The scent of food in the air, the echo of laughter and the warmth of old friends reuniting after a long break – this was the scene at the recent Muslim Students Association (MSA) Welcome Back event. For some, MSA is not just a student organization – it’s a home away from home.
The event held Sept. 15 at O’Brien Hall saw over a hundred attendees — a mix of returning members and new faces looking to be part of the community. The evening started with trivia followed with a get to know the new members of the board.
“Last year I came to the events as a member of MSA and there wasn’t as much turnout, but this year it was exciting to see news face and new freshman who are excited to learn more,” Shayan Rasool, a sophomore in the College of Business and treasurer of MSA, said.
Rasool said that the event was more than just a gathering, but rather a platform to share MSA’s vision for the upcoming year. He said that he wants MSA to bring everyone together and to allow others to understand Islam better and to remove any misconceptions others may have about the faith.
Rasool said MSA is not just for Muslims, but also where non-Muslims can come to meet Muslim students and learn about Islam.
Yazeed Abushanab, a junior in College of Health Sciences and president of MSA, said that organization will be curating a diverse option of events from discussions, workshops and charitable initiatives.
Though the organization has visions of success, they are also facing barriers to curate new events due to one large factor – funding. Rasool said that it has been difficult to plan these events with the limited funding and reimbursement they are provided.
“As the treasurer, I’m going to be worried about the budget and I want to maximize it as much as possible. This year as treasurer, it’s going to be hard cause were not starting off with a lot of money. I’m going to have to find ways to increase that budget,” Rasool said.
Rasool said that the events they host are reimbursed by Marquette University Student Government, but is hopeful that they can host bigger events, which will require more funds, in the coming year.
“I have to start initiating conversation with people, and with our team we are going to be talking with people about and figuring out how we are going to bring more people [to events], whether it be through our Instagram page or the events on campus we want to let other people know about,” Rasool said.
Labeeb Awan, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he is looking forward to a better organization with the new board and hopes they put more efforts into discussions that will occur beforehand.
“It’s nice to be connected to people of my faith on campus. In high school there were no Muslim students there, so I was around Christian students, which was not a bad thing. I just couldn’t relate to anyone at on a deeper and more spiritual level,” Awan said.
Awan said it would have been better if there was more effort and initiative put into the events last year, but is hopeful for this year.
“We want to be a beacon of light, spreading positivity, and fostering an inclusive environment, where everyone feels welcomed and valued. Together we will write a new story of MSA, and I have no doubt it will be one to remember,” Abushanab said.
Connor Baldwin contributed to this report.
This story was written by Uzair Qhavi. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @uzairqhavii.
