Feb
23
More than two decades ago, a small group of international students seeking to preserve their heritage and identity founded the Muslim Students’ Association at UCLA. Since then, the MSA has evolved into a thriving student community engaging the campus and the greater society through community service, outreach, and educational projects. One of the biggest turning points in MSA’s development was its evolution from serving graduate students into a community that focuses on the development and retention of the undergraduate population. As these undergraduates came together in an environment away from home, the MSA became more than simply an “organization.” It became a community, a space where Muslim students can feel comfortable growing and engaging their campus in a focused manner. As a cultural group, MSA adds a valuable voice to UCLA, one that speaks for its Muslim students, seeks to dispel harmful myths, and is committed to broadening horizons all around. As a community, MSA develops leaders who use their education as a tool with which to engage their peers and further empower themselves. As part of a whole, MSA strives to build bridges with other communities to maintain meaningful dialogues. Thus, the MSA is a cultural, social, political, and philanthropic vehicle that produces individuals who fulfill not only the vision of MSA, but ultimately the mission of USAC and the University as a whole.
MSA’s history is replete with examples of active engagement with the campus as well as the greater community. The organization has started many projects that have been recognized by the community for their contributions to the UCLA campus and the greater good. Al-Talib, the UCLA Muslim newsmagazine, has become one of the largest Muslim publications in the nation. As the largest student newsmagazine on campus, it has been instrumental in approaching political and cultural issues to educate Bruins about issues that affect the Muslim community. The UMMA Free Clinic, along with the UMMA Volunteer Project, is a pioneering social service project that has garnered acclaim far and wide: it has been featured extensively in the University’s “UCLA in LA,” a number of its directors have received the Charles E. Young Humanitarian Award, and it has been covered extensively in local and national media. For over a decade, The Incarcerated Youth Tutorial Project (IYTP) has maintained a unique and valuable channel of communication and mentoring between UCLA students and incarcerated youth. MSA’s project Mentors for Academic and Peer Support (MAPS) is operated out of the Student Initiated Outreach Center. This project takes the enthusiasm of student volunteers to the youth of the inner city: MAPS is dedicated to empowering high school students with the tools with which they can gain access to institutions of higher learning such as UCLA. The Association of Muslims Assisting the Needy and Homeless (AMANAH) began as a homeless feeding project, but has quickly evolved into a dedicated program that seeks to give the homeless resources and tools to better their lives. MSA’s most recent effort is the Academic Mentoring Program (AMP), which works at the home base, connecting freshmen and transfers to experienced UCLA students and thus establishing valuable mentoring and personal relationships among the Bruin community. Perhaps the most anticipated event by MSA members is College Day. On this day during Spring quarter, members welcome high school students to the UCLA campus, where they are treated to the sights and sounds of all UCLA has to offer. Programs, group activities, video presentations, and workshops are designed to encourage these youth to consider higher education at an institution like UCLA via a first-hand experience.
As the only ORSO advocating for Muslims at UCLA, MSA exists to represent all the 800 or so Bruin Muslims. Whether or not these individuals are officially members of the MSA does not affect MSA’s commitment to making sure they all feel safe and ensuring that their experience at the University is one of growth and development. This year, the MSA expects its membership to exceed 450 people, while the actively involved persons will number approximately 100 . 150, including staff and volunteers of the projects as well as general-body members who regularly attend programs and events, offer input, or make use of MSA’s services.
You can contact us at msa@ucla.edu