IRC Halloween party gives a treat
By Julie Hofler
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Twelve-year-old Meetra Najrabi smiled through green face paint as she proudly showed off her Halloween costume - the Statue of Liberty, complete with tin foil crown and torch.
Najrabi, a refugee from Afghanistan, celebrated her second Halloween yesterday at a party held at the International Residential College.
"It's a really cool holiday," she said. "I like to eat a lot of candy."
Najrabi and her mother came to the Unites States almost two years ago and have been receiving aid from Charlottesville's branch of the International Rescue Committee, an organization committed to the resettlement of refugees.
The Halloween party was the first major social event held through the new partnership of the International Residential College and the International Rescue Committee.
"Halloween is a confusing holiday for a lot of our clients," said Terri DiCintio, the volunteer and resource coordinator for the International Rescue Committee. Most of the IRC's clients are refugees from places like Afghanistan, Bosnia, Togo and Sudan.
Twelve families with school-aged children were invited to the party last night, which also included trick-or-treating on the second floor of Munford residence hall.
"We wanted to offer some of the smaller kids an introduction to Halloween, since it's obviously a holiday they are going to become accustomed to as kids in school," DiCintio said.
Most of the families come to the United States with little or no proficiency in English, DiCintio explained. The International Rescue Committee helps them learn the language and find housing and employment.
International Residential College Principle Brad Brown initiated the partnership between the two IRCs earlier this year.
"I was looking for local groups we could work with to really capture what we are at IRC," Brown said, noting that the international diversity of IRC residents enable them to provide language services to the International Rescue Committee.
Fourth-year College student and IRC resident Ryann Collins, who serves as the liaison between the two IRCs (and also is a Cavalier Daily staff member), organized the Halloween party to focus on young children.
"You don't need English to make masks and decorate pumpkins," said Marga Odahowski, IRC's director of studies. Behind her in the "Pumpkin Patch," kids used glitter pens and marks to decorate pumpkins. "This is a great way to introduce them to an American holiday," Odahowski added.
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