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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

Game night focuses on inclusivity and bonding

Students make new friends at the IU Muslim Student Association's Interfaith Game Night this Thursday in the Forest Treehouse. 

A white banner hung across the windows of the Forest Treehouse Lounge. In blue, it read “Muslim Student Association,” with “Indiana University” written below it in a dark green color that matched the shirts of MSA members mingling with 
students.

Interfaith Game Night took place Wednesday evening in Forest Quad and was part of Islam Awareness Week, which encourages cultural awareness and community on campus. It was the third major event sponsored by MSA this week.

“It’s sharing some of our daily routines and principles with other students,” MSA Religious Chair Faadil Shariff said.

Shariff, a sophomore studying informatics, said the week allows MSA to connect with people who may not know a lot Islam and to reach out to other Muslims on 
campus.

Interfaith Game Night was designed to bring a variety of people together to bond over food and games, said Laamia Hussain, a sophomore and MSA social justice and philanthropy chair.

“It was just a low-pressure kind of way for people to bond and get to know each other,” she said.

Throughout the night, participants were encouraged to mingle with other people, eat pizza, chips and cookies, and drink soda. Games like Taboo, Cards Against Humanity and pool were played at the event.

From the Taboo group, laughter and yelling were heard throughout the room, while the Cards Against Humanity group shared awkward laughs and some groans.

“I would like a lot of people to know we’re not trying to be anything different,” Shariff said. “We’re just trying to show the best of our 
religion.”

Islam Awareness Week takes place across many 
campuses in late March and early April, Shariff said. He said the game night was advertised as interfaith to allow students of all different backgrounds to feel comfortable at the event.

“The goal of interfaith should be to just spend time with people,” Shariff said.

The whole week reflects this intention to spend time with one another, especially with people of different backgrounds.

The variety of events sponsored by MSA were created to reach a variety of students. The week started off with a tabling event where students were able to receive root beer floats and ask questions about Islam. Hussain said the tabling event was eye-opening for her, not just for students who stopped by the table. She said the club got to reach out wide groups of people, who asked questions and were notified of other events.

On Tuesday, the Muslima Monologues took place in Swain West. The event focused on giving Muslim women a voice in an effort to combat common perceptions of them being oppressed.

The Taste of Islam Banquet will take place Thursday in the Briscoe Student Activity Room.

This event was planned to show the campus that Muslims come from a variety of places all around the world. The club had been working with many ethnic restaurants of in Bloomington who will 
cater the event to highlight the variety of Muslim dominant countries.

“We want people to accept us and embrace us and this community at IU,” Shariff said.

The week will wrap up on Friday with the jummah prayer in the Collins Courtyard. Shariff said there is a Friday prayer every week, but this one will be outside. Hussain said this was a great, educational way to wrap up the week, allowing those who come to ask questions and enjoy the service.

“I want everyone to feel welcome enough to know they will be treated well and welcomed with open arms,” Hussain said.

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