As war continues to weigh on daily life, many international students at the Technion are coping with fear, uncertainty, and being far from home. Added to that is the pressure of exams and final projects. A painting event organized by Technion International student guides aimed to give students in the dorms a moment of calm, creativity, and community. I spoke with student guide Hodi Sackstein (4th-year student in Mechanical Engineering) about how the event came together and what it meant for the students who took part.

Paintings from the student dorm painting event
Paintings from the student dorm painting event

What made you organize a painting event for students living in the dorms?

For international students, most don’t have a close family that they can run to in case of a war. Most stay in dorms and rely on their friends to keep them sane. It can be isolating and lonely, especially for those whose friends have mostly left Technion for a place they consider to be safer. We decided to take this opportunity to allow different years of international students to meet, bond and provide support for one another. Running to a shelter with a friend is easier and less scary than running alone. An event like this allows for a distraction and gives a sense of calm and normality in crazy times.

What was your main goal with the event: helping students relax, building community, or both?

It was definitely both. It’s been incredibly difficult for students to focus on studying for exams and working on projects, including us as student guides. Planning events like these allows us to keep busy but does not require the energy and discipline that studying does.

How did you take the event from idea to actual execution?

We sent a message to our boss Michal Kesary (Head of International Student Affairs) pitching the idea to her. She loved it and told us to go ahead with it. We walked to Ziv Centre, bought the necessary supplies from Gam stock and some snacks, and that’s pretty much it. We made a WhatsApp group called “Dorm-front command” to see who is on campus in the dorms, and asked people to sign up using a poll. We set a time and set up on the floor outside Neve America dorms near shelters in case of a siren. Super easy execution and a fun activity. In 24 hours, we had an idea, we bought the supplies and executed an event for 30 international students.

How did students react during and after the activity?

Everyone was laughing, singing along to the music that was playing on the speaker we brought, and bonding with each other. It was a huge success and really lifted the mood of everyone who came. We had very positive feedback and have been asked what’s next in store already…

What advice would you give students who want to organize community events during wartime?

If you have an idea, reach out to the TI student guides and we can definitely try to make it happen. We do everything according to the homefront command guidelines, and responsibly, and we’re always looking for ways to keep morale up and create a family for the international students here on campus.