George Mason’s International Club held its annual International Picnic last Sunday afternoon at Cherry Hill Park. An incredible attendance of 250 people from all over the world made the day "a complete success" in the words of ESL teacher Grace Rissetto. Children of all ages wore bright smiles on their faces as the many diverse activities entertained everyone throughout the day.

Upon arrival at the picnic, a welcoming crew met the large numbers of teachers, students, and families that came to the event. A sign-in sheet compiled a list of all the nationalities of people who came. People from South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and of course the United States were among the many nations represented at the gathering. 

Entertaining activities such as henna painting, and pumpkin painting were strewn about the park, providing an opportunity for people to get to know each other. The highlight of the day was, for many children, the piñata breaking. Three separate piñatas for little children, middle schoolers, and adults created quite a crowd of observers. People laughed as they blindly swung in the air until the piñatas finally broke—releasing candy that barely sat on the ground for a second before being frantically picked up by the many children. Along with the main activities, pick-up games of volleyball, football, and soccer entertained many of the teenagers at the picnic as well.
 

President of the International Club, Dipa Gill said, "It’s great. Everyone’s having a lot of fun talking, mixing, and meeting new people. Everyone’s dressed up and looking great." Next year the International Club hopes to see many of the familiar faces again, and more, to celebrate our nationalities and unity together.