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MIA: Arab Club

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A Helping of Hummus

A Helping of Hummus

It was fall 2006 and I was a wide-eyed freshman walking into ClubFest. From the first time I had received the Cornell brochure that boasted 200+ student organizations, there were two that I knew for sure I wanted to join: the Lebanese Club at Cornell (LCC) (which I had already contacted over the summer) and the Arab Students Association. I roamed up and down the aisles in Barton searching for the latter, preparing in my mind what I would say when I met the club’s members: “Hi, I’m Noura Choueiri, (said of course, with an impressive Arabic accent) I’ve really been looking forward to joining your club.”

After wandering the entirety of the massive room, the Club was nowhere to be found. I supposed, that in my mental soliloquy, I had carelessly passed their table. I proceeded to retrace my steps through the endless organizations — Juggling Club here, Chinese Bible Study there, and found myself back at the start, and still no Arab Club. The Canadian Students Association had no idea where I could find them, and neither did the Karate Club or Teach for America. I was forced to face reality: the club wasn’t there. I signed up for Cornell Peace and Justice and returned home feeling dejected, but hopeful; I’d go home, look up the Club on SAO, and e-mail the members telling them I wanted to join.

As it turned out, this never happened. The Arab Club simply did not exist. Instead, I joined the Lebanese Club but kept my ears open in the hopes that someone would drop word of an Arab Club. I’m in my sophomore year here now, and still, nada.

This is unfathomable to me; the numbers don’t add up. Cornell has 20,000 students. The Arab World spans 23 countries and territories and makes up approximately 325 million people. Lebanon is around 4 million people. How could there be a Lebanese Club but no Arab Club? How could there be a Thai Boxing Club but no Arab Club? How could there be four different clubs with the word “Israel” in their name, but not one with the world “Arab” in it? I heard rumors that the Arab Club, which had existed in 2005-2006, did not register in time for the 2006-2007 year. As a freshman, I did not know how logistics at Cornell worked yet, so I naturally assumed that, if this were the case, 2007-2008 would surely bring with it a fresh new Arab Association. Safe to say, this did not happen.

The lack of an Arab presence on campus became very obvious to me early last year. I used to pick up The Sun every day and read through the news and opinion articles. I was rather disappointed to see Arabs severely misrepresented on a regular basis, and corrections or rebuttals to these falsities extremely rare. I could not understand why there was so little interest in countering what was in my opinion, a very one-sided view. After sending in more than my fair-share of Letters to the Editor, I decided I had to do more, and that’s how I ended up here.

But it’s still not enough. 325 million Arabs in the World, and NO Arab Club at Cornell? What possible explanation could there be? In the post-9/11 world, we cannot afford this. We are living in a time when the Middle East is the most pivotal region in International Affairs, in a time where people do not know the difference between a Sikh and an Arab, a time where Arabs are equated with terrorists. Too many people do not know, or do not care to know the difference.

We are all reminded on a daily basis of Cornell’s diversity be it in the back of our Academic Planners, on Cornell’s homepage or in any of President Skorton’s e-mails. But how could Cornell really proclaim itself to be diverse without an Arab Club? How can one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S., an Ivy-League University, not have an Arab Club? Who is supposed to stick up for Hanan Ashrawi when the Sun publishes a “news” article about her speech at Bailey Hall advocating a peaceful two-state solution that instead focuses on: “Arafat was worth $1.3 billion … The Palestinian territories are historically known for their poverty and financial struggles?” Who’s supposed to tell Cornellians that hummus is pronounced “houm-ouss” or baklava is really “bak-laawa” and that whatever Cornell Dining is serving, it’s certainly not tabbouli or falafel? Dammit, who’s supposed to tell them that we don’t ride camels and live in tents in the desert??? I mean, how could we be Newsweek’s “Hottest Ivy” without your belly-dancing Arabs? I demand a recount.

But in all seriousness, at a time as crucial as this, in the wake of September 11, with the U.S. at war with Iraq and with the Bush Administration eyeing Syria, we can’t afford not to have an Arab Club. Firstly, we need Arabs to be more vocal; we need more of a diverse and balanced view on Middle Eastern issues at Cornell. Secondly, we need an Arab Association that completely separates itself from religious or political affiliations, and focuses instead on introducing Cornellians to Arab culture, thereby countering the stereotypes that have come to surface in recent years. I would have started the club myself if I hadn’t become the President of the LCC this year. So somebody, anybody, please, step up to the plate; you can consider me your first member.

Nora Choueiri is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be contacted at nchoueiri@cornellsun.com. A Helping of Hummus appears alternate Mondays.

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