Excited chatter weaved throughout the Arabic room as club members set up for their annual potluck celebration. Some laid out mats as part of their prayer customs while others prepared the food. The scents of exotic dishes mingle in with the conversations, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a traditional Middle Eastern meal.

“I think food is very indicative of a lot of things in a culture,” senior Daniah Hammouda said. “There is a lot of diversity within a culture and, especially in the Middle East, there are many signature dishes, and I feel we have to convey that more.”

Hammouda, who is president of Arabic club, brought shawarma to the meeting. Shawarma is a mixture of various meats often combined with other vegetables in a sandwich.

“My family is from the Levantine and Palestinian region, and shawarma is a traditional dish there,” Hammouda said.

While Hammouda supplied the meat, junior Hana Ghosheh brought tabouleh.

“Tabouleh is an easy thing to make and it’s actually very healthy,” Ghosheh said. “We make it with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions and it’s a common food to eat.”

Hana’s brother, sophomore Nasr Ghosheh, decided to bring salad with tahini.

“[Tahini is] part of our culture and it’s also very simple to make,” Nasr said. “It’s kind of like hummus and I would recommend it to other people.”

After a feast of food and a marathon of Arabic videos, the festivities died down as students gathered the leftovers with stomachs full and hearts happy.

“I really enjoy Arabic club and all the potlucks and events we have,” Hana said. “Just being with everyone is lots of fun and makes the club a great activity after school.”