The entrance door to Simrall Hall squeaks as Cherry Ho, Veterinary researcher and president of the Taiwanese Student Association, enters. Her pace quickens as the elevator doors start to close. Once inside the elevator, she stares ahead intently at the chipped white paint coating the wall. She glances momentarily at the boy standing next to her. She gives a quick wave and she’s back to her thoughts.            
  Ding! The elevator signals her arrival on the third floor. She walks into room 329 and is faced with a sign. 
  “Please determine to speak English in any school-related activities, especially in [Electrical Computer Engineering] labs and offices,” it reads.  
  According to Mississippi State University’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, discrimination on the premise of race, ethnicity, or national origin is not tolerated. 
  In addition to this, the United States’ Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that, “An English-only rule should be limited to the circumstances in which it is needed for the employer to operate safely or efficiently.” 
   While it is arguable that the English-only sign located in Simrall Hall failed to indicate the specifications in which the rule was to be enforced, the phrase “any school-related activities” certainly insinuates its all-encompassing application. 
  “[The sign] feels a little discriminating,” Ho said. 
   As a duel citizen of Taiwan and the United States, Ho can understand both sides of the English-only argument. However, Ho admits that a friendlier manner is necessary when addressing international students.
  “With [the sign] being so strict, it’s kind of like they don’t want us to speak [another language] at all,” Ho said.
  Mostafa Papi, a visiting assistant professor in TESOL and native Iranian, argues that not all school-related activities require only English. As a result, the principle of efficiency as stated in the EEOC cannot be applied or measured. Therefore, submission to the EEOC law is not applicable in every “school-related activity”, although that is what the English-only sign states.
  “When I’m teaching in class, of course I’m teaching in English. I will not teach in Persian, but if I’m talking to my colleague who speaks the same language as me, I would rather speak Persian and that is not anyone’s business. That is my right,” Papi said. 
Papi suggests that dictating the language in which students, staff and faculty speak at Mississippi State is an attack on privacy. Papi submits that the English-only sign can have a duel meaning of both intolerance and isolation of international students.    
  According to Papi, the sign could easily have read: “We don’t like your language. We don’t like your culture. We don’t care where you’re coming from. When you’re here you need to be monitored by us. We need to understand what you’re talking about.” 
 However, the second potential interpretation Papi proposes goes much deeper.
  “Another meaning could be ‘You are others. You don’t have the same rights as us and we are imposing our power of having more rights than you do regarding this issue. This is our place — not yours — and we determine how you talk and what language you use.’ So what’s next?” Papi said. 
 Papi accredits situations such as the existence of the English-only sign to the lower representation of internationals on campus.    
 Additionally, Papi said the sign damages the reputation of Mississippi State University. 
  He said he feels insulted the sign exists, and thinks such a rule is divisive.
 “I feel that I have been ‘othered.’ I feel that I am disliked. I feel that I’m not being wanted here and that is not a good feeling that I get and that does not conduce to my willingness to learn the language that is used to oppress me,” Papi said. 
 MSU’s Fall 2015 Enrollment by Residency, Gender, Level and Race identifies the total international enrollment as 772 out of the 20,873 total students. This data yields a 3.7 percent international student representation at Mississippi State. In addition, MSU’s Fall 2015 Total Faculty Report classifies 47 out of 1363 faculty as international. This data results in a 3.4 percent international representation among MSU faculty.
 Nicolas Younan, department head of electrical and computer engineering, was unaware of the English-only sign’s existence. According to Younan, the sign was placed in Simrall around 2009 by the former department head.
  “The purpose [of the signs], I think, I recall it was mostly not negative. It was mostly to encourage students to interact among each other basically,” Younan said. 
  Younan said the former department head observed the need for dialogue among electrical engineering TAs and placed the sign in all the labs. However, Younan insists that the intention of the sign was to implement a common dialogue among international students. 
  “I think [the former department head] wanted to encourage [international students] to interact among each other, so he probably put that sign up,” Younan said. 
   When asked about the offensive nature of the sign, Associate Professor in electrical and computer engineering Robert Reese shrugged his shoulders. 
 “Somebody would get offended by [the sign] I’m sure,” he said. 
Despite the response that MSU faculty and staff show toward the issue, eager international students will still continue to succeed in improving their English.
  Doctorate student and Taiwan native, Lena Lee said she is determined to improve her English.  
  In meetings with her conversation partner last year, Lee said she frequently referenced her small spiral notebook of translated words used to aid her English comprehension. If Lee was unsure of a word or phrase that was spoken, she would quickly ask her conversation partner to write the English word in her notebook. Following this, Lee would translate the word into her native language. The tedious process did not phase Lee as she is now able to converse naturally a year later. 
   “If I want to improve my English I will just do it by myself. No need to be pushed by other people,” Lee said. 
 Lee represents the overwhelming number of internationals who are eager to excel in their English skills but need to be encouraged politely rather than harshly. 
  “I think [internationals] still have authority to decide which language we want to use,” Lee said. “I hope the school can also respect our authority to speak our language.”
Hamsini Balaji, sophomore biochemistry major and international student from India, said they have studied in many countries where English was the only common communication medium. Balaji remembers many conversations where her excellent English speaking skills were noted by the native English speakers with which she was communicating. In response, Balaji defended her language competence. 
   “Who told you that we don’t speak good English?” Balaji said. 
  However, Balaji said they know that not all international students will display such confidence in speaking English. 
   “There are people who come here for the first time and they’re not even fluent. They can’t even communicate with other people so when they see that [sign] it’s demotivating for them,” Balaji said. 
As for the existence of the English-only sign located in Simrall Hall, Balaji is certain international students are already aware of their need for English without the sign’s indication. 
  “Do you think we’re incompetent to not know what is required of us to come so far?” Balaji said. 
  The Dean of Students was contacted for a comment, but has not yet responded. In addition, the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion also did not provide a response. 
   As of April 1, the English-only signs were removed from Simrall Hall as stated by Program Coordinator of electrical and computer engineering, Josie Guerry.
  “We were all a little surprised to hear about these signs and went ahead and took down the ones we could locate in Simrall,” he said.