Bellaire International Student Association (BISA) members shared samosas, obleas and cinnamon rolls at the club’s first social on Thursday, Oct. 6. Officers introduced BISA’s mission statement of celebrating different cultures, and members got to know one another through party games.

“My favorite game was mafia,” freshman and new member Melody Cruz-Ayala said. “I came to the social a little late so I felt a little tense, but playing games and talking to new people definitely loosened me up. I came because I’m interested in cultures, and this is the club for that.”

Club Co-President Cassie Wills, who similarly enjoyed the mafia games, said the most rewarding part of being an officer is watching the events they planned come to fruition and seeing such a large, diverse group of people come together.

“I joined BISA because I really like learning languages; I’ve learned Hebrew, Spanish, and Russian at Bellaire alone,” Wills said.

The club welcomes students like Wills who may not be international but still hold a strong interest in learning about languages and cultures. Cruz-Ayala said being a member made her more open-minded.

“Diversity is a really good thing to have,” Cruz-Ayala said. “It opens your eyes to different experiences and viewpoints that you may not have thought of.”

To learn more about future meetings and upcoming events, such as carnations and BISA Fest, join its Remind @bisaclub and follow its Instagram @bisaclub.