Albanian Student Organization

Seton Hall’s newest cultural organization, the Albanian Student Organization (ASO), was proud to be represented at the Involvement Fair on the South Orange campus in January. Club officers were on hand to tell students about the club, which recently received official recognition from the Student Government Association.

We sat down with the club’s founding president, Nancy Kajo, a freshman with a 3+3 dual major in political science and law, to find out about the inspiration for the club, its early successes and the executive board’s plans for the club’s future.

What led you to realize that Seton Hall would be enriched by the founding of the ASO?
As an incoming freshman I was instantly eager to learn what clubs and organizations Seton Hall has to offer. Seeing the many cultural-based clubs and organizations displayed at the Fall 2023 Involvement Fair was the main factor and inspiration that led me to realize that this university would be enriched by the founding of an ASO. Students across our campus may not know much about our culture, as we are a very small, yet influential country. As someone who is more than proud of their ethnic roots, I took the opportunity to reach out to student services, who then helped me get started on the process of getting an Albanian-focused group recognized by the University as an official organization for the Spring 2024 semester.

Please tell us about the process of starting this organization.
The process of starting this organization began mid-September. I had about two weeks before the SGA application deadline to get 10 official members, an executive board and an advisor. Since I had just begun my journey at Seton Hall, I did not know too many people, and this was my biggest obstacle. I created flyers with a QR code that had an interest form attached to it, which helped me get the word around campus quickly and easily. The interest form helped me get about 15 or 20 people together, which was a great starting point. With Professor Ines Murzaku, the missing piece to this process was found, as she has given us her time, consideration and endless support. I am very excited to witness the future success of this organization with Professor Murzaku at our side. Once our application with all necessary criteria was submitted and approved, I then presented a short PowerPoint to the SGA senators, who later voted on and fully recognized our organization for the Spring 2024 semester.

What opportunities do you see for this organization? What types of events do you hope to sponsor?
Later this semester and during the next academic year, I hope to present speakers of Albanian-American descent who have been successful in fields such as criminal justice, business, law, fashion, marketing, and philanthropy to the Seton Hall community. I also look forward to hosting tabling events to bring to light certain important dates and holidays, such as our Independence Day (Dita e Flamurit), which is November 28, our Labor Day (Dita Ndërkombëtare e Punëtorëve), which is May 1, and many more.

With what other clubs on campus do you hope to collaborate?
I would certainly love to collaborate with other clubs on campus, such as the International Students Association and the Languages and Cultures Club, which promote the appreciation of the diverse culture experiences of Seton Hall students.

How will the club interact with the wider community?
The formation of ASOs has been expanding tremendously recently, especially in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania area. Schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, Manhattan College, Fordham University and Rutgers University are only a few schools relatively close to Seton Hall that have also created their own ASOs. Harvard University, St. Francis College, DePaul University and Johns Hopkins University are also examples of schools that have officially established Albanian organizations. This gives our organization the chance to interact with the wider community within the area, and to extend our reach nationally. By interacting with different schools whose students share our common interest—the remarkable Albanian culture—we can work together to build a pathway to greater success.

How does this club contribute something special to Seton Hall’s appreciation of diversity?
The purpose of ASO is to reconnect Albanian students at Seton Hall with their ethnic roots, as well as to teach others who are not of Albanian descent about our history and culture. The ASO aspires to enrich the diversity and representation of the Seton Hall community by bringing something new and unique to the table. My highest aspiration for this organization is to create a safe space that is more than welcoming to all students of varying backgrounds who want to share their knowledge and experiences with the group.

The club’s next events will be another general meeting, and an Italian/Albanian Cultural Exchange Night, co-sponsored with the Italian Club, on March 13.

Students who are interested in receiving more information or in joining the ASO are welcome to indicate their interest on the University’s Engage platform, or to contact Nancy Kajo at [email protected] or Ines Murzaku, Ph.D. at [email protected].

Categories: Arts and Culture, Campus Life