####Staff Appreciation Day

On Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, the Student Interest Group ADvocacy led Staff Appreciation Day, a celebration held each semester to show the gratitude and appreciation of the NYU Abu Dhabi students toward the staff members.

The events took place in the Central Plaza and involved a variety of musical performances by both staff members and students. Through Staff Appreciation Day, ADvocacy calls to mind the importance of the role of staff workers as members of the NYUAD community.

Junior Simrat Roopra, one of the food coordinators for the event, was impressed with this year’s event.

“To me, Staff Appreciation Day is perhaps one of the most important events on campus. It truly allows the whole NYUAD community to come together to not only express our gracious gratitude towards the contract staff that work with us, but also to celebrate them and their hard work,” said Roopra. “It is incredibly humbling to see how much the event means to them.”

####Moroccan Oud and Hindustani Slide Guitar Performance

On Oct. 27, the NYUAD Arts Center brought Moroccan oud master Driss El Maloumi and Hindustani slide guitar expert Debashish Bhattacharya for a shared performance in the East Plaza.

Both musicians are recognized string virtuosos. El Maloumi has received three prizes from the Conservatoire National de Musique in Rabat and Bhattacharya is the founder of the Universal School of Music in Kolkata.

During the free outdoor concert, El Maloumi and Bhattacharya fused melodies from North African and classical Indian music using the Moroccan oud, the Persian tanbark, the Hindustani slide guitar and the tabla. The audience received the performances with enthusiasm.

Junior Cristina Serrano, a music major, was impressed with the performance. In conversation with The Gazelle, Serrano described the performance.

“With an unexpected revival of a wide array of musical traditions, Driss El Maloumi and Debashish Bhattacharya gave one of the most musically enticing spectacles the East Plaza has seen so far,” said Serrano. “Although the setup was simple and the sound engineering somewhat precarious, the clarity of the musicians’ plucking and sliding allowed the audience to really be immersed in this string and drum experiment that only comes about in a venue like the NYUAD Arts Center.”

####Counselors’ Weekend

On Oct. 15 and Oct. 16, NYUAD welcomed counselors from the United States and Canada for Counselors’ Weekend. The event is one of many to help counselors from particular regions to learn about NYUAD in order to identify the students that might be a good fit for the university.

U.S. American sophomore Lama Ahmad, who participated as a Q&A panelist in the event, shared her experience with The Gazelle saying:

“Counselors’ Weekend was a great way to connect with schools all across the world and find students who are a good fit for the NYUAD community,” said Ahmad. “I feel empowered by being involved in the process of shaping the image and perception of my university and what kinds of students we attract.”