The holiday season is upon us. Leaves have fallen, a chill is making its way through the autumn air, seasonal flavors are crowding the menus at our favorite local coffee spots, and campus is preparing to shut down for Thanksgiving break.
But campus won’t go entirely quiet. If you’re not heading home for the holidays, you can still celebrate.
Bridges International hosts an annual Friendsgiving potluck to bring together international students and students who aren’t able to travel for Thanksgiving.
What is Bridges International?
Photos courtesy of Josie Zimmerman
Bridges International is an organization and community at Miami University that helps bring together different cultures and backgrounds. They hold a variety of events throughout the semester. “We have different dishes, potlucks of food from different cultures, and then we have activities from other cultures as well,” Josie Zimmerman ’27, Bridges International student leader, shared.
Past events have included Tinikling, a Filipino dance with bamboo sticks, and a game in the style of “Over the Mountain” where students can find what they have in common with each other. There’s also a photo booth with a map of the world. “I’ve enjoyed it every single time I’ve been able to go,” Josie said.
Students are encouraged to share their own cultures, too. “If there’s a culture that you like, or maybe even your own, an outfit that you want to wear, then we encourage people to do that,” she said.
Why it matters
Bridges is more than just a community — it’s a place where students can learn more about different cultures.
“I’m a person that always seeks different perspectives,” Josie said, and Bridges gives her a place to do it. Around people raised in similar backgrounds, she explained, it’s easy to carry assumptions. Around people from other cultures, those assumptions fade. “We get to learn more from each other,” she said, “I come with more of an open mind by default.”
Who it’s for
Bridges International is open to students of all backgrounds and cultures. It’s simply a place to connect and learn about each other.
A misconception is that it is only an organization for international students. “It’s actually something that we’ve been trying to clear up,” Josie shared.
“For people like me, I’m half Filipino, and my dad is white, and so I’m a different generation of somebody from a different background,” she said. “So, we want the audience to be able to reach more people similar to me because there are a lot of us on campus.”
Friendsgiving details
Bridges International hosts an annual Friendsgiving potluck with dishes from around the world, bringing a piece of home to students who can’t make it home for the holidays. “We try to include Chinese food, and then we have had some friends that are Vietnamese. We’ve got some Mexican friends, and we’ve had some Indian food before,” Josie said.
For Josie, it was also her introduction to the organization. “Friendsgiving was actually my first time coming to Bridges,” she said. “It was easy for me to get involved and build relationships.”
The timing is meant to include everyone: “We have it before Thanksgiving. So students that are going home are still able to make time (with) the international students before they spend time with their own families.”
Photo Courtesy of Josie Zimmerman
Bridges International will hold their annual Friendsgiving this Sunday, Nov. 15 from 6-8 p.m. See their Instagram account for more details!
