Ever since Covid-19 happened, a lot of things have changed in students’ lives, but the Middle Eastern Club has stayed a constant for Potomac Falls. 

The Middle Eastern Club (MEC) created by Homira Koraganie and Elli Abedian was made due to the large community of Middle Eastern people at Potomac Falls to try to include everybody, as well as the people who aren’t Middle Eastern.

The MEC met up frequently through virtual meetings and did lively activities such as playing Kahoots while in online school in the 2020-2021 school year. They also did things such as screen-sharing presentations to share about their culture which also shows how involved they were with the club even through tough circumstances.

After Covid, in each MEC meeting, there are typically powerpoint presentations presented by students in the club.  The slides consist of sharing different countries in the Middle East, playing diverse music and languages, sharing recipes about food, and many other fun activities. “It is a great way for our students to get to know each other at Potomac Falls,” said Abedian, EL teacher and sponsor of the club. She also stated that the MEC is especially helpful for the new students at Potomac Falls this year because they can meet new people. 

The MEC is open to everybody in Potomac Falls, not just people that are Middle Eastern. “Everyone can join; it’s not only for Middle Eastern students. We are open to having more people in our club,” said Abedian.

The MEC recruits club officers by casting a vote. The officers’ titles in the club include President, Vice President, Social Media Manager, and Historian. This year, they chose to have two Presidents for the club as there was a tie. “We discuss Middle Eastern culture, and share our cultural traditions and beliefs in the club,” said sophomore Nava Ghaffari, one of two presidents of MEC.

Ghaffari plans to make the club more popular. “My plan is to expand the club and make it more known in the community. I want to revive it and make it as active as it was in the previous years,” said Ghaffari.

Another plan of her’s is for the MEC to host fundraisers at the school in order to raise money to donate to charities for the Middle East, such as but not limited to “ones aiding the current situation in Iran, Afghans in face of humanitarian crisis, and Palestinians affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” The second president of the club, senior Danya Al-Haddad, also hopes to plan for future fundraisers.

Al-Haddad also looks forward to having a cultural night and hosting a booth to “allow members and officers a chance to connect and inform others.” She also plans on hosting informative mini games about Middle Eastern culture and countries around the world. 

The MEC has been at Potomac Falls for over five years; keeping active during online school and bouncing back when all students come back in-person. The MEC continues to thrive as membership grows and they keep active as a club.