Ohio University’s umbrella organization for cultural groups aims to attract more domestic students through educational and interactive programming.
International Student Union held its first meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in Baker University Center where members discussed last year’s successes, upcoming events and goals for Fall Semester.
Hashim Pashtun, the president of ISU, introduced the executive board and discussed the order of events.
ISU celebrated its several successes in the 2015-16 academic year, such as accepting several new member organizations including the Saudi Student Association and the Irish Club for Bobcats. ISU also created multiple new events, such as the Bobcat Unity Walk and the Interfaith Panel as well as started the Monsoon Newsletter, a biannual Southeast Asian studies magazine, last year, Hannah Borowski, the ISU secretary, said.
Borowski, a junior studying global studies and political science, also touched on the struggles ISU faced last year, such as budget cuts and lack of membership outreach.
Upcoming ISU events include the 9/11 Interfaith Peace Walk, participation in the Homecoming parade and International Dinner, Yvonne Yan, the programming director, said.
Olivia Raney, who manages marketing and public relations for ISU, showed the meeting attendees the ISU Facebook Page and said the organization will be looking for a new photographer after Raney graduates.
“We’re trying to do more outside of event coverage,” Raney said. “You guys all have really amazing cultures and lives here in Athens, Ohio, and we want to share that to make sure people understand you’re not just two events a year. You guys are celebrating your food, your music, your everything all year long.”
Bukky Shaba, who also manages social media and marketing for ISU, said they want to write feature posts on Facebook about each member organization to increase their online presence.
Alena Klimas, the ISU vice president, said it is very important to be an eco-friendly organization.
“One thing we’re really trying to do this year is to be sustainable for programming,” Klimas said.
The Zero Waste Initiative, a green organization on campus that is not a member organization of ISU, attended the meeting to share their plans for waste management, food sourcing, water and energy conservation with ISU.
Pashtun, a graduate student studying civil engineering, also said ISU’s goals for Spring Semester include increasing domestic student attendance at events and focusing on innovative ideas for educational programming.
“Our events should not only focus on cultural programs, food, dances or provinces, etc.,” Pashtun said. “We should also focus on interactive events, foreign events, panels, events like that, which we have plans for in the future.”
Pashtun said he also wants to collaborate with other organizations on campus, including Sorority and Fraternity Life.
“There’s this main ideology on our campus that ISU is only for international students,” Pashtun said. “Let’s change that concept. Let’s be open to all international students as well as domestic students.”
