The University of New Haven has taken another step forward toward recognizing diversity within the community with the introduction of a ripe new student organization: the Nepalese Community Club (NCC). Formed during the 2022-2023 academic year, they have just been announced as one of the newest official communities, focusing on citizens of Nepal who are transferring to the university.
Miraj Shrestha, a graduate business analytics student and president of the NCC, said “the point of this organization is to let the people know that we Nepalese are also here on campus, so that way we can show our culture diversity to all students at the University of New Haven how Nepal is. That is how we showcased last year, we had our booth during the International Festival, we had our food and our culture grounds program.”
In 2020, only five Nepalese students were attending the university; the community now encompasses almost 200 Nepalese students on campus. Shrestha also spoke on the population’s growth and how the organization has accommodated the increase in the student population.
The motive of the organization is to help arriving students, who have traveled far away from their families and homes, by connecting them with resources, temporary accommodations, and the other contacts from the Nepalese community in the local area of West Haven. For each measure, the organization identifies one member to be contacted if there are any difficulties or needs of assistance. The goal of the organization is to help Nepalese students adapt to both the campus and surrounding area.
“Our main objective will be representing Nepal in everything we can do, as in culture,” said secretary Bikash Adhi Kaii, a graduate student studying data science. “Last week we hosted our meet and greet program for the new students, so they can learn more about the university, the faculty and applying for on-campus jobs.”
The club currently has two main ways of communicating and broadcasting to its members. Students can request to join their private Facebook group, which can be found by searching University of New Haven Nepalese Student Council, or by following their Instagram page. The NCC consistently messages their community and posts online to ensure that the community receives the warm welcome that the university is known for.
As a part of increasing cultural awareness on the ways the Nepalese celebrate holidays such as Christmas, the Nepalese Community Club plans to host Dashain. “We like to celebrate it as receiving the blessings from the elders,” said Kaii. This will be a university-wide event with hands extended to all students who are hoping to learn more about the Nepalese Culture.
There is no exact date planned for this event, so the club has promised to keep Instagram and Facebook updated on any upcoming events, as well as a date for Dashain. More information can be found on their Instagram.