The International Student Organization uses its funding primarily to host events for international and noninternational students alike.
"I guess the name just says it all--the International Student Organization," said Krushan Patel, ISO president. "It's a nonmembership organization. International students are automatically part of it, so we get a mailing list so we can mail out the information and whatnot. But it's not only restricted to international students. It's open to everybody. So not just Auburn, but the community as well."
ISO has a list of line items in its budget for the various events it hosts throughout the year.
Patel said "Social Hour" is ISO's main event and is held throughout fall, spring and summer semesters.
"So basically what social hour is, is it's an event, and we provide food in some location and everybody gets together, international students and noninternational students," Patel said. "But we also make announcements or we have somebody come and speak, or maybe there'll be an event or something at Social Hour."
Social Hour is held every Friday at 4 p.m. in the Student Center, although the room number may change from week to week.
Other major events in fall include the World's Fair and the Peace Dinner.
"It's a chance for international students and noninternational students who originate from abroad or have an interest in a certain country abroad would set up a table and display our culture, tradition, just pictures and information, in the Student Center lobby, or if it's out on the Concourse, which it has been in previous years," Patel said. "You know, it's just an event and we have all day. So, you know, we have kids walking in and out of the Student Center or up and down the Concourse, and they'll be able to see this and learn about new cultures and traditions."
The Peace Dinner invites all international student organizations on campus to bring a food that represents their culture.
"It's free and it's open to everybody," Patel said. "But we did take a dollar from everybody to donate to the cause of the Committee of 19 or the World Food Bank. All the proceeds went to that. It's a nonprofit event entirely. But there's no real entrance, if somebody didn't have a dollar we still let them in. So it's just a chance for everybody to get to taste different food."
Patel said there are different events in the spring including two sports tournaments--an outdoor soccer tournament and an indoor tournament featuring games such as chess, pool and table tennis.
ISO also hosts a talent show in the spring.
"The talent show is open to everybody," Patel said. "They just gotta sign up and exhibit their talent. And we'll also invite judges to judge the competition. So they'll judge and then we'll give out the prizes. But everybody else will come and watch the free entertainment."
Patel said the biggest event in the spring, however, is the Recognition Banquet.
"It's an event that recognizes the outstanding international students here at Auburn," Patel said. "And so we get the information from each of their colleges, and I guess we give certificates to all of the students that get a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5, and then we give a different certificate to those between 3.5 and 4.0. And then we ask each college to nominate their student of the year."
These students of the year will receive a plaque or a shield as an award.
ISO invites faculty from each college to attend the ceremony, and award recipients are also permitted to bring one or two guests.
According to Patel, the Recognition Banquet is the largest single line item on the ISO's budget because it is a formal dinner. Patel estimated the banquet costs at least $6,000. However, Patel said when all of the Social Hours are added together, they combine to create the largest item on the budget.
"With social hour we always have to get food and drinks, and we have quite a few people show up for that," Patel said. "As history has shown in the past, attendance has gone up, so the cost of every social hour goes up as well. This first social hour that we had this week we had close to 30-40 percent students more than the first one."
Patel estimated each Social Hour costs between $400 and $450.
"So since we have that every Friday, if you add it up, with all the Fridays in a year, you would see that that's our biggest item."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
