OASIS
	Organization of Arab-American Students Instituting Solidarity

By: Diana Rakine
President, OASIS

          Marhaba (Hello), I feel privileged to introduce our organization, OASIS (Organization of Arab-American Students Instituting Solidarity). Our mission is to inform and educate the public and the NSU campus about Arab culture and prepare OASIS members for community leadership.
          Our preamble to the constitution states, “We, the members and the founders of OASIS, hereby associate ourselves to promote the Arabic Culture as a nonprofit, educational, cultural, and social student club, which shall serve as an opportunity for Arabs, Arab-Americans, and anyone interested in our common interest of Arabic culture, to interact and help promote the Arabic culture in a positive way.”
          The club attempts to disseminate adequate information about the Arab people, their history, culture, problems, and aspirations. It seeks to promote a better understanding of the Arab-American culture for NSU students, and specifically, other student organizations on our campus, in our state, and in our nation. The encouragement of better mutual understanding and stronger ties within our culture and those of different cultures is the ultimate goal of OASIS.
          In addition, the club will endeavor to provide all possible assistance and guidance to Arabic students at Nova Southeastern University, so that we may know and interact with one another on a social level, as well as perform in activities, functions, and projects to learn more about the Arabic culture and positively promote it.
          The founding executive board of OASIS consists of a group of Arab-Americans and non-Arab Americans, who believe that the Arab culture is highly misunderstood and minimally represented. We believe that NSU needs an organization on campus to enlighten students about the joys and marvels of Arab culture. This includes informative, educational, and exhilarating events that display its ancient history, magnificent art, diverse language, flavorsome food, and most uniquely, its exotic belly-dancing. The purpose of OASIS is to inform the uninformed, enlighten the unenlightened, and challenge the unaware. We will steer NSU away from the countless stereotypes and inaccurate news reports and guide them toward the beauty of Arab Culture.
          OASIS is governed by E-board members that come from an Arab heritage, but were born and raised in America and by non-Arabs that are interested and enjoy the Arab Culture. Therefore, we are individuals who are a blending of our Arab traditions and our American customs. We feel very fortunate that we can educate and inform all NSU community members more about Arab society and enlighten Arabs about the American way of life.
          The NSU campus consists of students and faculty of many different cultures, backgrounds and religion. We have people attending NSU from all over the world who participate in most of the clubs, activities, and school events that we as club organizers, and the Student Affairs Office offer. We have come to learn that students here are willing to explore all the challenges and possibilities that college offers.
          With that attitude in mind, we, OASIS, are welcoming and inviting students of all ethnicities to join and experience a culture that is sometimes misunderstood. Our club is for everyone who wants to learn new traditions, taste Middle Eastern food, watch belly dancers, learn to belly dance, learn about the history and people of Arab- American cultures, and much more. OASIS is for students who want to discover a new way to look at Arab culture.
          We feel that education is the key to every lock. I have yet to open every treasure left unfound. It is through education that we can eliminate the stereotypes and labels found in the world today. I look forward to meeting all the students, faculty, staff, and educators who are interested in supporting what our club, OASIS, stands for.

Mission Statement

By: Amanie El Haddad
Former President and Founder

To inform and educate the University campus about the Arab culture and prepare its members for community leadership.

Preamble to the Constitution

By: Amanie El Haddad
Former President and Founder

We, the members of OASIS, hereby associate ourselves to promote the Arabic Culture as a nonprofit and educational/ cultural/ social/ student club, which shall serve as an opportunity for Arabs, Arab-Americans, and anyone interested in our common interest of Arabic culture, to interact and help promote the Arabic culture in a positive way. The club shall endeavor to promote adequate information about the Arab people, their history, culture, problems, and aspirations. The promotion of better understanding with various students and other student organizations in our campus, our state, and our nation. The promotion of better mutual understanding and stronger ties within our culture and those of different cultures. In addition the club shall endeavor the extension of every possible assistance and guidance to Arabic students Nova Southeastern University, so that we may know and interact with one another on a social level, as well as execute functions, activities, and projects to learn more about the Arabic culture and the positive promotion of it.