For the 2023-2024 school year, the Associated Student Body has approved 29 new clubs. The Accolade’s cub reporters from the beginning journalism class will report on each new group in alphabetical order. For the previous ones that have already been posted, be sure to go to the Feature section.
Junior Shahd Alzghoul was born in Saudi Arabia, but her ethnic roots stem from Jordan.
Through her Middle East Student Association [MESA] club, Alzghoul hopes for more people to recognize the Middle East countries and motivate members to make new friends from different religions and countries.
She proposed her idea to the Associated Student Body [ASB] on Wednesday, Oct. 25 and got it approved two days later.
To spread awareness of Middle Eastern culture, Alzghoul aims to have the club perform the Dabke, a popular folklore line dance prominent in Middle Eastern countries, at the International Food Fair dance the next school year in 2025.
“I am really excited and ready for the plans that I made,” Alzghoul said. “I will start to reach some of my goals, which are to make sure that the students are having fun and making more people come to my club.”
The president plans to host an Arab breakfast-potluck in the near future where members will bring various foods, allowing them to taste exotic dishes. She also hopes to divide members into groups and research specific areas to spread more recognition of Middle Eastern countries.
“If [the members] wanted to transfer to one of the [Middle Eastern] countries one day, they will know more about it; even if they just travel, they will know its traditional food, and more,” she said.
Alzghoul is confident her new group will have a positive impact on campus.
“This club can really help this school in the future, so that many of the students can have more values and more ideas about many other countries around them and other religions around them,” the president said.
Members of MESA are aware of the importance of this organization.
“I think this club can be important to this campus because everyone can learn about a different culture and so you can learn about the importance of other cultures,” club member junior Kyle Regoso said.
The Middle East Student Association meets every Tuesday at lunch in Room 16. For more information, contact Alzghoul at [email protected].
