Incoming students: Welcome Day and the Swiss Games

Arianna Imberti Dosi during the official welcome day
Arianna Imberti Dosi during the official welcome day
The Erasmus Student Network, Lugano session, welcoming the newly arrived students
The Erasmus Student Network, Lugano session, welcoming the newly arrived students
Students trying the
Students trying the "Hornussen" game
Students trying the
Students trying the "Hornussen" game
The alp horn concert with Swiss flag performance
The alp horn concert with Swiss flag performance
Students trying the
Students trying the "Steinstossen" game
Students trying the
Students trying the "Steinstossen" game
The
The "Schwingen" (Swiss wrestling), NOT tried by our incoming students
Our guide, demonstrating how the Swiss wrestling works
Our guide, demonstrating how the Swiss wrestling works
The ESN apero offered to our incoming students
The ESN apero offered to our incoming students

International Relations and Study abroad Service

4 October 2019

On Thursday, 12 September, USI’s International Relations and Study Abroad Service organized the usual welcome day for the incoming students of the Lugano Campus. 

The day started with a formal part, with presentations from various USI Services such as the IT service for the e-learning platform iCorsi, the Sport Service and the SostA project for a sustainable campus. The group concluded the first part with a tour of Campus kindly organized by the USI Advisory Service.  

Once back from the tour, the group continued with the International Tea Time, where students could meet, talk, or simply spend time getting to know each other. Each student brought specialties from their home countries, and this was the occasion to taste new flavors such as salty licorice from Scandinavia, special cheese from Slovakia, home-made “brigadeiros” from Brazil and also delicious cabbage pastries freshly baked by one of the student’s relative. We take this opportunity to thank all of them for their contribution to the International Tea Time. The Tea Time was organized in collaboration with the European Student Network (ESN) Switzerland, Lugano Section, whom we thank for their support and involvement. Representatives of the ESN Lugano attended the event and presented the ESN association and its various activities, inviting all students to become members of this growing and lively community. They then invited all students for an apéro in a well-known location in the heart of Lugano and to a guided tour of the city on the following Sunday.

At the Academy of Architecture, the welcome events were jointly organized with the Italian classes that incoming students can attend free of charge. The activities included a visit to Casa Croci, an excursion to the Splash&Spa, an exhibition at LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura and much more. 

On Saturday, 14 September, we invited our newly arrived exchange students to discover the secrets of the Swiss Games. Around 20 students took part in the first off-campus social activity of this academic year.

The Swiss Games took place for the first time in Ticino. The event offered the possibility to learn more and watch a number of typical indigenous sports:

Schwingen
Schwingen (from German schwingen "to swing"), also known as Swiss wrestling and natively (and colloquially) as Hosenlupf (Swiss German for "breeches-lifting"), is a style of folk wrestling native to the pre-alpine parts of German-speaking Switzerland. Wrestlers wear Schwingerhosen ("wrestling breeches") with belts that are used for taking holds. Throws and trips are common because the first person to pin his opponent's shoulders to the ground wins the bout. Schwingen is considered a "national sport" of Switzerland. (source and more information: Wikipedia)

Hornussen
The sport gets its name from the puck, known as a "Hornuss" (hornet) or "Nouss". When hit, it can whizz through the air at up to 300 km/h and create a buzzing sound. A game of Hornussen is played between two teams, each composed of between 16 and 20 players that take turns in hitting the Nouss and defending the trapeze-shaped playing field called "Ries". The sport is similar to baseball. (source and more information: Wikipedia)

Steinstossen
Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone (83,5 kg). Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. During the 15th century, it is frequently recorded to have been practiced alongside the Schützenfeste of the Old Swiss Confederacy. (source and more information: Wikipedia)

The event offered also small concerts of Alp Horn and Jodler singers, exhibitions of typical local dances and bands, and of course a variety of local food to be tasted.

Some of our incoming students ventured as far as trying the Hornussen or the Steinstossen: not an easy task, but they managed!