Tag: Community
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UMD’s Arabic students search for new opportunities after Flagship program closure
By Timnit Rwakaara Since 2007, the University of Maryland at College Park has hosted an Arabic Flagship program, a federally funded initiative for students in the Arabic major or minor to gain advanced proficiency in the language. But starting Fall 2025, the program was no longer offered at UMD, leaving many students wondering what direction…
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Cultural clubs go viral: the rise of reels
Within 24 hours of posting a trivia night promotion, the Muslim Student Association’s (MSA) 15 second reel, of members interrupting a board member with information about the event, garnered more than 11,000 views on Instagram. Cultural club promotions have not just reached the UMD community — they have gone viral. “Having a successful social media…
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Sudan roundtable event raises awareness about war, genocide
NoirUnited International, a 501(c)(3) global development organization focused on mobilizing the African diaspora, hosted a Sudan Roundtable in collaboration with multiple student organizations, including Sudanese Student Association, African Student Association, African Students United for Progress, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Helping Hand for Relief and Development on Thursday, Nov. 6. The roundtable featured a…
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‘All Day for Gaza’: UMD community gathers to mourn Gaza’s martyrs
More than 50 University of Maryland community members gathered to honor the deaths of Palestinians at the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) “All Day for Gaza” event on Tuesday at McKeldin Mall. The event consisted of sit-ins, teach-ins, speeches and art demonstrations with small white flags placed by organizers to represent Palestinian martyrs killed…
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The rise of MENA country specific cultural organizations at UMD
Within the past year, four new country-specific cultural clubs within the UMD Middle East and North African (MENA) community were formed. Despite many of these clubs fitting under broader cultural clubs such as the Organization of Arab Students (OAS) or Faces of African Muslims (FAM), many students felt that these clubs were essential. Cultural clubs…
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UMD students protest university career fair for ties to human rights violations
Dozens of students gathered to protest the inclusion of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other defense contractors at the University of Maryland’s STEM and engineering career fair on Thursday. The protest, organized by UMD’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, was at the Engineering Fields across from The Hotel, where the career fair was…
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Inter-org MSA potluck bring over 100 students and several UMD clubs together
From maqluba, a traditional Levantine rice dish, to ful, a popular Sudanese and North African bean recipe, an array of cultural dishes from several ethnic clubs at UMD filled tables outside at the Nyumburu Amphitheater yesterday for the Muslim Student Association’s inter-organizational potluck and picnic. 11 cultural organizations including the Pakistani Student Association (PSA), Egyptian…
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UMD opens Unity Center, a space fostering inclusion and diversity
The University of Maryland opened the Unity Center earlier this month as a space designed to foster diversity and create an environment centered around inclusion and belonging across communities. Located in the Cole Field House, the Unity Center is a representation of years of student advocacy and collaboration with the university. According to the UMD…
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MSA welcomes students with fall Welcome Back Dinner
Over 100 students gathered in Stamp’s grand ballroom for the Muslim Student Association’s (MSA) semesterly Welcome Back Dinner on Friday. The Welcome Back Dinner provides new students a place to meet their Muslim brothers and sisters, allows returning students to get together, and helps build a sense of belonging amongst the Muslim community at UMD,…
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Meet the 2025-26 MSA Board
Editor’s Note: Humnah Ibrahim is the Social Media Editor for Al-Hikmah. As the semester comes to a close and summer approaches, the 2025-2026 MSA board has been officially confirmed. Get to know the students who will be leading UMD’s MSA during the upcoming academic year. President: Zayd Mahfuz “I want the community to know that…
Al-Hikmah 