Bellevue College’s International Student Association exists to encourage communication and interaction between students of varying nationalities and to provide support for international students. For many international students coming from abroad to the United States to study, the greatest service the ISA provides is their support in helping them adjust to the new cultural setting at BC which can be hostile and unfamiliar to students that are not used to it. Throughout the year, the ISA hosts a variety of events to encourage interaction between the international and resident populations at BC.
With the current transition into a new academic year, the ISA is holding a Polynesian-themed “Tiki party,” complete with games, food, and other entertainment. The purpose of the party is to introduce the ISA members to the new international students coming to BC, as well as to provide an opportunity for the members of multiple organizations and clubs to meet and greet one another.
“We are actually really excited about it!” said Valery Borodina, the activity coordinator for the ISA. “We’re a new team,.We just became officers. We’re really excited about how we’re going to meet new people.”
This is the first year that such a party has been held by the ISA as the group only recently thought of the idea.
“We were thinking about summer,” Borodina explained. “We wanted to do something juicy, something hot, anything we can do to invite people into our program more and connect us to other groups in general, especially international students. When they come they have a culture shock, so we need to support them.”
To fit the Tiki theme, tropical foods and drink swill be provided for the partygoers. The ISA is planning on hosting several games, including water guns, Twister and a Karaoke machine, which will be the main attraction of the event.
While the focus of the party will be Bellevue College’s international community of students, Borodina wanted to make it clear that the planned festivities will be open to everyone on campus.
“All of the international students are going to attend, and we’re going to invite everyone else in Student Programs,” she said. “There will be posters that are going to be around campus, so pretty much anyone who wants to go and who’s interested in sharing culture should come.” The ISA Tiki party is scheduled for July 30.