If you cha cha'd your heart out at the recent Latin Dance Party, got all dolled up for the International Club (I-Club) semi-formal cruise last semester, or simply attended International Orientation (IO), then you have witnessed the work and enthusiasm of the International Club. You have also taken part in Tufts' long tradition of global awareness and diversity - one exemplified in its large international community, as well as its very active International Club.
International students comprise about 12 percent of the student body at Tufts. This includes non-US citizens, foreign citizens, permanent residents, and US citizens who live overseas. Senior Gerald Sean McDermott, president of the I-Club, estimates that approximately 70 percent of these students participate in at least one International Club event outside of IO during the year.
The I-Club, one of the largest student groups on campus, boasts an e-mail list of roughly 400 students, attracting most of its members during IO. However, as in IO, many of the students that participate are not necessarily international students - some are just interested in foreign cultures. Freshman Josh Warren, a member of the I-Club executive board and a New Jersey resident, reaffirms that the club is not entirely exclusive to international students.
"I-Club is for anyone interested in having a good time. The parties and events are a lot of fun, and are different from the usual college stuff," he said.
According to its mission statement, the I-Club strives to promote foreign culture on campus, integration and mutual understanding between international and American students, and sponsor social events. McDermott stressed the importance of interaction between foreign and American cultures.
"We consider ourselves facilitators of culture," he said. "We promote not just cultural understanding, but also cultural interaction. We use cultural understanding with the interacting."
Through its many events, such as this week's Intercultural Festival from Feb. 14 to Feb. 24, the I-Club spreads awareness of global issues and provides social activities such as dances and parties, ultimately bringing together international and domestic students. The I-Club throws 30 to 40 events every year, ranging from small activities, such as 15 students watching a foreign film together, to large events like the Parade of Nations cultural show this Friday in Cohen Auditorium.
The I-Club also works with many other organizations on campus, including culture groups and branches of the administration, such as Cultural Ethnicity and Community Affairs (CECA). Through the administration, the I-Club is able to voice international students' concerns, such as international financial aid. I-Club is involved in events with many culture groups, but it traditionally works with more of the larger culture groups.
"[The I-Club] tries to consciously balance the culture clubs we work with, given the demographics of Tufts," McDermott said, adding that there are 20 culture clubs at Tufts. "We work with larger groups for personnel and budget reasons."
The I-Club was recently awarded a first place $3,500 cash prize for winning a contest sponsored by www.iagora.com, a website that connects international students and clubs from universities across the country while also providing information and entertainment relevant to international students. Tufts' I-Club competed against international clubs at other schools, mainly those within the US. According to McDermott, the Tufts' I-Club won the contest as a result of its large number of members and represented nationalities, as well as its number of website hits - more than schools such as Harvard and Georgetown. The money awarded to the I-Club is being used to help pay for Intercultural Festival.
"In my impression, Tufts has one of the more active, if not the most active, international communities in the country," McDermott said.
