Students in the Sophia Gordon Multi-Purpose Room on Nov. 8 saw a mix of festivity and somber recollection. Treats from the Danish Pastry House were positioned side by side with framed photographs of Boryana Damyanova, known to her friends as "Bory" who died Nov. 22 of last year in a car accident around Davis Square.
The scene was that of the first annual fundraiser to support the Boryana Damyanova International Students' Scholarship Fund.
Attendees heard musical performances by Tufts students and listened to a brief presentation in which sophomore Lidia Borisova received the first International Students' Scholarship.
Several speakers addressed the crowd at the event, including Director of the International Center Jane Etish-Andrews.
"Bory had so much life and so much to honor," she said. "Lidia has a lot of vitality and life and it reminds me of Bory. To me, it was a good match."
Borisova spoke afterwards, saying that she was thrilled to receive the scholarship.
"They called me one day and said 'Congratulations.' It was really a big surprise," she said. Now "I'm starting to realize its importance. I'm grateful."
Bruce Male, Chairman of the International Board of Overseers, attended the event and said that it evoked some bittersweet memories. He sponsored Bulgarian Damyanova's education at Tufts, getting to know her in the process.
"I was her local dad. She was a member of my family. This isn't easy for me," he told the Daily. "We were very close. I am in the proximity of her spirit and I feel that."
Male also sponsored the creation of the Boryana Damyanova International Students' Scholarship Fund.
"There are a lot of people who knew and loved her and who thought it necessary for her memory and spirit to go on. The best way to do this, I thought, was to start a scholarship in her memory," he said.
Male, however, also expressed disappointment in the small size of the audience, which could inhibit the growth of the scholarship fund, he said.
"The reality is we're not going to raise a lot of money here. We are going to raise some, but not a lot," he said. Still, because it is still in its early stages, Male is holding out hope for the future.
I-Club President Alex Sultan-Khan, whose club hosted the fundraiser, said that he expects the event to take place earlier next year so that the looming presence of finals doesn't dampen audience size.
"All in all it was quite successful, although we didn't have the turnout we expected," he said.
At the very least the event's purpose attracted juniors and student musicians Jahn Sood and Amod Rajbhandari to play music at the event.
"When Alex [Sultan-Khan] told us about it, we thought, 'This is fantastic, I need to be part of this,'" Rajbhandari said.
"Tonight we're...having fun," added Sood. "I think it's important to play music for a positive cause beyond entertainment."
I-Club Treasurer Carlo Jacob said that he did not become involved in the International Club until Damyanova's story inspired him to run for Treasurer.
"Even though I didn't know her personally, I felt connected to the situation and since her accident, I thought, 'Wow, I need to get involved,'" Jacob said. "I'm really happy to be a part of it."
The International Club hosted the event for both financial and publicity reasons, Khan said. The I-Club sold food and drinks, and asked attending students for a suggested donation of $2 at the door. The club raised over $100 on the night.
More donations can be made on Monday by purchasing additional Danish Pastry House treats, which will be sold in the Campus Center.
