MSU’s Arab Cultural Society is an all-inclusive club that welcomes those interested in the language and culture of Middle Eastern countries.
Allison Tumas, president of the Arab Cultural Society, said spring semester is a busy time for events they host.
The group and the Somali Association of Michigan recently collaborated to host a global hookah night at Saylis Hookah Lounge & Cafe in Lansing.
“The Somalian Association of Michigan came to me and said, ‘Hey, we would love to collaborate and work with you guys,’ and so we said, ‘OK, let’s do a hookah night,’” Tumas said.
Abdulkadir Muridi, president of the Somali Association of Michigan, said he thought people would be more comfortable in a hookah lounge setting and be more likely to approach other people.
Brian Jurgess, a computer science senior, said he came to the event because one of his friends in the Arab Cultural Society invited him.
“It’s quite a bit of fun. I get to meet a lot of people, experience a completely different culture than what I experience on an everyday basis,” Jurgess said.
Tumas said the society’s next event will be an Arab awareness week, which will conclude with their annual gathering, called a hafla.
In April, Tumas said the society will have their second annual Arab World Cup, which is a large soccer tournament where people make teams from all the different countries in the Middle East.
“The last thing we do is Relay For Life, and small charities here and there whenever we can,” Tumas said.
Mahad Bussuri, a Lansing resident and one of the owners of Saylis, said the two student groups approached him about the event, and he wanted to turn the night into a positive event by putting a percentage of the night’s earnings toward charity.
“These events are always a lot of fun to go to. You don’t experience something like this every single day on campus, so they’re always interesting,” Jurgess said.
Holding cultural events also helps acclimate the community with the diversity of international students.
“What all of us want to do is be able to share (the culture) with other people, that way people are more informed about it,” Tumas said.
Tumas said she is not Arabic herself, but grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to a large Arab community.
“As I started learning the language, I fell even more in love with the culture,” Tumas said.
