The I-House Connection: February 2024

February 14, 2024

Shaun R. Carver, I-House Executive Director

February 2024

Dear I-House Community,

In this issue of the I-House Connection, I encourage you to register now for the International House Celebration and Awards Gala to be held on March 21, 2024.

Our Resident Hosts will greet you and help usher you in for music, and mingling. Executive Chef Abbie Serbins’ dinner is paired with fabulous wines from our wine sponsors Land of Promise, Freeman, and Furthermore. A program featuring our spectacular awardees as listed below is made possible by our event sponsors Chevron, Fillmore, Buchalter, Sysco, and Plant. This Gala is not to be missed; please reserve your spots now as half the tickets are spoken for already, yet we would like you to join us!

Coming up this week, please join us at the February 15th Alumni Happy Hour at Edmonds Café. Big Give, the all-campus annual online funding drive is just around the corner, and if you’d like to consider getting in on the fun as a volunteer or creating a matching challenge, please let us know.

Also in this issue, resident Oke Iroegbu shares his thoughts on Black History Month and a new blog post about his recent visit to Rwanda. Throughout the month, we will also be sharing short video interviews of African-American and African residents on ihberkeleyconnect.org and our social media channels.

I am pleased to announce that the housing application for the 2024-25 Academic Year is now open! Please help us spread the word.

Finally, Bill Gong, Director of Business and Finance at International House at UC Berkeley, is leaving our organization after many years of dedicated service to our community. I-House thanks Bill for everything he has done in support of I-House’s mission, bids him farewell and wishes him good fortune as he begins a new chapter.

Sincerely,

Shaun Carver, I-House Executive Director

Shaun R. Carver Ed.D., MBA
Executive Director and CEO
International House at UC Berkeley

I-House Celebration and Awards Gala
Thursday, March 21, 2024

Join us for a festive evening celebrating valued members of our global community and honoring their support and service to I-House. We'll enjoy the food of award-winning Executive Chef Abigail Serbins and entertainment provided by the very talented residents of International House.

This year we are pleased to highlight the contributions of the following individuals:

Chenming Hu (IH 1969-71) recipient of the Global Impact Award for his contributions to the semiconductor industry which have led to transformative improvements in computing and communications around the globe;

Chiara Medioli-Fedrigoni (IH 1993-94) recipient of the Alumna of the Year Award for promoting cultural heritage preservation efforts at universities, museums, archives, and libraries in Europe and throughout the world;

Okechukwu Iroegbu (IH 2022-24) recipient of the Executive Director’s Outstanding Community Leadership Award for his dedication to the mission of I-House and the positive impact his leadership has had on the resident community;

Ronald E. Silva (I-House Board Member) recipient of The Sherry and Betsey Warrick Mission Service Award for his dedication to the preservation and improvement of I-House.

Read their bios at ihouse.berkeley.edu/gala. View and share our Press Release.

Thursday, March 21, 2024
5:00 p.m. Music & Mingling | 6:00 p.m. Dinner & Program

Chevron Auditorium International House at UC Berkeley
2299 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA
Valet parking provided
Formal cocktail or international attire encouraged

Limited seating available | RSVP by Thursday, February 29, 2024

https://IHouseGala2024.eventbrite.com

We'd like to thank our generous Gala sponsors:

Event Sponsors:

Wine Sponsors:

If you or your company is interested in joining this list of illustrious sponsors, there’s still time! Please visit here or call us at 510-642-4128.

To learn more about this year’s event and purchase your ticket, visit https://ihouse.berkeley.edu/gala

I-House Alumni Quarterly Happy Hour

Alumni Happy Hour

We’ll be gathering I-House alumni and current residents for our next quarterly Alumni Happy Hour (and some I-House trivia fun!). Please spread the word and remember, for IH alumni, the first drink is on us! To help us plan, please let us know if you’re going to be coming.

Thursday, February 15th, 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. (Trivia from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.)

Questions? Contact us at alumni@ihouseberkeley.org

Black History Month Message from Oke Iroegbu (IH 2022-2024)

February is Black History Month—a month dedicated to celebrating the achievements, experiences, and history of people of African descent around the world. At UC Berkeley and International House in particular, we celebrate and pride ourselves on not just the diversity but on the achievements and contributions of our black community and residents. There are a lot of events and activities going on this month to honor and celebrate Africans, African Americans, and the African diaspora. Here at International House, we are celebrating in a myriad of ways, including:

Black History Month photo collage with featured residents and alumni

The I-House Dining Team will host an African American Cuisine Lunch on February 21 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. which is open to the public. I look forward to tasting what Chef Abbie and the Dining Services team prepare!
Residents will hold a festive Nigerian DiversiTea & Coffee Hour on that evening, which will showcase the rich cultural heritage of diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Throughout the month, Excellence Joshua, a Global Community Ambassador from Nigeria, will be posting short videos about our Black residents on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube that will both inform and entertain our social media followers

As a resident of International House, I reflect on belonging and understanding, that all people irrespective of color or status are connected by humanity and love for one another. This is what International House upholds—brotherhood and love. This is what International House stands for.

Join me to celebrate the contributions of our amazing Black community of residents and notable alumni alike! I’m Black and proud and I'm happy and grateful to be of service to others.

I invite you to read my blog post about my recent trip with Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Reflections on the trip to Rwanda—Connecting with the Motherland Again.

Housing Application Open

Big Give!

Edmonds' Café Specials

Check out what’s happening in Edmonds in February:

• $3 Iced Raspberry White Mocha Happy Hour: Wednesdays in February from 3-5 p.m. Come by and try one!
• IH Quarterly Alumni Happy Hour: Thursday, February. 15, 5 - 7:30 p.m. RSVP here
• Trivia Tuesday Black History Edition: Test your knowledge on Tuesday, February 27 from 6 - 8 p.m. with chances to win prizes and Edmonds vouchers!
• Wild Wednesdays: Edmonds latest themed night! Every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m., we'll be featuring Sujo cocktails, mocktails, and $4 wine glasses. Cheers!!

Wild Wednesdays Happy Hour

See more café events and specials

Regular Café Hours:
Weekdays: 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Weekends: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
President's Day:
February 19, 2024
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Join our Global Community

Join current residents and alumni at I-House Berkeley Connect, home to a vibrant global community boasting over 3,000 members! As part of our big family, you'll have the chance to guide current residents, mingle with alumni from diverse corners of the world, and catch up with your old I-House buddies. Plus, you get the bonus of posting an ad in our exclusive business hub - isn't that awesome? Don't let this opportunity slip by to be part of our exciting community. Join I-House Berkeley Connect today via ihberkeleyconnect.org!

Members Recently Joined

I-House alumni are doing remarkable things all over the world, and we love celebrating them! When you join our I-House Berkeley Connect, you aren't just keeping the I-House spirit alive, you're also helping us re-connect and grow our global community.

Be sure to check our Calendar of Community Events to join us in person! If you've recently moved or changed careers, we'd love to catch up! Feel free to let us know at alumni@ihouseberkeley.org or update your profile and contact information in I-House Berkeley Connect. We're always excited to hear about your latest adventures. And if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you in any way we can.