Grad Lounge at ICH: A New Place to Connect

International Coffee Hour: Graduate Lounge, a new initiative co-sponsored by CGE and COGS, was a big success for the first event held Friday, September 26th, from 5-6:30 p.m. This event was planned in response to feedback from the Graduate Student Life Taskforce, in which many FSU graduate students from different colleges across campus reported that there was a lack of networking and social opportunities provided to graduate students. In response, this event was initiated to provide a distinct space during International Coffee Hour (ICH) for all international and domestic graduate students to network and converse with their peers in the Globe Auditorium. Participants enjoyed the featured ICH snack and drink, pan de yuca and guava yogurt, as well as a variety of additional hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and lavender lemonade while enjoying live jazz from the SG Ensemble, a jazz quartet composed of students from the Florida State University Jazz Program.

Over 80 graduate students, faculty and staff from nine different colleges attended the event and many people commented on what a great event this was. “I loved it! I had the best time," commented one graduate student. “I think it’s really hard to meet grad students outside your home department. Domestic graduate student Rubén Uribe, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Information, said he really enjoyed the ambiance of the live jazz. Mahin Mohid, an international PhD student in the cellular molecular biology program from Bangladesh, said that he was “pleasantly surprised to find this event while coming to the weekly coffee hour,” and that he would like to come to this type of event if offered again.

“Events like the CGE’s Grad Lounge provide a fantastic opportunity for international and domestic students to meet and learn more about each other as we start up the new school year,” said Jack Rowan, Speaker of the Congress of Graduate Students since 2023. “We at the Congress look forward to seeing you all at the next Grad Lounge on October 24th and hope to keep great events like this going for years to come!”