INTERNATIONAL SEMESTER ENDING PARTY

Dear All!

After the two-year break due to pandemic, we were happy to invite our international students, their mentors and other Hungarian students to our traditional semester ending outdoor party for the third time.
We cooked a special Hungarian „pörkölt/gulyás” (stew/goulash) on campfire and a vegetarian version without meat, with mushrooms too.

Location: Lake Salamandra, near Sopronbánfalva
Date: 6 of May 2022 from 3.00 p.m.
Chef: Jenő Káli (Faculty of Forestry)
Kitchen boys/girls: volunteers

Dinner was delicious and ready according plan at around 6.30 p.m. and all appreciated drinking the water from the well. :)
Thanks a lot for complying with our „green” suggestion: many of you had a flask or water bottle and some of you had even reusable bowls to eat from with you.
We all appreciated having a bus to ride us there and back and enjoyed the surprise team building activities conducted by Dr. Didem Kepir Savoly, member of University of Sopron Student Support Centre! :)
We were afraid the rain might ruin our programme, but luckily it stopped early enough and we had a great afternoon and evening together!

Márta Sándor
senior international officery

„Although I was initially hesitant to join this trip, especially when we are heading into the final days of the semester, which means a lot of tests, presentations, etc., I eventually agreed, and I believe it was one of my best semester-ending trips because of the refreshing impact it had on my mood, and the experience itself was a great adventure.
In addition, I am able to give some ideas about how it might be described literally:
-A chance to spend an afternoon surrounded by the enchanting nature surrounding the lake.
-Having an opportunity to play, eat, laugh spontaneously, talk with people, and be in harmony with nature.
-Having fun, taking pictures, and creating memories with other students.
During this trip, thanks to Mrs. Sándor Márta along with her husband, Mrs. Didem and her beautiful family, and the mentors, I had a very joyful and memorable experience.
And in any case, I would be delighted to join again if I were invited.
As a final note, time flies by so take the initiative and make wonderful memories.”

Halima Kaa
Faculty of Economics

„On the 6th of May, Friday, sorrounded by the nature and the delicious smell of goulash, the international students studying at the University of Sopron had the opportunity to spend an afternoon together at Salamandra lake.
After a short bus ride and a fantastic walk through the forest, we arrived at the Salamandra lake where Áron, the media student, took some beautiful photos of us, freezing the memory of that day forever.
We also had the possibility to drink from a fountain, a very good mineral water. Near there, some friends of ours were preparing everything needed for the typical Hungarian dish: the goulash. 
In the meantime, guided by the Psychological Counselor & Career Counselor Dr. Didem Kepir-Sàvoly, we improved our relationships through some very interesting teamwork activities, which also helped us to get to know each other better. Those activities were a great starting point for breaking the ice and overcoming shyness. (Riccardo’s suggestion for a kind of „touch and freeze game” was also a success. – Márta Sándor)
Afterwards, some of us spent time hiking, chatting and playing party games together. We shared some of our experiences and specifics of our cultures. 
The day ended with a walk back into the forest. The interesting thing was to see how the groups mixed on the return journey, as each of us met new people and made new connections.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this experience, Sándor Márta, Dr. Didem Kepir-Sàvoly and the cooks, because we think that these types of events are like  'windows on the world' and it is very important and fun to participate in them because it allows us to make new friends and broaden our horizons.”

Riccardo Quacquarelli
Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries

Created: 2022.05.03