By Tressa Versteeg

After the roar of the cultural show, The Mac Weekly got some inside thoughts about MIO, Macalester International Organization, from co-chairs Estela Shabani ’11.The Mac Weekly: How does MIO enhance campus life?

Estela Shabani: The aim of MIO is not only to advertise the internationalism that there is at Macalester, but at the same time build a community between international and domestic students. We want to build an environment where both international and American students come together and share their thoughts, cultures, ideas, etc. We have been trying to do this through our biweekly meetings, the Cultural Show and the Multicultural Bazaar this year as well.

What do you want to offer to students?

ES: A comfortable and fun place and events, where they can come together, make friends, share their culture, differences and have fun. When we are talking about students, we always like to emphasize the fact that MIO is not only for international students. A few American students attend our meetings and events, and they have become great contributors to MIO.

What is your favorite part about MIO?
ES: Being only a member last year, the [MIO?Cultural] show and the [MIO] dinner were my favorite events. Coming together once every two weeks for the meetings was a chance to get to know people and catch up with them.

This year, being a co-chair, I have enjoyed the whole experience of getting to know people on a different level, through putting together the dinner and a popular show like the MIO show and for the first time this year, the Bazaar. I think the whole [MIO] board enjoyed it.

Any final thoughts or additional comments?

ES: We want to thank the whole board for the great work in putting together the events of this semester for MIO. At the same time we would like to thank everybody who participated or came to the MIO show and Bazaar.

Don’t forget our biweekly meetings. They are always fun!

MIO meetings are held every other Wednesday at 10:15 p.m. at the Cultural House. For more info, e-mail [email protected].