AUK Holds Student Club Fair in the Afternoon, Dance Party in the Evening
On February 20, the students of the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) enjoyed a pair of special events. In the early afternoon, the Office of Student Affairs organized the Club Fair; in the later afternoon, the AUK Student Government put on a dance party.
Universities should work to produce well-rounded graduates, and activities beyond the classroom (be they co-curricular or extracurricular) are essential for that mission. Representatives of the 12 clubs approved for the current semester set up tables to attract members. The array of clubs reflects the diversity of students’ interests: Model UN, Music, Movies, Books, Hiking, STEM, Debate, Kurdish Culture, “EnviroPower” (about reversing climate change), Tennis, Table Tennis, and Chess. When asked how clubs contribute to student life at AUK, Areen Jameel, Student Affairs Coordinator of Operations, stated that clubs allow students to “maintain a healthy balance between academics and social life.” The Club Fair lasted from 1 to 4 PM, to accommodate students’ class schedules.
Shortly after, the Student Government hosted “Celebrating AUK Students.” Abdulla Harki, an accomplished Kurdish-language singer, was the special guest. Aram Omar, Student Government President, opened the event with a speech and encouraged audience participation. The movements all involved arcing chains of dancers, at times joined to their neighbors by just a single finger. At the peak of the excitement, the circle of dancers had such a large diameter that it stretched from one wall to the next, and standing at the circle’s center was Abdulla Harki, singing.