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The International Club will scratch its annual trip to the windy city in favor of nation’s capital.

Last year the club took 20 students to Chicago over the holiday break, something they have done for the past several years. This year they will be taking 35 of the 55 members to Washington D.C.

“A lot of people were interested in going to another place and there’s nothing to do here anyways,” International Club President Alex Rosero said. “The day of Thanksgiving the only thing that we did was the parade. After the parade, everything was closed.”

Rosero said part of the reason they are going to D.C. is because the museums and other activities will still be open late at night.

He said a lot of the members were asking for a different place to go.

“What the International Club is trying to do is involve International students in the American culture,” the senior marketing major said. “We always try to celebrate what you celebrate here. We try to combine the American culture with the international culture that we have.”

Rosero said most international students don’t understand what Thanksgiving is all about.

“Some of them don’t like it so they don’t participate,” he said. “Some of them are really excited to participate and some of them are in between so it’s kind of cool how they agree or disagree with the American culture.”

“You cannot imagine the differences between each person who is going on the trip and we are going to put three people in one room for three days,” he said.

Last year, Rosero said he roomed with a Korean, European and him and the Korean was super organized, the European was super messy and he was between both of them.

“We didn’t care anyways,” he said. “People know that if you are in the International Club, you are going to tolerate all those differences.”

This week is International Education Week that will end with the International Extravaganza, an event showcasing cultures from the world including music, food and a flag parade.

The event will start at 9 p.m. and end at midnight.

Sports management graduate student Dwayne Smith said he will be having dinner with his host family instead of going on the trip.

“Christmas is the same,” Smith, who is originally from Jamaica, said. “We celebrate Christmas back home but I won’t be doing it with my family because I can’t afford to go back home this winter and it isn’t wise for me to travel either being that I would’ve already graduated.”

Rosero said as president it has been a challenge dealing with the different cultures.

“Every culture is different so you have to find balance and it’s pretty hard,” he said. “I have to be more international all the time. I have to give them space but also push them to go to activities.”