A flash mob surprised everyone in the Student Center at 4 p.m. on Monday. Students from the Middle Eastern Student Association danced a traditional Middle Eastern dance called Dabke. As diverse as the region is, Dabke is one form of dance that is universally performed throughout the Middle East.
“We decided that the Dabke would be the best show of culture since it unites all middle easterners through dance and unites our cultural aspects,” said junior Hassan Hachem, a MESA member. “We want to show people that we are not what the media says we are. We are not all about war and we can have fun too. We like to live life just like anyone else.”
At first, a man started to play the drums and a single student started to dance with a Palestinian flag over his shoulders. Then, other students joined in and danced for about four minutes and quickly dispersed afterwards.
“There is so much turmoil in the Middle East right now and we wanted to show some culture and fun to combat that,” said junior Jenna Hamed, the MESA president.
A crowd formed to watch the students and videotape the dance as it happened. The faces of the students ranged from confused to delighted. Two students towards the staircase of the Student Center were dancing along and enjoying the music.
“It was so nice to get a different taste of culture. I believe people connect through music. It’s something we can all enjoy. I was here serving a customer and dancing to the beat as well,” said sophomore Deanna Bumphus, Green Market Bistro employee.
