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International students and Rotaract members relaxed Friday at the International Cultural Center's Welcome Party after the first week of class ended. "About 150 students showed up to the welcome party, which is about half of the new international student population," said Maureen Hewitt, ICC manager. "I consider it a really successful welcome party." The party began with an animated graphical presentation created and accompanied with music composed by former ICC student worker and graduate student Ganesh Sundarraj. "[Sundarraj] did that incredibly creative and time-consuming work for the [ICC] because he really loves it," Hewitt said. "We can't thank him enough." The party continued with ice-breaker games and dancing. "[The welcome party] is a great way to get to know people," said Monica Nguyen, Rotaract president. "I look forward to this every year. How many times do you get to dance with a man from Pakistan?" Hewitt said the welcome party is not only a way for students to meet people from other cultures, but it also allows for international students to feel more at home by connecting with people from their native countries. "It's so nice being able to speak to someone besides my husband in the same dialect I'm used to," Yasmine Dabbous, a mass communication doctoral student said. Dabbous and her husband, communication studies doctoral student Khaled Nasser, met Alexandre Tabbal, a computer engineering graduate student, during the welcome party. "He is the only person from Lebanon we've met since we came [to the University]," Dabbous said. Tabbal said he enjoyed meeting the couple. "I hope other people from Lebanon will contact [ICC] so that we can all meet," Tabbal said. Tabbal, Dabbous and Nasser said they were excited to discuss the recent cease-fire in Lebanon with people from their own country. "I'm happy for the cease-fire and hope it will last," Tabbal said. According to International Student Associate Vice President Renee Wong, Rotaract and LSU Ambassadors were invited to attend the welcome party in order to build a relationship for future collaborations. "We are launching an international buddy program with [Rotaract and LSU Ambassadors] in about two weeks," Wong said. "We wanted to be able to establish some sort of friendship with them beforehand." International Director of Rotarct Mazeyar Saboori said the organization tried to implement the international buddy program for the first time this past year, but it was cancelled because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "Pretty much the whole point of the program is to make the transition to the American culture easier for international students and broaden the understanding of Americans of other cultures," Saboori said. Rotaract members said they were excited to attend the welcome party. "We wanted to welcome the international students," said Heather Lin, international trade and finance sophomore. "It takes a lot [of courage] to leave your family and come to another country."
----- Contact Laura Weems at lweems@lsureveille.com
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