Ten years of making people feel at home
A Javanese Gamelan, an Indonesian orchestra, entertains the crowd at the CISA anniversary celebration held at the Bain Mathieu.
kate hutchinson
Students, diplomats and friends whooped it up at the chic Bain Mathieu recently to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Concordia International Students Association.
There was a lion dance, always a popular item, a performance on the Javanese Gamelan, a woman martial arts expert, and an all-girl Brazilian drummer group. There was a buffet, dancing, and the masters of ceremonies were Désirée Enderer, who is here from Germany studying journalism, and Venkatesa (Ven) Virahsammy, a marketing major.
Virahsammy said he and the other 10 students on the executive have organized many events over the years, but this one was the biggest one so far. A variety of generous sponsors provided items for a raffle whose grand prize was a month-long trip to Peru and Bolivia. The evening raised $1,200 for Dans la rue.
CISA was established to help new students adapt to Montreal life. It has grown to include more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students, a majority of the approximately 3,000 international students here.
Virahsammy said he will take home many happy memories of his involvement. “I find it so fulfilling to see our positive impact through the support we provide. Many students have expressed to me their appreciation of how we have helped them ease their stay in Montreal.”
The executive is planning a three-day International Student Games, which its organizers hope will bring together all four Montreal universities.
“The purpose is to offer international students the chance to meet with other international students within the city of Montreal. We hope they will gain a sense of pride by representing the school for which they chose to pursue their studies (as opposed to any other university). We also wish to inspire their leadership skills, as well as the ability to function as a group.”
CISA also plans to institute an annual Cultural Fair.
“CISA is an opportunity for great international networking and lifelong friendship,” Virahsammy said with enthusiasm. “As our international students like to refer to our association, CISA to them is their home away from home.”