Culture shock upon arriving at Penn is not solely limited to international students. Students from distant states often feel similarly bewildered when faced with the weather, food and people of Pennsylvania.
Various cultural and support organizations on campus have long served international and minority student populations.
Yet with a Hawaii Club already in place and the recent creation of a California Club, there may be a new trend toward the creation of state clubs.
For many years, the Hawaii Club was the only organization representing an American state. It was established in 1994 to provide a support network for students from Hawaii.
Penn has "such a different environment and atmosphere," Hawaii Club Co-President Nina Taniguchi said, noting the different climate and slower pace of life in Hawaii.
Philadelphia "is such a big city, and maybe the people are a bit nicer in Hawaii," the College and Wharton senior explained.
The club strives to address these issues.
"We work to get our new freshmen acclimated to the East Coast," Hawaii Club Co-President and College senior Jonathan Lee said.
To achieve this, excursions to Chinatown, art museums and other Philly hotspots are organized.
The club also hosts regular social events to promote Hawaiian culture. One such event is the annual luau, which includes traditional Hawaiian music and dance performances, games, prizes and a home-cooked Hawaiian dinner.
"Because Hawaii is such a melting pot of cultures, all sorts of different foods get incorporated," Taniguchi said. "Sometimes, we just get together and cook food that we miss from home, like spam. It's not something everyone eats apparently. We have a spam night and ... hang out. It's a very social type of club."
A search for a fun and alternative avenue for social gatherings is also what prompted College junior Carly Steinbaum to start the California Club with fellow College junior Grant Ginder a month ago.
"I saw a need for it," California Club Co-President Steinbaum said. "There are so many California kids at Penn, and I thought it'd be a great thing to bring everyone together."
From assisting in the search for internships in California to encouraging admitted students to come to Penn, the California Club seeks to provide many different services to its constituency.
Steinbaum also attributes part of the importance of the club to the homesickness that many students experience.
"We miss the weather," Steinbaum said. "People in California might need [a club] more than people [from] the East Coast."
