Last weekend, faculty members and students of the Graduate School of International Affairs (GSIA) held their annual Thanksgiving and Christmas gathering. Both year one and year two students received the opportunity to exchange gifts and give thanks together. The organizers of the event were the 1st-year students, who put in a lot of time and effort so that all GSIA students could have an opportunity to interact with each other and their professors. “I had a wonderful time tonight; everything was prepared so well and looked beautiful. Thanks to the 1st-year students for doing such a great job. Well done!” said Jessica A. Noya, of GSIA 2. Overall, the atmosphere was filled with joy and laughter. Enough food and beverages were provided with lots of musical entertainment. The anticipation of exchanging gifts was an activity which brought much surprise and many smiles on most people’s faces. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the GSIA family to bond. Also, during this time the 2nd-year students need a break from their stressful preparation for thesis proposal defense. I wish them the very best,” said Dr Nathan Liu, GSIA Director. Lina Gabilan, a GSIA 2 student, mentioned how time went by quickly and that it’s almost the end of another semester. Graduating students will soon have to say goodbye to their wonderful friends and everything else here in Taiwan that has made such an impact on their lives. She said she would miss everyone and would treasure the memories for a very long time. GSIA Secretary Loran Chao thanked Sunny Loo and Lili Som for being the main organizers of the event. They assisted in decorating and preparing everything, including the GSIA office. She wished the 1st-year students all the best and the 2nd-year students good luck with their thesis proposal defenses. The event ended with a lot of positive thoughts and laughter. Three chairs (cheers) was the highlight gift of the evening given by Kervin Lloyd, GSIA 1 who wrapped his gift in a huge box causing a lot of speculation from fellow students.