International student support group holds seventh annual Autumn Fest

This fall, the bucket list of graduate students José Amsler and Leandro Ortega includes attending a Friendsgiving, baking and seeing a screening of the 1975 musical comedy “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

“It's such an American thing, to be scared and all that. I love it,” Ortega, a Swedish UNC student, said. 

For his Halloween costume, he said he looks forward to doing something really provocative, like dressing as Donatella Versace or Donald Trump.

“We're trying to immerse ourselves in the culture here," Amsler said. “Definitely.”

On Friday, Oct. 13, the pair attended UNC's seventh annual Autumn Fest, an event promoted by UNC Global Affairs in partnership with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). The festival, which was thrown to show international students traditional American and Chapel Hill fall customs, featured crafts, games and pumpkin-spice-themed snacks at the FedEx Global Education Center. 

“What we do is show them fall, show them Halloween, show them the colors, show them Thanksgiving, the importance of tailgating,” Camille Forbes, the event programming assistant for ISSS, said. 

Forbes said she considers this year’s event significant because it marks the department’s first Autumn Fest after COVID-19. She added that the event was "really big and really exciting."

ISSS Director Ioana Costant ran the Autumn Fest pumpkin spice treat table, one of several stations that she said was intended to allow international students to explore different parts of U.S. culture. Costant said students had fun trying the different products and reading recipes shared with them at the festival. 

Costant said there were several other stations, like a football tailgating station and a Thanksgiving tree on the wall where students could write out things that they are grateful for.

Annie Lundeen, the program coordinator for the ISSS office, said that though the department centers its programming on University-sponsored and international students, domestic students should feel equally encouraged to attend departmental events.

“Sometimes there can be the assumption that they're not invited,” Lundeen said. “But all the events we host, the goal is really to create that shared understanding.”

She said just as the international students and scholars gathered to learn about American culture, the department hopes domestic students will take the opportunity to learn about international traditions as well.

Amsler, who is from Berlin, said he considers some American traditions weird. He said he was surprised there was no mention of Indigenous people despite the celebration of fall and Thanksgiving traditions at the event. 

"So I don't know, I came here thinking that it might be a little more progressive,” Amsler said.

Currently living in an off-campus apartment without a car, Amsler also said living in the United States can be harder for international students. 

“I think a lot of people are actually unaware that in Chapel Hill, there exists this whole sub-community of international students that have to put a lot of thought into their daily life just to be able to sort of do regular stuff, like going shopping,” he said. 

Lundeen said departmental programming like Autumn Fest provides an important opportunity for international and domestic students to develop a sense of community with each other while expanding their worldviews.

“We're developing community, creating shared understandings," she said. "These big events create a space for people to just come by yourself and leave with a friend."

Despite his struggles, Amsler said he has found a community amongst the students in Chapel Hill.

"I think I found my family with all my classmates," he said. "We're doing everything together."

Ortega said he enjoys how events like Autumn Fest force him to push beyond his comfort zone, given that his prior knowledge of Thanksgiving and Halloween was limited to American shows and movies. He said these holidays are not widely celebrated in Sweden.

Out of everything back in Sweden, Ortega said he misses his family the most — a gap he has been able to bridge more easily through FaceTime calls and the internet. He said he enjoys the new experiences offered by his environment.

"I wouldn't trade them for anything," he said.

@dailytarheel | university@dailytarheel.com