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New multicultural Arab sorority colonizes at MSU

September 25, 2015
<p>Crest by Faisal Attrache, Courtesy of Epsilon Alpha Sigma</p>

Crest by Faisal Attrache, Courtesy of Epsilon Alpha Sigma

The first and only Arab sorority in the nation has colonized at MSU.

Epsilon Alpha Sigma only has two chapters — one at University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Davis.

Now, the six founding sisters at MSU have started the third chapter in East Lansing. 

"Our purpose is to unit our members with sincere friendships and to promote and spread our culture to the community."

“Our purpose is to unit our members with sincere friendships and to promote and spread our culture to the community,” comparative culture and politics sophomore Ahmad Alkhatib said. 

EAS also stands for Empowered Arab Sisterhood. The three pillars of the sorority, located on their crest, are diversity, class, and intelligence. Also found on the crest are doves. In the Arab culture and for EAS, the doves represent peace.

One of the main goals of EAS is to break down the cultural barriers and stereotypes by empowering and spreading light on Arab women.

“The stereotypes. … The ideas of Arab women being oppressed and not having the education the rest of the world has are wrong,” political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore Zahraa Saad said. 

“We’ve already succeeded a lot as sophomores.”

In order for EAS to become an official chapter at MSU, they must successfully host a benefit banquet to support Syrian and Palestinian refugees. 

The fundraiser is a way to educate the community on the ongoing conflict in the Arab world while also making a difference for the refugees.

“Even though things over seas are falling apart, we want to show that we’re united here,” Saad said.

With a strict philanthropic focus, EAS has planned services events for East Lansing in addition to Detroit.

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