Arabic Culture Club (ACC) kicked off its spring break with an event called Arabic Mothers Day, held in business hall room 121 on Thursday, March 13. ACC has been an organized level-one club at Rowan University since its official start in 2018. Started by the Arabic culture Coordinator, Tarek Mousa, this club continues to be one of Rowan’s most active clubs on campus. Mousa has been teaching Arabic language and culture to the university and to the group since 2017.

“It is important that we hold events like this because it keeps my teaching sharp and it brings people together from all aspects of life, helping them become more familiar with each other. When they do, it encourages them to follow through with making new introductions, and it reminds them that we are all Americans having been born here and from here, but it is still our responsibility to each other to remember what we believe in and how to honor our cultures together,” said Mousa. 

The event board was set up for a 7:00 p.m. start with a classic spread of pizza, snacks, and beverages.  

Shouting “Gibna,” which means “say-cheese” in Arabic, students spent the duration assisting each other with making care packages in honor of their mothers, while watching an Arabic movie together. 

“My favorite part was the care packages. They were so cute and smelled really magnificent. My mom will love them,” said Lizbeth Baltazar, a psychology student at Rowan.

Being of the Arabic culture is not the only way to find a place in the ACC. Some find other motivations to participate. A law and criminal justice student named Ryan Callahan joined the club because he is taking Arabic as a second language at the university. 

“I joined the Arabic culture club after I decided it was a pretty good language to take with me later when I hopefully work for one of the agencies,” said Callahan.

According to the Arab American News, this was no exaggeration since Arabic is one of the seventh leading languages used in the world today, with “over 1 million people speaking it in the US alone.” 

Arabic Mother’s Day is celebrated on April 21 every year, and was originally celebrated in Egypt. “Um Al-Dunya” means “mother of the world.” It is celebrated on the first day of spring. 

Nadeem Mazahreh, a biology major, said a traditional Mother’s Day at his home is spent pampering his mother and treating her with gratitude. The same can be said for marketing major and daily commuter George Khella, who believes this day should be spent providing mom with a break from her motherly duties. 

“Moms should feel like they are on cloud nine, as they are the ones taken care of for once,” said Khella. 

Juliette’s House, a child development blog, states that teaching children to honor all mothers and our family beliefs often fosters respect and empathy, plus they are more likely to develop a strong internal moral compass, aligning them with the tools needed to face adversity and life’s obstacles. 

Students do not have to be Arabic to join the club. The e-board is planning more occasions to come and welcome all majors. Getting involved in moments like this can help students stand out in competitive markets and provide a certain level of communicative ability to their resumes for future employers. 

After a long week of midterms, students were reflective and engaged, as they said farewell to their peers for the swift spring break to come. 

“Everyone is so blessed to have a mother, I am so grateful I also celebrate the Mothers Day holiday in May as a double dedication to her and my grandmother. My mom has been such a huge factor in my ambitions toward my academic status, I want her to know I admire her and I want to be just like her,” said third year biology major and club class treasurer, Joly Ayad.

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