Left: Co-presidents Hannah Sabagh (left) and Zahra Firdous Syeed (right) welcome members to the club’s first meeting of the year. Center: Members set up to play tawla, a traditional Egyptian board game. Right: Members gather around the Egyptian flag during the club’s first meeting of the year. Credit: Courtesy of Mariam Gharraph
The Egyptian Student Association has returned, bringing a taste of Egypt to Ohio State.
ESA was re-established as an official student organization by Zahra Syeed, a fourth-year in communication, analysis and engagement, and Hannah Sabagh, a second-year in city and regional planning and sociology, after being labeled inactive in 2020.
According to Ohio State’s Student Activities webpage, the organization aims to create a sense of community for Egyptian students and those interested in Egyptian culture, bridging cultural gaps through shared experiences, food and community.
Sabagh said she was inspired to bring the club back by her cousin, who was on the club’s executive board in 2020.
“Before I came to [Ohio State], my cousin was a part of the ESA back in 2020,” Sabagh said. “He would tell me all about how nice it was to just have a place that welcomed the Egyptian community.”
Syeed said she and Sabagh were also motivated by their desire to connect with others who share a similar background.
“We realized we don’t know that many Egyptians on campus,” Syeed said. “Neither one of us is from Columbus — it’s not like this is our community or we grew up here — so this club kind of acts like a home base.”
Sabagh said connecting students to Egyptian heritage and community within a large school like Ohio State has been central to the club’s mission.
“It is a way to celebrate Egyptian culture and meet other Egyptian students,” Sabagh said. “It’s a way to have a community within such a large school to make it feel a little smaller.”
Zaneh Mahmoud, a fourth-year in biology and ESA member, said the group provided a comforting sense of community she had been searching for since becoming a Buckeye.
“Being a minority, I have always longed to be around people who are similar to me — ESA offers exactly that,” Mahmoud said. “ESA has allowed me to meet people who share similar upbringings, ways of life and interests.”
Syeed said ESA isn’t just about celebrating Egyptian identity, but it’s also an opportunity to broaden the understanding of Egyptian culture to a wider audience.
“There are so many things that are just so uniquely Egyptian,” Syeed said. “This club is not just for Egyptians; it is about teaching the greater community about what being Egyptian really is rather than what we all see in the movies.”
Syeed said although many people associate Egypt with its ancient history, modern Egypt is just as important to understand.
“Egypt has a very rich history dating back, of course, to ancient Egypt, but that is the only impression that anybody really has of the country,” Syeed said. “Egypt is so much more than the things it used to be.”
Syeed said it can be easy to lump Arab communities together, but the differences between them are rich and distinct.
“I don’t think people realize just how different each Arab culture truly is,” Syeed said. “We can all eat shawarma, but Lebanese people can put fries in it, and some Egyptians can find that to be a cardinal sin. These are the niche elements about what makes the Arab world so special that oftentimes get lost.”
Syeed said that food is a powerful way to connect people to a culture, and for her, Egyptian cuisine is a point of pride.
“Food is the way to everyone’s heart, and I am biased, but Egypt’s got some of the best food out there,” Syeed said. “I was talking about koshari to one of my Lebanese friends and he was like, ‘What is that?’ Koshari is Egypt’s national dish, and that isn’t known to even other Arabs, so we’re hoping to bridge some of those gaps.”
Sabagh said the club hopes to showcase how Egypt’s cultural influence extends far beyond its borders, particularly in the realm of entertainment.
“The entertainment industry of Egypt is basically the entertainment that the rest of the Arab world consumes and uses,” Sabagh said. “The movies and plays we watch and the music we listen to are staples in our Egyptian households, but they are also staples across Arab nations.”
Syeed said the club educates its members about the distinct characteristics of each region of Egypt. She said Egypt, similar to other nations, has its own regional differences that shape local customs and behaviors.
“Like any country, the different regions of your country are going to pave the way for different customs,” Syeed said. “In the States, the South is known for its hospitality, while states like Massachesstues and New York are known to be rougher around the edges when it comes to pleasantries. Egypt is no different.”
Sabagh said engaging with Egyptians from different areas of the country has been an enlightening aspect of the club.
“As an Egyptian, being able to talk with other Egyptians is so eye-opening,” Sabagh said. “My family is from the Cairo area, so being able to talk to Egyptians who are from Alexandria and getting to understand their culture has been a lot of fun. You get exposed to a world within a world.”
Sabagh said the country’s regional diversity extends to religion, with a wide range of religious backgrounds contributing to the Egyptian community.
“To be Arab — and to be Egyptian at that — is not just to be Muslim,” Sabagh said. “We have a rich group of Coptic, Orthodox and Protestant Christains, and we all learn so much from each other.”
Mahmoud said ESA has offered her more than just cultural connection, providing her with a social support system.
“I think the greatest thing that ESA brings to campus is a sense of home away from home,” Mahmoud said.
Sabagh said ESA showcases just one of the many diverse cultures and communities present at Ohio State.
“[Ohio State] is so big, and with that comes so many different types of people and places,” Sabagh said. “We’re just wanting to bring just one of many types to the surface.”
Syeed said the club seeks to create an inclusive space for everyone who wants to learn about and connect to Egyptian culture, regardless of their background.
“Nobody gets turned away here,” Syeed said. “When you come to an ESA meeting, regardless of your culture, of your religion, of your race or of your ethnicity, you are an honorary Egyptian for the night.”
Syeed and Sabagh said ESA meets sporadically throughout each month, but always at 6:30 p.m. They said the club’s next meeting — which is Friday in The Griff apartment building common room, located at 1234 Steelwood Road — will be a Friendsgiving potluck collaboration with the North and South Sudanese Association, an Ohio State student organization that promotes cultural understanding and awareness on issues in North and South Sudan, according to NSSA’s Instagram account.
For more information about ESA and its upcoming events, visit its Instagram account.
