Portland State’s Cultural Resource Centers are as much a place of refuge as they are a place of community-building. Whether you’re hanging out during a break between classes, chatting with friends, working on homework or attending one of their many events, the spaces empower you to bring your full self and embrace your history, culture and identity — and experience the same from your peers.
In this blog series, we’re giving you a peek into each of our vibrant, culturally affirming centers on campus — but we hope you’ll check them out for yourself!
The Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (MENASA) Student Center, located in Room 228 of Smith Memorial Student Union, offers a space for students to build community and embrace the full beauty and breadth of the MENASA cultures. The center is the newest addition to PSU’s cultural resource centers. It opened in fall 2021, but didn’t yet have the funding to renovate the space into the warm, homey center it is now. After renovations, MENASA celebrated its grand re-opening in November 2023.
THE SPACE
When you walk inside, you feel like you’ve entered a part of the MENASA region. The attention to detail is noticeable with textures and colors adorning accent walls, patchwork sofas for lounging and colorful rugs and accessories.
“We were intentional about picking pieces that reflect different cultures across the region,” says Ahmed El Mansouri, program coordinator for MENASA and assistant director of the cultural resource centers.
Within the long rectangular room, the center is divided into several spaces. The large kitchen features a long community-style dining table, full-sized fridge, microwave, kettle and Turkish coffee maker. The living room area offers students a lounge space with couches, floor cushions, board games, TV and a video game console, which quickly became a hit. In the middle of the room, marked off by a wooden folding screen, is what they call the coffee shop. The space is perfect for studying, with cafe tables and bar seating that faces the Park Blocks. Another corner of the center has space for group studying with whiteboards and a projector. In the far corner is a quiet space for meditation and prayer.
El Mansouri says MENASA, like the rest of the cultural centers, is as much about providing a place of refuge for students from the region to heal and create community as it is about being a place where all students can learn more about the culture.
“It’s not taxing or tasking the people of the spaces to educate others, but the idea is that when you come in here, you will learn something just by being here,” he says.
Amid the global conflicts in the MENASA region, El Mansouri hopes the center can continue to be a safe space for students.
“We’re not going to replicate what’s happening out there,” he says. “We’re going to see if we can interject a new reality in here that can maybe influence what’s actually happening.”
MAKE SOME NOISE
As is true of all the cultural resource centers, MENASA is not a noise-controlled space.
The student receptionist keeps the vibes going with the music. On a recent day, instrumental Middle Eastern music in the morning gave way to energetic Bollywood music by lunchtime. Later in the afternoon, a group of guys were enjoying a loud, lively discussion about soccer in Arabic at the entrance.
El Mansouri says the intentionality of the center’s design offers students both spaces to be “loud and louder” and spaces where they can retreat for some peace and quiet.
WHAT KEEPS STUDENTS COMING BACK
Zahra Abukar, a grad student, started coming to the center as an undergrad in 2022 but with fewer students on campus and a lack of cultural elements in the center, students often opted to hang out in the library or the Pan-African Commons next door.
Since the remodel, she says MENASA has become the new hangout spot for the Arab and South Asian community — though they’ll still pop into other centers to follow the action.
“Everybody knows their friends will be here,” Abukar says. “If I have a break in my day, I’ll spend it here.” She especially enjoys monthly hangouts with other women with sweets, coffee, conversation and crafts.
Adyan Hussein, who works as a student lead and designer for MENASA, describes the center as her “third spot.”
“We have classes, we have home and this is the third spot where students can come together, talk, play games, bond,” she says.
For Mohamed Arheim, who was born and raised in Libya, the aesthetics of the center remind him of home and make him feel more comfortable — but even so, it’s the people that make the space.
“I don’t judge a place by the place itself but by the people and at MENASA, I get to connect with a lot of people from the same culture,” he says. “The ones who are really connected to the culture are the ones that come here and this is what keeps me coming back.”
SIGNATURE EVENTS
Ramadan: During the holy month of fasting, MENASA hosts large gatherings for iftar meals to break fast after sunset and for Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan.
Spring: MENASA Graduation
Throughout the Year: Various cultural events to celebrate different traditions like Arab Heritage Month, Bengali New Year and Holi, the Hindu festival of colors.
MENASA is open Mondays-Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Follow MENASA on Instagram @menasa_psu.
All photos by Jeremy Chun Sajqui