The KSC Global Cultural Club (GCC) is a club designed for students with different backgrounds to share cultural values, characteristics and more with other students.
KSC Associate Professor, Head of Special Collections and Archives and former GCC Faculty Advisor Rodney Obien said he was advisor of the club for a year and a half. “The main reason why I became an advisor and my interest started was that my dad was in the military,” he said.
Obien continued, “My interest was in global traveling, I wanted to get a little more involved in the campus community and GCC was the perfect set.”
Obien shared some advice to the domestic or international students who might be hesitant to join GCC. “The group is very welcoming to students, and it is definitely the place to make new friends and learn about new cultures. My dealings with the GCC are welcoming for anyone who has interest and is open to join,” said Obien.
Junior Nisha Poudel, co-president of GCC, talked about what the club means to her, how long she has been attending and what events are coming up for the organization.
Poudel said she is an international student and has been involved with the club since her first semester at KSC. “I used to go to all of the meetings and found connections with the previous e-board members right away,” she said.
Poudel continued, “I got into the e-board my second semester of freshman year, and after that I have been moving around in different roles and last semester I was interested to just be a part of it, and oversee all of the factors and planning in GCC. I decided to be in this role because of my close connection in it and I wanted to contribute.”
Poudel said the GCC is an important community to her. “To me it is a safe space, creating connections and that home for people who are away from their homes, even domestic students who get to meet people from different, diverse backgrounds,” she said.
Poudel shared more about what the GCC does at Keene State. “The Global Cultural Club conducts weekly meetings which is mostly about learning different cultures around the world and doing different kinds of workshops,” said Poudel. “We also do different activities that are a part of different cultures, especially those activities that involve students who are a part of different backgrounds; they are the ones to lead those sessions.”
Poudel continued, “Our weekly meetings are usually on Fridays. Today we are making DIY tea bags where you can make your own tea and learn about tea from different parts of the world and have a taste of it, have a conversation of different types of teas and the stories they have.”
Poudel also talked about the club’s events coming up in the next week as well as next semester. “This semester is almost done so we don’t have many more meetings left, but the e-board is having a potluck and they make different types of foods where they can enjoy and savor it,” said Poudel. “For the future in the spring semester, we are planning to do a showcase, almost similar to Keene International Festival, but where we are able to showcase cultural attires from people of diverse backgrounds. We are hoping to continue it again, as well as continue more food tastings.”
Poudel said it is important for the GCC to be involved and create a community at Keene State. “In order to be able to create that sort of community, like international students who are seeking help and guidance and for the domestic students as well, and learn about people from different parts of the world and be able to get that idea of what’s out there in the world in this group, that is a great opportunity.”
GCC e-board members senior Rokeya Sarah and Azzura Marongiu, as well as GCC Advisor Lisa Johnson, were unable to be reached for an interview by deadline.
Tamy Jacques can be reached at
tjacques@kscequinox.com
