OIS honored students and scholars for their contributions to USC with an evening reception at the University Club.
by Amy Lam
The Office of International Services hosted the J-1 Reception at the University Club on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, to honor contributions of students and scholars to the international community at USC. Scholars, students and faculty look forward to this annual tradition as a treasured opportunity to meet new friends and share ideas. Guests come from all departments across University Park and the Health and Sciences campuses, as well as the Institute for Creative Technologies in Marina Del Rey.
The evening was a chance to meet new faces, reconnect with old friends, and mingle with colleagues over fresh sushi, savory tacos, and live jazz by students from Thornton School of Music. Several lucky scholars and staff members also won prizes in a raffle drawing.
“The reception atmosphere was friendly, there were beautiful floral arrangements, and there just so much diversity among graduate students and faculty,” raved one scholar.
As this academic year comes to a close, the celebration brought the scholar community together for one final, memorable evening.
“It was a great way to learn about the diversity of USC and the U.S.,” a European scholar said. It certainly was. Each year, USC hosts over 1100 J-1 scholars from more than 70 different countries. The chance to engage with scholars from other countries was the highlight of the event for guests.
In addition to the annual reception, OIS’ calendar of events is packed with opportunities for scholars and different departments to experience new cultures throughout the academic year, such bowling excursions, visits to the Getty Museum, and the monthly J-1 Scholar Meet and Greet that allow new and current scholars to immerse themselves in the international community and meet OIS staff members.
Check out more photos of the reception here by student photographer Fred Chang.
Guests built their own tacos at the hot taco station.
There’s never a bad time for sushi boats.
Students and scholars got to mix and mingle with the international community.
Amy Lam is graduating with a Master of Public Administration and is a native of Los Angeles.
Fred Chang is an undergraduate student from Taiwan and majoring in Policy, Planning and Development, class of 2017.