{"id":299735,"date":"2026-05-04T21:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T21:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/299735\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T21:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T21:39:09","slug":"students-reflect-on-campus-resources-after-swana-week-the-state-hornet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/299735\/","title":{"rendered":"Students reflect on campus resources after SWANA week \u2013 The State Hornet"},"content":{"rendered":"

As global conflicts continue to impact students, students are wondering how Sacramento State is working to provide a supportive, safe space for the community members who are feeling the effects. In recent weeks, escalating tensions between Israel, Iran and the U.S. has spread into wider instability in the Middle East. Even after the conclusion of SWANA Week<\/a> on Friday, April 10, the SWANA Center<\/a> and other campus resources continue to create a space to decompress.<\/p>\n

SWANA week was filled with events<\/a> spotlighting Southwest Asian and North African cultures, but the mission of embracing the community during this political climate continues. Marwa Al Khamees, director of the SWANA Center, said the space is designed to support students during times of stress year-round.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Sac State students share reactions to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOur center on any given day, not just in light of recent events, is a resource for students to decompress, relax and to find community with each other,\u201d Al Khamees said. \u201cThey can come in here and lounge, where they don\u2019t have to explain themselves, and they can just exist authentically away from the pressures of the rest of campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to recent reports from AP News<\/a>, long-standing tensions in the Middle East have escalated into a series of military <\/a>exchanges<\/a> and diplomatic standoffs<\/a>. The situation has drawn in neighboring countries and international leaders, raising deeper concerns about political instability.<\/p>\n

The center also introduced \u201cSWANA Connections<\/a>,\u201d a weekly discussion space where students can gather and open up in a supportive environment. The sessions are intended to give students a safe space to process emotions and share experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of students expressed feeling hopeless, feeling like they have to work extra hard to prove themselves,\u201d Al Khamees said. \u201cBetween the staff members, the allies, and the other students that show up to that space, we can create a supportive environment for them to let out those thoughts and feelings because it\u2019s not helpful to bottle them up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaze Piolo, a junior statistics major and internal vice president of the Muslim Student Association<\/a>, said she has seen these struggles affect students firsthand. She said the SWANA Center is a resource available to help students feel more prepared to respond in situations of discomfort and stereotyping.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was some kind of stereotyping happening at the dining commons, and as a club, we can\u2019t really do anything, but the first thing we thought of was, okay, the SWANA Center is there,\u201d Piolo said. \u201cThey have faculty members who know about the Sac State system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malalai Niazi, a sophomore statistics major, said the Muslim Student Association also continues to nourish a sense of belonging on campus. She said the organization focuses on creating a welcoming environment for students who may be struggling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe make them feel included on campus,\u201d Niazi said. \u201cIt\u2019s about having a space where people feel comfortable and supported.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: Cultural showcase kicks off SWANA Week at Sac State<\/a><\/p>\n

As international tensions continue to rise, the university has also acknowledged the emotional impact on students through a campus-wide message<\/a> on Feb. 28. The email, titled \u201cCommunity, Care and Resources in a Time of International Conflict,\u201d was sent by the Office of Inclusive Excellence<\/a> and addressed ongoing military actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you are worried about family members abroad, grappling with grief and fear, or simply struggling to process the weight of what is unfolding, you are not alone,\u201d the email said. \u201cWe see you, and we are here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As global conflicts continue to impact students, students are wondering how Sacramento State is working to provide a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299736,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-299735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}