The Muslim Students Association (MSA) teamed up with the Center for Global Study and Engagement and the Global Community House to host the MSA Coffee Chat event in the Social Hall on Thursday, March 27 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

“Coffee Chats are a social programming event done by the Center form Global Study and Engagement (CGSE) for international students to meet once a month with the CGSE staff and other international students in an informal setting and share their experiences over the course of the month and catch up with each other,” explained Asir Saeed ’16, a member of the MSA. “However, the event was suffering a low turnout. One of the administrators approached me about doing a themed coffee chat with the MSA to let not just international students but also domestic students engage with each other in a social setting and learn about a different culture in the process.”

The event featured conversation that helped students understand and learn about the MSA, and served as an opportunity for attendees to engage with students and faculty from various backgrounds. The event offered tea and a variety of desserts and snacks, such as baklava, dates, hummus and Turkish Delights.

Members of MSA were pleased with the turnout.

“The event was highly successful with over expected turnout and was attended by administrators, faculty and both international and domestic Dickinson students,” Saeed said.

“The event turnout was great! I’m happy to see people from all parts of Dickinson’s campus gather here to enjoy some treats from the Middle East and have conversations,” said Mamadou Balde ’16, a member of the MSA.

Attendees also enjoyed the event.

“It’s always great when we get to sit down in a multi-cultural setting to discuss not only the beauty of the cultures, but also the everyday things we all experience,” said Katherine Welch ’15. Above all, these events let students talk with each other about their lives, thinking about how they may or may not be different due to their culture or religion.”