Pictured Above: International Club now hosts virtual events such as bingo and movie nights over Microsoft Teams.
Courtesy of Maria Novoa Pinzon
By Annalise Anderson
Life for some of USF St. Petersburg’s international students has been uniquely challenging over the past 12 months.
Maria Novoa Pinzon, a senior psychology major, has not been able to visit her friends and family in Colombia since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her role as the president of the International Club has helped her to find a sense of camaraderie during a strange, alienating time.
Novoa Pinzon joined the club as its vice president in 2019 and became its president a year later.
She relocated from Colombia to the U.S. in 2016 and attended St. Petersburg College, where she was involved in its multicultural club before transferring to USF St. Petersburg.
“I love being involved,” Novoa Pinzon said. “I really like cultures, learning about new things, new traditions. I feel like every single person needs a new culture to learn about.”
The International Club aims to bring students of different backgrounds and cultures together to promote a healthier cultural understanding across the St. Petersburg campus.
Before the pandemic, the club would host regular meetings and social events. Most meetings spotlighted a specific country that allowed students to share their cultural heritage with other members.
Courtesy of Maria Novoa Pinzon
The club does not currently host in-person meetings, but its members have hosted virtual events like bingo, movie night and “hangouts,” where students are free to discuss what’s on their minds.
Novoa Pinzon explained her mutual understanding about students’ distaste for Microsoft Teams meetings and voluntary screen time. Although she will be graduating this semester, Novoa Pinzon said that she and the club’s executive board have been working closely to devise new plans of action for student engagement in the fall.
Diana Acostandei, a junior global business major, joined as the club’s secretary in fall 2019 and became its vice president in spring 2020.
During her sophomore year, Acostandei was searching for a club to get involved in. After trying out the photography club and few others, she found her place with the International Club.
Acostandei said that the club has presented her with new opportunities and has helped her to become more social on campus. She said that the club’s tabling events before the pandemic were a fun way to get to know other students.
“It was nice being able to be on campus and just be like, ‘hey, what are you doing tonight? Do you wanna come to an International Club meeting?’ Just to be able to talk to people that you normally wouldn’t talk to,” Acostandei said.
In spring 2020, the club participated in the Florida International Leadership Conference — a three-day event that promotes leadership skills and cross-cultural dialogue.
The conference is one of Acostandei’s favorite memories during her time in the club.
“I met so many people at that conference,” Acostandei said. “Being able to talk to people with different backgrounds was such a good time. I have such fond memories of it.”
Novoa-Pinzon said that her favorite memory with the club was its “Friendsgiving” event. In November 2019, club members made dishes representative of their respective countries to share together in observance of Thanksgiving.
Dishes included homemade tiramisu, baked by two Italian exchange students and Novoa Pinzon’s homemade arepas, a traditional Colombian comfort food.
The club event was featured in the Tampa Bay Times and includes a photo of Novoa Pinzon cooking the arepas.
The club welcomes all students, not just international students.
“Our motto is that everyone is welcome,” said Novoa Pinzon. “We welcome everyone who is down to learn about other cultures and traditions.”Those interested in joining the International Club are encouraged to contact the club on Instagram at @usfspinternationalclub.
