NU students living on campus for the winter break found a way to celebrate the holidays even if they were miles away from family and loved ones.

“Christmas is about sharing time with family…” said Ash Amarnath, 20, Junior Civilian’24, majoring in Computer Science from India. “When many have gone home, those on campus are left with no community nor resources.”

To make up for that, members of the ISO (Intercultural Student Organization) cooked food for the celebration.

ISO’s goal is to connect and celebrate more diversity and heritage and make Norwich feel at home for students who cannot return to their families.

With the majority being of Asian ethnicity and biased toward spicy cuisine, chicken curry was the main dish for the night. There was additional vegetable Kurma, non-alcoholic green grape juice, and samosas to assist with a vegan diet.

The guests had the opportunity to dress up and engage in karaoke, celebrate the New Year Countdown, and make lanterns for 2024.

The club expresses its thanks to last year’s 2022-2023 club president, who offered her kitchen and assisted in the food making.

This year, the celebration was a last-minute notice; however, Amarnath, the current president of ISO, hopes to be able to create an earlier notice to incorporate more students next year.

Even Andy, Norwich Public Safety Officer, was also invited and had briefly joined in on the celebration as well.

“I really enjoyed the flying lantern the most. We each wrote what we wish to leave behind in 2023 and our aspirations for 2024 on the lantern,” said Fatihat Quadri, 20, Sophomore Civilian’26, majoring in Mechanical Engineering from Nigeria.

“The weather was terrible and windy, but we managed to light it and get it to fly.”

The Intercultural Student Organization (ISO) has taken steps to create inclusion and a community bond for the student population. They have opened doors to everyone on campus who wishes to create an opportunity to celebrate their culture and speak with them to make it happen.

It is also an opportunity for other students to experience the diversity of students in their community.

“This organization is a safe place to share who we are culturally, and it did that for me,” said Sakinah Niazi, 21, Sophomore Civilan’26, majoring in Studies in War and Peace from Pakistan.

Note: This opportunity was made possible by the Intercultural Student Organization (ISO) with permission from Norwich.