Arab culture comes to Cal Poly

On any given Tuesday, one would hardly expect Chumash Auditorium to be swarming with costume-clad belly dancers and blaring Arabian melodies.

Nonetheless, last night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the space usually reserved for career fairs and religious gatherings was host to a diverse blend of Arabian art, food, music and dance.

However, the decor was not the only diverse presence in the building; the population in attendance ranged from students seeking extra credit, to students looking to connect with others sharing their culture.

Hosted by the Students for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Arab Culture Night kicked off Arab Awareness Week.

Although it exclusively celebrated Arab culture, student club members hoped to attract students representing various cultures and ethnicities.

Economics junior Cassie Widay, SJPME club member, said that she hoped the event would “show the humanity often devalued because of the conflict that exists in Arab countries,” and that it would “attract positive attention to show that there is a rich civilization with a lot of history.”

And attract, it did. Over 150 spectators seated in circular tables came to partake of the pita bread and tahini, watch a presentation about Arab culture given by Cal Poly graduate Khaled Hettini and watch various musical and dance performances.

Students also displayed the typical garb worn by Middle Easterners in a makeshift fashion show during one of the presentations.

But, theatrics aside, the club members’ main concern was to educate Cal Poly students beyond what they hear on the news and in class.

In his presentation on Arab culture, Hettini spoke about the “inherited culture,” which he said included clothing, food, art and language versus the “induced culture;” the culture of pain and suffering prevalent in modern Arab nations.

“We hope to dilute cultural biases against Middle Eastern stereotypes and.it’s really a big step for Cal Poly. I am really happy to be a part of this because Cal Poly is not very diverse as far as events, not just in population. These events are crucial because without them, students can get locked into their own judgments,” said Heba Mansour, business junior and SJPME member.

For more information about Arab culture, the club is holding several more events this week: speaker As’ad AbuKhalil discusses the conflict in Lebanon from 7 to 9 p.m. in the business building, and the film “About Baghdad” at 7 p.m. in the graphic arts building, room 106.