Name: Laila Kunaish
Year: Junior
Major(s): Primary major— Psychology, Secondary major— Mass Media and Communications Studies
Hometown: Washington D.C.
Her Campus (HC): So, are you the primary founder of the Arab Student Union, or is there another co-founder?
Laila Kunaish (LK): I am a co-founder with my good friend Nehal ElMashak.
HC: How did you two meet?
LK: We met at convocation our first year.
HC: What inspired you two to start an Arab Student Union?
LK: Well, we realized that we were having trouble meeting other Arabs on campus, and those we did meet we met by chance. We felt that there was a need to bring the community together and show other Arabs that they are not alone on campus.
Courtesy: Laila Kunaish
HC: Do you feel there are inclusion problems here on campus?
LK: I feel that there are inclusion issues on all campuses. People tend to group with people that are similar to them and exclude those who are different. It is important that students expand their social circles and begin to embrace those who are different from them, both ideologically and physically. That being said, there is value in minority student groups because these students are people who regularly feel that their experiences are different from those of the majority of their peers, and it is important that they have the chance to socialize with people who experience the same thing. This reduces the sense of burden one can gain from facing inclusion issues on their own.
HC: Would you describe this organization as a social club for people with similar backgrounds to come together and bond, or as a social activist group?
LK: I would describe it as social, though we do assist in organizing fundraisers for issues pertaining to Arabs and intend to have a number of service events next semester.
HC: What are you hoping to achieve in the next year with this organization?
LK: We hope to positively impact the community through service and help more students feel as though they have a community of people with similar experience and ideals when they come to campus. More social events, mixers, fundraisers and community service!
HC: That sounds great! Do you have any big-picture goals or are those still to come with the organization’s growth?
LK: Our end goal is to gain recognition and representation on campus. However, for the time being, our main goal is to foster a community.
HC: Do you hope to eventually have a set location, like the Pride Student Union or the Black Student Union?
LK: We would like to see that become a reality one day. Even if not during our time at FSU.
HC: What time and where do you meet?
LK: So we are not holding regular General Body Meetings this semester. However, we have been co-hosting a number of events. We upload all of our events on our Facebook page: Arab Student Union at FSU. We plan to start more regular meetings next semester.