Council because, as much as I enjoy studying politics in theory, what it all comes down to is making a difference to real people. I hope to contribute to making a stay at International House even more memorable. When I’m not on council, I try to keep up with current affairs and trends in culture and technology. If you have a good idea for improving International House – or the world! – don’t hesitate to stop by; I’d love to hear about it.

Sam Saxena, from Toronto, Canada Age: 22 Area of study: Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on Thermal Sciences and CombustionInterests: Ice hockey, snowboarding, playing/learning the guitar, fitness, volleyball, hiking, 3d animation, traveling, astronomy, politics, cars…Why I’m living at I-House: to experience and learn from a vibrant mix of cultures, traditions, backgrounds and opinions

Monique Porsandeh

Hi my name is Monique. I am a third year Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major. I like nice people, good food, cool cities, and gorgeous scenery. This will be my first semester serving on council and hopefully there will be more semesters to come! And no I am not French …but rather a blend of Persian love, Romanian spice, and English charm. But I was born and raised in beautiful, sunny California!

Hadas Goshen

Hi everyone! I’m third year transfer from UC Davis, where I studied English and Dance and hope to continue studying at Berkeley. I’m an Israeli-American and worked as an intern at the Jersualem Post over the summer, though I was excited to fly home to the bay area and move into I House this fall. I’ve been involved in student government throughout high school as well as taking on several roles in my sorority and Panhellenic Council at UCD. She also enjoys slam poetry, dance, theatre and art.