The Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian Center recently relocated to the second floor of the SCC
By KHADEEJAH KHAN — campus@theaggie.org
UC Davis’ Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian (MENASA) resource center is moving up — literally.
The retention and cultural center is currently in the process of moving into a new space on the second floor of the Student Community Center (SCC), in an effort to provide students with community and a greater sense of belonging.
The center was established following advocacy by the Middle East/South Asia Studies Program (ME/SA) post-2001, which was a student and community-led effort to address the need for greater academic, social and campus support amid increased discrimination of Middle Eastern and South Asian students, staff and faculty. MENASA did not have a formal space prior to the move, but held on-campus events and connected students to campus resources and staff.
MENASA is one of UC Davis’ Community Resource and Retention Centers, which are dedicated to providing resources, programs and opportunities for students to help them develop personally and professionally. Other centers include the Center for Student Involvement, the Cross Cultural Center, the Undocumented Student Resource Center and the Women’s Resources and Research Center.
“The center’s mission is grounded in providing holistic support for students,” MENASA Director Affaf Waseem said. “We enhance the student experience by offering engaging programs that foster skill building, knowledge development and meaningful connections within the campus community.”
MENASA held a soft opening at its new location on Oct. 29 with a Kulfi social to celebrate the move and welcome new visitors. By offering Kulfi and other cultural snacks, Waseem believed the event reflected Middle Eastern and South Asian hospitality culture in welcoming guests.
“We wanted to anchor the celebration around something sweet,” Waseem said. “In many cultures and communities across Southwest Asia, North Africa and South Asia — regions that are known for hospitality culture — offering sweets is a common way to share joy, express goodwill and welcome guests with appreciation and warmth.”
The official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the MENASA Resource Center will be on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. MENASA will be welcoming alumni, community members and special guests to join the celebration alongside refreshments and prizes.
For MENASA’s Outreach Coordinator Hasti Sharif, a second-year international relations and ME/SA double major, the new space represents more student connection. In her first year, Sharif worked as a MENASA intern and attended MENASA’s leadership retreat at UC Riverside.
“[The new space] is just going to be a lot more engaging and collaborative,” Sharif said. “We’re just going to be way more involved with students now, since we get to have one-on-one talks through the center. Having a space just opens up a lot of possibilities for us, which is a very exciting thing.”
Waseem echoed the sentiment, noting that he has already received interest in the new center’s space.
“I can already sense the excitement students have when they ask about the opening of the center,” Waseem said. “This new space will allow us to raise more awareness about our work, host impactful programs in a welcoming and comfortable environment and, most importantly, create a space where students feel represented to help them feel a sense of belonging.”
Joumana Khalaf, MENASA’s marketing and communications coordinator and a fourth-year psychology major, says that MENASA’s resources helped her find community as a transfer student. Now, she’s excited to be a part of a space where culture can be celebrated.
“There’s such a need for a center for MENASA students,” Khalaf said. “It’s great to have a place for them and all communities with MENASA artwork, with chai — with tea — where we can connect with other students and study together.”
Throughout the rest of the school year and even prior to the center’s grand opening, MENASA will be holding a series of Chai Chats to host dialogue and workshops on selected topics. The center will also be hosting Connection Hour events — unstructured times for students to connect with each other and MENASA staff in the space.
The MENASA center will also be holding its annual leadership retreat to engage in conversations centered on a yearly theme. This year’s theme is “Seeds of Us: Cultivating Collective Care,” and explores how communities nurture care and connection.
To learn more about MENASA and their programming, students can visit menasa.ucdavis.edu or reach out to Program Coordinator Mahum Manan at mmanan@ucdavis.edu.
Written by: Khadeejah Khan — campus@theaggie.org
