By Jessica Vangel SUPER steering members asked not to have their full names used in the story for safety reasons. Western’s Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights club (SUPER), which started in spring 2014 but faded off after most of the members graduated, is now revitalized. “I have always been involved and interested in Palestinian rights, so when I heard there was a club once before that dealt with these issues, I wanted to get it moving again,” steering member Samia said. SUPER hosts informational meetings and opportunities to experience Arab and Palestinian culture. It is hosting a play called “Samahta” at the Alternative Library at 7 p.m. on February 27. At the last meeting, students spoke about ways to boycott Israel. “In the current political climate, people feel very mobilized by this club and that’s what we like to see,” steering member Alia said. The steering members said they have been overwhelmed with the amount of people who participate and feel connected to this world issue. “Our club is more than a club. It’s like a community of people who feel passionate about Palestinian rights and we’re excited to explore that,” Alia said. When asked what SUPER is defined as and what they do, Samia said it aims to represent Palestinian voices through education and advocacy. “[It’s] campus education on Palestine from a perspective you wouldn’t otherwise get. We hope to get people who care a lot about this issue to show up and start making real efforts to help Palestine,” Alia said. “Our goal is not only educating on Palestine but also how to have their voices heard. We love to see students who are active in their own community.” The two have seen growth from the resurgence in fall and note that they believe the club and its beliefs will go on for many more years. “There’s a sense of ownership in the club right now so I feel it will carry on. It’s been really crazy how many people have come since the fall and the people are so passionate,” Samia said. Samia and Alia have been steering the club with few other members since this fall. They said they like that the executive board is mostly Arab. “Most of our board is Palestinian or Arab and we are concerned with preserving that culture. A non-Arab board may be concerned with appropriating that culture or they may not even know where to begin if they don’t already know the culture,” Alia said. The steering members of SUPER said they would love for people interested in learning about Palestinian rights, culture and how to activate their voices to come to their events and join the community. More information can be found on their Facebook page. Every Tuesday this quarter, a Western Front reporter will shed light on a Western club. If you would like your club to be featured, email rahwahaile.westernfront@gmail.com
