[378] New MTSU Saudi Students Association Plans April 8 Informational Event

NEW MTSU SAUDI STUDENTS ASSOCIATION PLANS APRIL 8 INFORMATIONAL EVENT
Free Public Gathering in JUB Aims to ‘Build the Bridges,’ Organizer Says

FOR RELEASE: March 25, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Abdullah Alkobraish, Ssa.mtsu@gmail.com

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s new Saudi Students Association will serve as host for a special campus event, “Building Bridges,” on Friday, April 8, to encourage cultural awareness.
The free public gathering, set from 12:30 to 4 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building, features a keynote address from Patrick Ryan, president of the Tennessee World Affairs Council and past president of the Cookeville Breakfast Rotary Club, on Saudi Arabia’s history and the Saudi-U.S. relationship.
Also included on the agenda are a photography gallery; discussions on Saudi women, the nation’s tourism, economy and foreign investments; entertainment and traditional dancing; and an exhibit and demonstration of the art of henna painting.
“The purpose of this club is to organize, promote and support activities that allow an exchange of cultural, social and sports activities between all its members, the campus and city communities,” said Abdullah Alkobraish, an MTSU graduate student currently working toward his master’s degree in business administration and a native of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who is co-founder and president of the new organization.
“The Saudi Students Association wants to help orient the new Saudi students at Middle Tennessee State University and at the English Language School to American culture. In addition, we will serve the Murfreesboro community. We also would like to open our doors for communication and dialogue in order to have a better understanding of each other. We hope our friends here in town will help us to build the bridges and find solid ground for a peaceful world.”
The group is encouraging MTSU faculty and staff members to attend the event and to bring their students to learn more about Saudi Arabia, Alkobraish said.
For more information about the event, contact Alkobraish at Ssa.mtsu@gmail.com.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s new Saudi Students Association will serve as host for a special campus event, “Building Bridges,” on Friday, April 8, to encourage cultural awareness. The free public gathering, set from 12:30 to 4 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building, features a keynote address from Patrick Ryan, president of the Tennessee World Affairs Council and past president of the Cookeville Breakfast Rotary Club, on Saudi Arabia’s history and the Saudi-U.S. relationship. Also included on the agenda are a photography gallery; discussions on Saudi women, the nation’s tourism, economy and foreign investments; entertainment and traditional dancing; and an exhibit and demonstration of the art of henna painting. For more information about the event, contact Abdullah Alkobraish at Ssa.mtsu@gmail.com.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of the SSA logo, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Media Relations via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!