Althea Castro de la Mata
Although the pandemic has forced student organizations to hold many of their meetings and activities online, some events are still being held in person, including United Nations Day, which will be held Oct. 22 at the Rock.
United Nations Day is hosted by COISO every year to educate the UM community about various UN initiatives and to spread awareness of pressing issues that are affecting people around the world.
The event, which typically attracts scores of student participants, features decorative tents, exhibits and discussion. Activities will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. and will comply with university guidelines for social distancing, said Milena Pak, president of the Council of International Students and Organizations at the University of Miami.
“We hopefully will bring a great experience to people who attend our event,” said Pak, a junior computer engineering and computer science major.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, which was founded on Oct. 24, 1945, as an intergovernmental organization to promote international peace and cooperation.
Although UN Day will have an in-person component, COISO has been holding its meetings and other activities mostly online this semester, Pak said. Many international students are not on campus because of travel restrictions, Pak said. Nevertheless, they have joined in remotely to some of the meetings and activities.
“We want to give everyone an opportunity to contribute and participate, no matter if they are on campus or not,” Pak said. “Being an international student, I was hoping to find a community of people who share similar experience here on campus,” said Pak, who is from Russia. “I’ve met so many incredible people from all over the globe, learned more about different cultures and felt at home.”