Recently, I attended the Iranian Student Association at UVA, also known as IRSA. At first, I sat in their meeting feeling out of place, as I seemed to be one of the few non-Iranians in the room. In addition, I was one of the few undergrads in the room; most of the members were Ph.D students, grad students, or UVA alums. However, before long, the extrinsic feeling immediately vanished as the members of the IRSA engaged the newcomers (including me) in conversations about culture and academics. Their enthusiasm was extremely contagious; you can tell they're no strangers to hospitality.
As they proceeded with their presentation, I was surprised at the amount of work they've done already--from participating in the Minority Rights Rally at UVA to hosting a series of events to raise awareness and solidarity for green-card and visa holders during Humanity Week. It was obvious that they were more than ready to make a positive impact on the Charlottesville community.
The goal of the IRSA is to introduce Iranian culture to Charlottesville and provide a friendly atmosphere for Iranian students and others who are interested in learning more about Iran's culture. Its executive board hopes to organize more Teach-Ins and facilitate dialogue across the community members of Charlottesville. They stated that they will try not to be political, but want to be active to protect students impacted by the new executive orders.
One of the members mentioned that they helped a fellow Iranian transition to life here in Charlottesville. They helped her find housing and the support she needed to live tranquilly. I found that really inspiring, as they reached out to her as a source of support when she was just a stranger.
At the conclusion of the meeting, I was fully convinced that the objectives that they carried out should extend to the larger student body. It is important to see greater participation of more CIOs in demonstrating their support for an important cause that directly affects many of their peers.
From this meeting, I realized not only the limited resources that grad students/Ph.D students receive from the university and other organizations on grounds, but also learned that the Iranian community at UVA is very sparse. The IRSA hopes to combat that by becoming a resource to all Iranians and make it easier for Iranians to meet each other.
My unbiased opinion is that everyone should start keeping an eye out for the IRSA's events. Not only is this a great way to learn about the Iranian culture and traditions, if you're lucky, you can also enjoy Iranian food with the IRSA at their next organized event.
