Sarah Buchholtz
Features Editor
On Saturday, March 7, The College of Wooster’s Muslim Student Union (MSU) held an Iftar Dinner in Knowlton Café for students, faculty and staff to spend time together as a community. The event brought members of campus together to share a meal and learn more about the significance of Ramadan.
As students arrived, they checked in at a table where they gave their names and received their meal ticket along with a small bag of dates labeled with the words “peace be upon you,” a prayer and a QR code providing more information about Ramadan. The tables were decorated with black tablecloths scattered with star and moon cutouts, while a wooden Ramadan decoration served as the centerpiece. A large golden “Ramadan Mubarak” balloon sign hung on the wall, adding to the festive atmosphere. Trays of food lined the front tables in Knowlton, and a prayer station was set up in one of the nearby classrooms, providing students the opportunity to step away and pray before breaking their fast or at other times throughout the evening.
MSU president Fridosse Adam Idrissou ’26 explained that the event was created to bring people together during an important time of the year. “Iftar Dinner is when, after a long day of fasting from sunrise to sunset, we come together to break our fast,” said Idrissou. “Usually it’s done with family, but on campus it can be hard. We have a lot of international and domestic students who are Muslim, so we hoped that having a community Iftar Dinner would bring staff, faculty and students together who practice the faith. There can be a lot of homesickness when you’re fasting by yourself, so creating that [sense of community] is really the objective of the Iftar Dinner for us as an organization.”
For many attendees, the dinner created an opportunity to connect with others while learning more about Ramadan traditions. Elliot Kim ’27 said he decided to attend after hearing about the event from his friends in MSU. “I had a couple of friends in MSU who told me I should come tonight to eat so I decided to check it out,” Kim said.
Kim described the environment as welcoming and inclusive. “I think it’s incredibly diverse,” he said. “There’s different kinds of people that I’m seeing, but overall, the vibe is just very wholesome and very collective.”
Fatima Elawad ’27, MSU’s marketing coordinator, commented on seeing people from many different backgrounds attend the Iftar Dinner. “It makes me feel happy that people get to know more about Islam and Ramadan. The beauty of having a shared meal and learning more about our culture and our religion is so nice to see.”
Planning the event involved months of coordination from MSU members and support from campus partners. Idrissou explained that the funding for the event came from the MSU budget and the Religious and Spiritual Life office. This allowed the organization to invite faculty, staff and a community leader from the Islamic Center of Wooster, who leads Friday prayers and Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan. Idrissou also noted the support of MSU’s advisor, Administrative Coordinator of the Libraries Upikin Gunawan, and Director of Student Engagement Julia Zimmer, who helped the organization throughout the planning process.
A huge part of Iftar Dinner’s planning was ensuring the food reflected the diverse cultures within the Muslim community. “We [wanted] to bring different foods as well,” Idrissou said. “We have puff-puffs from West Africa, but we also have a lot of options from South Asia as well. We were trying to find that balance. We have to get halal meat which is part of our religious practices, but we also need [the food] to be as authentic as it can get, so [students] feel like they’re getting back to their roots and getting closer to where we come from and [where] our family [comes from].”
The event also provided a space for students to reflect on the cultural importance of gathering during Ramadan. Ezabella Teka ’26 said she has experienced Ramadan celebrations through friends and appreciates the opportunity to share those traditions on campus.
“I grew up with a lot of friends who practice Islam, and they usually invite me to their dinners,” Teka said. “It’s a lot of gathering of people and sharing cultures — it’s a really wholesome experience.”
Teka added that events like the Iftar Dinner can be especially meaningful for students who are away from home. “It’s impactful to see that the College celebrates this with them, and it’s also important because people need their community … I think most people feel homesick when they come from different countries and then they don’t experience the same home-cooked food. It’s really nice to be with people that celebrate your own religion and your culture because it feels lonely to celebrate these events away from family.”
Idrissou emphasized that creating this sense of community was a major motivation behind organizing the event. “[Iftar Dinner] is very important because it is hard to find food at Lowry that caters to my [dietary] restriction. With doing this event, it caters to everybody, especially those who wanted to do Iftar with their family, or if they missed home or just wanted to learn about Iftar can come together. That’s why it’s good doing this as a community … and I’m excited about giving out and sharing food.”
For MSU members, the dinner also offered a moment of reflection during Ramadan. Elawad described the holiday as a meaningful time for connection.
“For me, Ramadan feels like a time of hope and reconnecting with our faith again,” Elawad said. “It brings me peace in a way that the world slows down for a bit.”
Elawad emphasized how participating in Ramadan away from home feels different, but having the campus community helps. “Whenever we have events like this where we all come together, it gives me a sense of home. The shared meals, the prayer together, just the people caring for each other in a community setting makes it feel like home,” Elawad said.
Through events like the Iftar Dinner, Idrissou hopes that MSU can continue creating opportunities for connection and community across campus. “I hope that the board next year continues to grow with the community.”