International student club reborn

Some attendees at the International Student Club meeting. Photo by Tina Somchit

By Tina Somchit

International students emphatically reestablished an international student club under the name World Student Association of Waldorf College (WSA). The first meeting was held on Sept. 9 in the library lounge.

Alyssa Braun, International Student Coordinator/Recruiter, took the lead to restart the club as the faculty adviser. “The first meeting went very well. We had a lot of great participation from a bunch of different voices,” she said. The meeting consisted of 15 students, including both international and domestic students.

WSA is open for everybody to join, regardless of race or ethnicity, including faculty, staff, and off-campus commuters. “There is a reason that this club is called the World Student Association, and that is because we want to make sure that the whole world, which includes the U.S., is represented,” Braun said.

For international students, it is normal to feel like an outcast and lonely among American students. Isa Rabel, a junior from Germany, said WSA would be able to help her with those feelings because everybody has a different cultural background and everybody can express his/her belief without being judged. “The biggest benefits are the connections you are going to make, the experiences you are going to share, and the amazing things you are going to learn,” Rabel said.

The regular meeting time has not been established yet. However, the attendees agreed to meet at least twice a month during the school year, in which the meeting time will be announced by the faculty adviser. “I can’t wait for the first meeting, and hope a lot of people show up,” Rabel said.

Before Braun became international student coordination, there was a similar club to WSA called Global Culture Club. It was well known for the food fest they coordinated, which gave Braun an idea on where to start. It was also the most voted idea for activities WSA members came up with. Braun said, “A lot of the students are talking about food. They want to be able to cook their countries’ food and let others try it.”

The attendees also discussed the club’s constitution during the meeting. Its constitution includes the statement of non-discrimination, which states no discriminating against others by age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, marital status, political or social affiliation, region, and sexual orientation is allowed. The club’s objective is to bring cultures together, provide forums for students to promote their cultures, create campus awareness about cultural differences, and collaborate with other organizations on campus. The attendees also agree to follow the Non-hazing statement, as defined by New York Penal Law 120.16 and New York Penal Law 120.17, to disengage in hazing.

At the moment, Braun has received nominations from many people that went to the first meeting, as well as others that did not attend the meeting, for the president, vice president, treasurer and secretary positions which will be voted upon in the next meeting. “An officer is expected to attend all regular, officer, and special meetings,” Braun said.