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The Cosmopolitan Club means a lot of things to many different people: fun and good food at the weekly coffee hours, occasional international dinners, a wonderful place to live and find friends from around the world, or a yearlong effort to raise money to repair a school in the village of Katiali in Ivory Coast. There would be a lot less hatred, wars, and violence on this planet if people throughout the world had access to a place like this. Take Thursday coffee hours for an example. They provide an opportunity to dance and enjoy interesting food with people from around the world. But more importantly, an opportunity to talk to them and find out that under the thin crust of different physical appearance, religion, or native language, they are in fact just like you. They laugh at the same jokes, find the same things sad, and have their personal strengths and weaknesses. It is simply not possible to come to such a place a few times and still maintain the misgivings and prejudices that one had about this nation or that. But even though our Cosmopolitan Club has the power to reach only a fraction of worldwide population, I believe that it still makes a huge difference. The people who are within its reach, students at UIUC, are among the brightest in their nations, and many of them will be able to influence their countries’ policies. I was lucky enough to be able to call Cosmo my home during the past year. I have many wonderful memories that I’ll cherish in the coming years and I’ll always feel grateful to my fellow residents, a lot of whom have become my good friends, and to Mrs. Andrea Shields, for making it possible.
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