International students get warm reception from Cosmopolitan Club

By Dan Farnham

Each year, hundreds of new students from around the world come to the University for reasons that can vary as much as the countries they come from.

Some come as undergraduates to get a degree in one of the University’s well-renowned programs. Others come as graduate students who become teaching assistants, and some come for a semester just to experience life in the United States.

These students represent almost every continent and dozens of countries. But they share the common bond of being new at the University and, for at least one night, they are all under the same roof during the Welcome Reception for International Students. The event is held at the University YMCA and is sponsored by the Cosmopolitan Club and the Office of International Student Affairs.

Andrea Shields, director of the Cosmopolitan Club, said the reception was just one part of the orientation program for international students that started on Aug. 16.

But unlike other orientation program events, which were primarily informative, the reception was meant to be a social event for the students so they could get to know one another.

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Like many other students, Aakrit Vaish of India said he traveled around the globe to enter the University’s prestigious engineering program.

But other international students are attending the University as part of a study abroad program, with the University as one of their few choices.

Lena Sulik of South Africa, attending the school for a semester, said her time during the orientation process has been hectic. Sulik is studying English literature and drama.

“There’s so much to do,” Sulik said, also remembering that the actual semester hasn’t started yet.

The Cosmopolitan Club was founded in 1907. According to the club’s Web site, their purpose is to “cultivate social and intellectual relationships among persons of different nations through a variety of activities and services.” The club, which is open to American and international students, holds events such as ethnic dinners, international coffee hours, parties and outings to cultural and social events.The Cosmopolitan Club has been hosting the reception for many years, but this year was the first time that Euro Mart provided the food.

The Euro Mart, 48 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign, served a variety of ethnic food including stuffed grape leaves, baklava and 20 kinds of cheese and falafel.

“We are always trying to help the University and the community,” said Raget Yaman, owner of Euro Mart.

Marco Reinhard and Christoph Bensberg both came to the University from Germany as part of a semester-long exchange program.

Reinhard and Bensberg are studying international management, and said that because of the prevalence of the United States in the business world, it is a good idea to spend time in the United States.

One notable difference they found odd is how students identify themselves with the University through clothing.

“We see a lot of people here who are wearing T-shirts with the school’s name on it,” Reinhard said. “We are not used to seeing that, but I guess it’s good.”