The ISO kicked off its events calendar Friday with a raucous Welcome Back Party.
The Welcome Back Party, which is held at the end of the first week of every semester, offers international students a chance to meet students from other nations and local students in a social setting.
Along with loud music ranging from modern hip-hop to more exotic fare from foreign countries, the Starlight Terrace was decked out in banners and balloons, lending a festive look. Flashing neon lights added to the ambience, making the place seem more like a club.
Food and drink were plentiful, and students could take advantage of a “bar” that served combinations of soft drinks and fruit juice. Most of the venue was taken up by hordes of dancers who showcased moves from every corner of the globe.
“I think the turnout was just awesome,” said Mong Nguyen, cultural coordinator for the ISO and head of the event. “So many people turned up compared to last semester.”
This was the first major event hosted by the new ISO committee for 2008—2009. Guests were invited to sign a guestbook at the entrance, which held more than 400 names at the end of the night. Students from such diverse places as Taiwan, Venezuela and Kazakhstan attended the event, and the massive turnout forced the ISO to buy additional drinks from Wal-Mart as their stock began to run out around midnight.
Nguyen also praised the volunteer effort.
“It was pretty busy work to arrange this party and it was lucky we had volunteers to help us with the decorations,” Nguyen said. “The party was awesome.”
The ISO is typically a volunteer-based organization, and the number of students donating their time and effort is a positive indicator for the rest of the ISO events calendar.
Despite the hectic first week of school, publicity for the event was still good.
“I spoke at an [International Students and Scholars] meeting as well as contacted the Cowboy Cousins program,” said Brian Slayter, American liaison for the ISO. “They already knew about it, which was a good thing.”
Many students used the gathering as a chance to meet up with friends and hang out.
“I heard about this event from my friends and from some flyers around campus,” said Chim Bee Khim, a biochemistry senior. “I’ve attended this event before and I decided to come to hang out with my friends. There are really a lot of people here in such a small venue.”
The Welcome Back Party seems to have grown in popularity in the past year. Although several students, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was crowded and the music overly loud at times, all said they had a great time.
Make the next event even bigger:
International Olympics:
Sept.12- Sept. 27
@ The Colvin Center
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