International Students Club open to all

By Emily Dee
Cardinal Staff

The newly-formed International Students Club is open to all Saint Mary’s University students.

Student Senate Vice President for International Affairs Zhe (Scott) Song described it as a new way to get international and American students acclimated with one another. Song helped organize the club last spring.

“We help them (international students) adjust to American culture, and we help them feel a little less homesick,” said Song. This is achieved through orientation, movie nights and trips to surrounding areas. Because the club is still new, meeting times are flexible.

Although a majority of students involved in the club as of now are international students, the International Students Club is open to all students. “When people hear the words ‘International Students Club,’ they think it is for international students only, but that is not true,” Song said.

Song said the main goal is to try to create a balance between the international students and the domestic students and to be as non-exclusive as possible. Domestic students can get involved and partake in activities depending on whether the International Students Club heads the events alone or with assistance from the International Center. Certain events, such as basketball games and baseball games, deal with factors like a budget to adhere to or spatial limitations to abide by.

One event hosted by the International Students Club was a Chinese Festival held toward the end of last year. Students were invited to engage in the Chinese culture and learn about traditions by sampling Chinese food and music. Movie nights are another frequent event. “One of the movies we showed last year was a Chinese kung fu movie called ‘The Forbidden Kingdom,’” said Song. Movies shown are either foreign films with English subtitles or filmed in America with emphasis on a different culture. Other events include pizza nights and trips to corn mazes.