Board Positions Available

We are looking for Muslims to bring their ideas and enthusiasm to the MSA Board! Positions available include Social Events Chair and Organizational Committee Members (OCMs). Only sophomores, juniors, and seniors may apply to be a Social Events Chair. All students are encouraged to apply to be an OCM. OCMs will be working closely with the board to help with all initiatives.

APPLY NOW! Please email ma2543@columbia.edu this application by 5PM Saturday, September 26th. Interviews will follow the application process.

Eid Mubarak!

The MSA would like to invite everyone to join in the joyous Eid celebration at the 96th St. Masjid on Sunday insha Allah. The prayers begin promptly at 7:30 a.m., so we will meet at the Broadway gates (116th and Broadway) to leave for the mosque at 7:00 sharp. For those wanting to meet at the mosque, it is located at 96th St and 3rd avenue. The easiest way to arrive from campus is to take the 1 train to 96th St. and transfer to the M96 crosstown bus to 3rd avenue. May Allah reward us all for our efforts during this blessed month and give us many more to come!

Volunteer Opportunity!

WE ACT for Environmental Justice (West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc.) is a local environmental racism and social justice organization based in Harlem and the Washington Heights. If you are interested in volunteering for the organization (primarily flyering, door knocking, surveying, and general grassroots support for the organization), please contact the Public Affairs Committee Chair at ysa2103@columbia.edu.

Hadiyah Muslim Mentoring Project

The members of Hadiyah, Columbia University’s first ever Muslim Mentoring Project, invite you to join them! Hadiyah is a year-long mentoring program dedicated toward building a strong network of support and community for incoming students with Muslim backgrounds. Freshmen will be matched with selected upperclassmen and graduate students. For freshmen, this means gaining an instant friend and guide at their first year at Columbia. For the active and motivated upperclassmen and graduate students, it means getting a chance to be more involved on campus and in the Muslim community. The program will also include several events, like game nights, dinners, and group outings.

To learn more, please attend the information sessions which will be on September 10 and September 15! (More information to follow.)

If you are interested in becoming a mentee, please submit your application here. Applications are due by Friday, September 25, 2009.

Upperclassmen and graduate students interested in becoming mentors, please submit your application here. Applications are due by Friday, September 18, 2009.

Fast-a-thon!

Every year, our MSA plans a Fast-a-thon. This event is the MSA’s biggest community building and service event of the year. The purpose of the Fast-a-thon is to invite people from the Muslim and non-Muslim community to "pledge" to fast with us for a day. In the evening, there is a large Iftar dinner (breaking of the fast), to which all participants are invited. The Iftar will include speeches by community members as well as reflections from participants. The event is multi-functional as there is also an activist/humanitarian component to it. This year's Fast-a-thon will aim to help break the cycle of poverty by raising funds for Harlem Children's Zone.

Partnering with an organization that our President Obama credits for “literally saving a generation of children in a neighborhood where they were never supposed to have a chance,” the MSA will help raise awareness of and support for Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) during this year’s Fast-a-Thon. With its holistic approach to community involvement, Harlem Children's Zone offers a wide range of educational, social-service, and community-building programs for Harlem children and families. It is with the help of HCZ that the local Harlem community is being rebuilt into a thriving hub.

Join us as we get hungry for a change. Let's work with Harlem Children's Zone to help break the cycle of poverty!

To find out more about the Harlem Children's Zone, check out http://www.hcz.org.

There are many ways you can help make Fast-a-Thon a success!
1) VOLUNTEER: We are looking for help with publicity, outreach and staffing the event!
2) Co-sponsor: We are looking for groups and organizations to co-sponsor the event!
3) RSVP and invite your friends: Official RSVP.

DATE: Wednesday, September 16
TIME: 6:30 pm
PLACE: Roone Arledge Auditorium

Freshman Mixer/Iftar

Welcome, class of 2013! What better way to start out your freshman year at Columbia and Barnard than with the holy month of Ramadan? Come join the MSA for our special Freshman Mixer/Iftar! Come eat, play games, and get to know your fellow Muslim students!

DATE: Thursday, September 10
TIME: 7:15 pm
PLACE: C555, Lerner

Ramadan Iftars and Suhoors

Ramadan Kareem! Beginning September 7, iftars will be available for the Muslim community weekdays around campus. Please consult our website for the most up-to-date room locations. In addition, suhoor will be available for students in Hewitt Dining Hall, beginning at 4 am and continuing until Fajr prayer. Students will be required to sign-in upon entrance to the dining hall. We look forward to seeing you there!

September 4 Jumaa Announcement

Due to campus maintenance, Jumaa prayer service in Earl Hall will begin next week, September 11 and continue for the duration of the semester. Students and community members are encouraged to visit the local masajid this week for Friday prayer, and we look forward to beginning Friday prayer in Earl Hall next week!