The Omani Student Association is holding its fourth annual Henna Night event for any student or faculty member interested in Henna tattoos and learning about Omani culture and traditions.
The event will be March 2 from 7-9 p.m. in the Campus Room of Capstone House and includes several different activities and experiences that introduce USC students to Omani traditions.
The OSA is a student-run organization made up of Omani students studying at the University of South Carolina. Awab Al Kindi, fourth-year mechanical engineering student, said that the organization's goal is to help Omani students integrate into the USC lifestyle and to introduce American students to the culture of Oman through events such as the Arabic corner and Henna Night.
“This year’s agenda will include henna drawing by the members of the organization, a traditional Omani dance performance named Albar’aa, a photo booth, food, music and much more,” Al Kindi said.
Henna is a paste-like substance that is used by women in the Middle East and India for making temporary body art that second-year hospitality and tourism management student Abeer Al Saqri said is used "for special occasions like holidays, birthdays and weddings.”
Al Saqri, the social chair for OSA and coordinator of Henna Night, is expecting a good turnout.
“The event will be a new experience for people who have never tried Henna, and a fun experience for those who already did,” she said.
The OSA is planning several other events for the semester, including an Omani cuisine night in Maxcy College Residence Hall. For information about Henna Night and other upcoming events, students can follow the OSA on Facebook at Omani Student Association at USC, on Instagram at osa_usc or go to their website, www.osausc.com.
“It will be a great cultural night with music, dance and good food," Al Saqri said, "definitely not to be missed!”