November General Body Meeting

This Sunday (November 2nd, 2014) at 4 pm we will have our November general body meeting in Keefe Commons. We will talk about many exciting events and providing some important information.

Especially if you will be staying on campus during the winter break (for any number of days/nights between December 16th and the Sunday before classes start in January), please make sure to attend. Sarah Yencha, from Residence Life, will be coming to the meeting to provide details on winter housing.

We will also be talking about March around the World. This is an event at March Elementary School where ISA Students present their cultures to the school kids through dancing, games and other fun activities (check out pictures from last year’s event here).

Another really cool thing you might want to learn more about is project BOMA – a program that covers the expenses for an international student and a friend from the US to travel around each other’s home regions and explore their cultures.

Finally, we will provide some information about some holiday festivities – the ISA Thanksgiving Dinner and the Winter Cultural Festival, which celebrates winter holidays from all parts of the globe.

Make sure to also grab some of the delicious Mexican food at the meeting!

Diwali/Festival of Lights

Diwali (the Festival of Lights) is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindus all around the globe, but especially in Nepal, India, Singapore and Sri Lanka. The festival is held in autumn every year and signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated with family and friends praying, dancing and eating together.

Join us as we mark Diwali with amazing Indian food and extravagant performances. You will also get the chance to learn more about the Festival of Lights!

The event is on 24th October at 7 PM in Marlo Room, Farinon. ISA and ACA are the joint organizers of the event. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, MSA and the Interfaith Council are cosponsoring this event.

Diwali Diyas
Diyas (lamps) used to show light and its purity during Diwali

Make a Difference Day

The ISA will be participating in the national Make a Difference Day!

The Landis Center has reserved a specific site project for us to participate as a group: The Lynn Street Community Garden. This project will be held on Saturday, October 18th from 1 to 4pm. We will help clean planting beds, spread straw, clean the shed, and organize seeds. Gloves will be provided. In addition, transportation is provided, so we don’t have to worry about getting there on our own. 

If you are interested or would like to learn more, please contact Sze Cheng at chengs@lafayette.edu.

Dorney Park Trip

Ready to have some fun at the best amusement park in the area?
Ready to have some fun at the best amusement park in the area? Photo credit: Retromoderns Flickr

Do you want to have some fun at one of the coolest amusement parks in the area?

Then the Dorney Park trip is just for you! The ISA is organizing a Saturday over there on August 9th. One of the highlights: the pass to Dorney park lets you ride both on the roller coasters and the water rides! Check out their website to see what other great stuff they have: https://www.dorneypark.com/.

The trip will take place on August 9th with a rain date of August 10th. We will leave campus around 9:30 am and be back before 7 pm. To sign up, please bring exact change of $15 to Tracey Itterly in 101 Hogg Hall before the deadline of July 31st. The non-refundable fee covers both transportation and entrance to the park.

Exciting Upcoming Fall Events!

Hey all,

We have an incredible line-up of ISA events coming up in the next few months, don’t miss them!

NYC Fall Break Trip:

This year’s fall break will start on Friday, October 11th and end on Tuesday, October 15th. If you plan to stay on campus, please notify Max Ma and Janine as soon as possible. Every year, the ISA does group trips to New York City, so you can explore the concrete jungle for (perhaps) your first time!

Upcoming Brown Bags:

There will be a couple of brown bag events in these coming weeks led by Helen Hutchens and other active ISA members. Logistics and detailed information will be posted soon. Contact Helen (hutchenh@lafayette.edu) if you would like to participate in the brown bags she is coordinating.

Dining Hall Events:

There is a dining hall event on a Thursday of every month either at Farinon or Marquis Hall. Each month, cultural food from a specific region is provided. Stop by a nearby dining hall if you have a craving for ethnic foods!

ISA Formal:

ISA formal will be on Friday, November 8th from 7:30 to 11:30 pm. This year’s location will be on Bank Street. Formal attire is preferred. Information about deposits and other logistics will also be posted soon, but in the meantime, make sure to sign-up if you have not done so already!

We look forward to seeing you at these events! Stay tuned for more information and logistics.

Always Yours,

ISA Board

Class of 2017… Orientation is almost here!

With International Student Orientation just days away, there’s plenty of reasons to be happy! We have an action packed, fun-filled week planned for the kids. From the moment you touch down to the moment you get to your first class, we’ll be there, ready to help you in any way. Take a look at our newly updated Executive Board page so you know who’s-who as soon as you arrive. Trust me – it WILL help!

Fly Away with BOMA…

…to Nepal and Serbia, that is!

A new Lafayette initiative is bringing international and domestic students even closer together with a program called BOMA.
Pairs of students, one international and one domestic, are invited to submit proposals outlining the types of activities they would participate in while staying with each other’s families during the summer or winter breaks for two to three weeks. The six students selected to participate are then awarded funding to cover roundtrip travel expenses as well as a small stipend. This all-expense paid trip expands the horizons of all participating members, and gives us an excuse to see our families after long absences.

This summer, two BOMA trips flew out to two very different places. Rijan Maharjan ’14, and Sarah Walko ’15 went to Rijan’s hometown, Kathmandu, for two weeks. You can check out their trip highlights here:

http://voices.lafayette.edu/category/rijan-maharjan/

http://voices.lafayette.edu/category/sarah-walko/

The second trip, which is still underway, was to Serbia with friends Eddie Andujar ’15 and Djordje Rakic ’15. You can follow them here:

http://voices.lafayette.edu/tag/boma/

 

Get Ready for Extravaganza!!!

ISA Extravaganza is just around the corner, so spread the word!

Make sure you get your tickets for the Grand Finale on Saturday… Tickets are given out on a first come, first serve basis, so grab yours at the week’s events before they run out!

For a full list of events during the week, and an overview of what Extravaganza is, check out our Extravaganza 2013 webpage!