There have been some ads around campus lately proclaiming that belly dancing cannot be found at the Malekula Lounge.
The ads are right; the lounge has nothing to do with belly dancing but everything to do with international students and American students getting to know each other.
| “It’s for building friendships and getting to know people better.” –Kristina Storck Lounge spokeswoman |
Between noon and 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday, the Center for International Education sponsors the lounge, which is run by the Association of International Students in the Arrowhead Room of Davies Center. It serves as a way for international students to meet American and other international students, said senior Kristina Storck, spokeswoman for Malekula Lounge.
The lounge, named after an island near Fiji, first started in fall 2001 after several foreign exchange students said that many American students were not interested in meeting them, Storck said.
“I knew that was completely wrong, and that a lot of Americans, maybe not all, but many are really interested in meeting people from other countries,” Storck said. “So we thought we would try (the Malekula Lounge) idea.”
The lounge has been somewhat successful since it first started with an average attendance usually between 20 and 30 people per session, Storck said.
In the past there have been more international students attending the lounge than American students, said senior Elisabeth Schober, an Austrian foreign exchange student who frequents the lounge.
The semester’s grand opening last Tuesday had more than 40 students in attendance, Storck said.
She said she believes the rise in attendance is due in part to the belly dance ad.
She also credits the sheet poster outside of Davies Center and e-mails announcing the lounge along with word-of-mouth for the increased attendance.
“Now (the Malekula Lounge) is getting more popular,” Storck said. “It’s doing its duty, but it can always improve.”
Even when small numbers of students attend the lounge, both Schober and Storck see it as a good way to meet people and hang out with old friends.
Students can bring their lunch into the lounge and mingle.
They also can post messages on the board for parties or upcoming events, Storck said.
“I think it’s really fun because you get to hang out with people during the week,” Storck said. “It’s for building friendships and getting to know people better. It’s another place to meet up.”
