By Laura Beaini

CSULB ULC Co-President

The Lebanese Social Club at California State University, Long Beach, had a very successful semester. Although a newly organized club, we are lucky enough to have gained many new members and host many successful events. On September 20, 2011, we held our first official on-campus event, the 1st Annual Meet and Greet Mixer, where Open Sesame restaurant kindly donated authentic, tasty Lebanese food. Everyone had a great time meeting new people and eating delicious mezza.

In October 2011, we held a movie night at school where we showcased the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour. This was a good opportunity for students to take their minds off of midterms, relax, and enjoy a good laugh. But, one of the most successful events this semester was the Fundraiser Dinner that took place at Golden Nights on November 10, 2011. This event was intended to raise funds for our still-developing social club so that next semester we will be able to hold future events. It was a night filled with great food, hookah, and lots of dabke.  We were lucky to have almost sixty people attend and managed to raise a good deal of funds toward the organization. 

Our final event was the Hookah & Cards Night that took place in December at Nara Bistro in Anaheim. This was a wonderful way to end the semester, allowing everyone to socialize, enjoy a great game of cards, and relax with some hookah and tea. 

Overall, this semester proved to be a great success, and we are thankful to have met so many new members and developed a stronger sense of a Middle Eastern community on campus!