Members of the Central Asian Student Association arm wrestle during the organization’s meeting celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on Wednesday night at Trevor Colbourn Hall.Â
Michael Shen
Members of the Central Asian Student Association filled Trevor Colbourn Hall on Wednesday night to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
The meeting began with a presentation on the holiday’s history.Â
Dana Khakiyev, junior political science major and president of CASA, said the holiday originated in Persia, now modern-day Iran, but is celebrated worldwide.  Â
“Nowruz means ‘new day’ in Persian,” Khakiyev said. “It is not just celebrated in one country though. It is celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, all the Central Asian countries and even parts of Pakistan and India.”
Members of the Central Asian Student Association serve plov, a rice dish from Uzbekistan, during its meeting celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on Wednesday night at Trevor Colbourn Hall.Â
Michael Shen
Traditional foods such as plov, an Uzbeki rice dish, and baursak, a fried bread dish found across Central Asia, were served to members.Â
Dinmukhamed Muratov, senior aerospace engineering major, said he hopes more people will learn about Central Asian culture through the club, for which he is also secretary.
“We have a very big culture,” Muratov said. “The more people that know it, the better to help preserve the heritage and spread it to America.”Â
Khakiyev said most CASA members are from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with others, including herself, representing other Central Asian communities, such as Uyghurs. She said the club is inclusive and open to anyone.
Dalila Zovko, senior biology major, said she joined the club after meeting Khakiyev and did not know about the holiday before.
“I think more people should be coming to cultural clubs, even if it has nothing to do with them or their background,” Zovko said. “I think there’s always something you can gain from learning about other students.”Â