On April 18 and 19, NYU Abu Dhabi Institute hosted a conference on Postcolonial Studies and Modern Arabic Literature that brought together literary scholars and critics to discuss the relevance of postcolonial theory to Arabic literature. The conference was convened by visiting Professor of Literature Waïl S. Hassan and Dean of Arts and Humanities Robert Young.

The literary scholars presented their papers and research on this topic and it was followed by a Q&A session.

Photo credit ASEAN SIG

On April 17, the Chinese Cultural Club, Dongari and ASEAN Student Interest Groups hosted the first Asian-Pacific Night at NYUAD in the West Plaza. According to the event organizers, the aim of the night was to showcase Asian-Pacific culture, customs and values through activities, performances and food.

“The implicitly shared goal of this event was to have an event through which we could share with the NYUAD community what Asian-Pacific culture is about, and bring a bit of a fun in doing so,” said Peter Si, president of Dongari. “We had fun, and from the reviews I've got, a lot of people who attended had a great time.”

On April 22, freshman Alexander Mackay and senior Tamy Sánchez-Ortiz were invited to participate in the first fitness competition that Under Armour organized in the UAE. The competition was held in Dubai at The Beach opposite the Jumeirah Beach Residences. The competition consisted of eight exercises: shuttle run, weighted pull, box jump, sack over the shoulder, burpee jump clap, type flip, bag and pull carry and ball throw.

With a time of eight minutes and 43 seconds, Mackay finished third place in the male category.

“Participating in the Challenge provided a great space to engage with a larger community of athletically driven individuals here in the UAE in a fun and energizing way,” said MacKay. “Overall I thoroughly enjoyed having the chance to compete alongside my teammates against many local athletes, while also taking the opportunity to push our limits and put our training to the test.”

Photo by Diana Sui/The Gazelle

NYUAD Student Government sponsored the annual End of Year Event, which took place in the Jumeirah Hotel at the Etihad Towers. This year’s theme was Mirage, and consisted of an all-you-can-eat sushi bar and countless kinds of desserts alongside a regular buffet dinner. President of Student Government Farah Shammout gave a speech, in which she outlined Student Government’s achievements throughout the year, as well as about her time at NYUAD.  The dinner was followed by a dance.

“I'm so happy to see that people enjoyed the event, the committee really tried to plan it in such a way that would cater to what the students want; free sushi, good music, and a great vibe,” said Noor Al-Mahruqi, who was head of the End of Year Event Planning Committee.