On Sept. 26th at the Discovery Hall amphitheater, the Arabic Culture Club held a barbeque during the afternoon. Members of the Arabic Culture Club did not come out empty-handed. Plenty of plastic silverware was provided and each foldable table was covered in foiled containers of fresh Middle Eastern foods. Speakers were also brought underneath the canopies to perform modern and traditional Middle Eastern music featuring authentic Arabic instruments such as the oud and qanon.
The event started at 12 p.m. when many students walked by going to class. However, the wind of the day would prove to be a formidable challenge as many times the members were forced to hold down the canopies as they almost flew away.
Public relations member, Fatimah Alzubair, stood near the canopies collecting donations for Morocco, which just experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII. The earthquake southwest of Marrakesh damaged areas of near the town of Ighil and the Oukaimeden Ski Resort in the Atlas Mountains. Alzubair stood by her table collecting cash donations and also gave students the option to Venmo if they didn’t have cash on them.
Alzubair, explained the importance of the Arabic Culture Club, both for the students involved and non-members.
“The whole point of the club is to be involved with the current events in the Middle East and educate those on campus about the traditions and values of the Arabic culture,” said Alzubair. “Many of our members are Egyptian and Middle Eastern and it’s a great way for all of us from that background to feel connected.”
Many students of all backgrounds and ethnicities came to the amphitheater to enjoy the food showcasing how eager students were to dig in. The setup of the amphitheater perfectly offered the opportunity for students to talk about the food and their background amongst each other while they ate.
President, Ramzy Malak, was also in attendance conversing with teachers and staff members who came out for the event.
The Arabic Culture Club was also selling t-shirts during the event where underneath the Rowan logo, Arabic Culture Club was written in Arabic. Each t-shirt could be purchased for $15 and is still available to purchase at upcoming meetings.
Some of the foods showcased were a Middle Eastern style lasagna that featured a bechamel sauce. They also served Kofta, a meatloaf dish originating from Balkan areas of Europe and Turkey along with potatoes, falafel, and Lebanese stuffed grape leaves, or Warak Enab. Itriya, a type of noodle was also seen and Chicken Mishwi, still drenched in its cooking juice.
You can follow upcoming events for The Arabic Culture Club using their Proflink. Their mission statement is “The purpose of this organization is to inform and expose members of the Rowan community to the varying cultures of Arabic-speaking nations, as well as to the issues that Arabs face both within and outside of the United States.”
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