Warm Welcomes and dishes were the hit of the first Coffee Hour of Spring 2002 held at the Cosmopolitan Club! International Illini proudly hosted the night to welcome the International Students to campus life here at U of I. To help these students get a "taste" of traditional American food, members of the organizing committee baked a variety of home made desserts. Everything from peach cobbler, brownies, to corn muffins were enjoyed by all participants of the event.
This was the first event of the New Year for both International Illini and the Cosmopolitan Club. American Night engaged some 150 international and U of I students together for an informal coffee hour and social. International Illini is an organization made up of Study Abroad returnees, dedicated to serving the campus community and promoting international relations among U of I students. International Illini serves as a social support and network organization created to provided returning study abroad students and international students with opportunities to socially and culturally interact.
Part of the purpose of the American night was to pair up Americans with students from all different countries together in order to provide them with a link to campus life and American culture. This is part of II's Buddy Program that has made huge impacts on International students and their impressions of U of I life. Being paired up with a past study abroad student helps them acclimates to our culture and is a great way to meet students away from class.
International Illini provides an array of social events throughout the year. Ice cream socials, wine night, ice-skating, and even broomball are some of the activities held this year. International Illini is open to all students who have studied abroad and encourages them to join!
On behalf of the members of the organizing committee, I would like to thank the Cosmopolitan Club for facilitating our first American Night!
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| International Illini hosting Americana Night at Cosmo |