‘We can form the sense of community’ | Bangladesh Cultural Club promotes inclusivity, friendship | University Park Campus News

The Bangladesh Cultural Club is a community at Penn State that welcomes students from all backgrounds to learn more about new traditions and culture. 

Formerly known as Mohona, BCC was organized by and for undergraduate students with the purpose of promoting inclusivity, cultural exchange, friendship and understanding among students.

The student organization underwent the name change last year in hopes of increasing its reach and being easier for students to find.

“With a renewed identity, the club aims to extend its embrace to students from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of belonging and a home away from home,” Nurayeen Nuha, the club’s president, said. 

Nuha, a fourth-year studying economics, said the club’s overarching goals include creating a welcoming environment for international students and to make everyone feel “a little bit more comfortable with this new environment.”

“Bangladesh Cultural Club aims to mainly make international students feel at home,” Nuha said. “Not just Bangladeshis, but the club welcomes students from every background to enjoy the different traditional aspects of Bangladesh.”

According to BCC Vice President Aafwan Sheersho, the club’s engagement is present at Penn State and beyond. 

The BCC mainly represents the Bangladeshi culture by hosting events for cultural holidays, like Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year), Independence Day of Bangladesh, Victory Day and Ramadan. 

“These events serve as catalysts for building stronger bonds among members, fostering a sense of community and understanding,” Sheersho, a third-year studying enterprise technology integration, said. 

Collaborations with other cultural clubs, such as the Indian Culture and Language Club, the Pakistani Students Association and the Muslim Students’ Association, have further enriched the club’s offerings. 

“Our mission with these collaborations is to share their culture with others who have different traditions and so expand their knowledge of different countries — we want to know more about them, same as they want to know more about us,” Sheersho said. 

Sheersho said the significance of these collaborations is creating a community of support for international students on campus.

“Most students arrive at Penn State alone and with the feeling of being left out due to their culture — if we keep all these cultural clubs together we can form the sense of community we all need,” Sheersho said. 

Daiyan Hussain, the event coordinator, reflected on his transformative journey of serving on the executive board of a cultural club while also organizing new cultural events and exploring this new work. 

“Being an executive board member helped me grow my leadership skills,” Hussain, a third-year studying enterprise technology integration, said. “Serving on the executive board involved leadership, organization, communication and decision-making, among other things.”

Besides social events, BCC engages in charitable endeavors and language promotion. Hussain emphasized the club’s commitment to community service and linguistic celebration.

“Language is a big part of what differentiates communities, and we want to proudly explore that part of our culture as a community at Penn State,” Hussain said. 

Each semester, BCC encapsulates its memorable moments in a newsletter to commemorate its achievements and milestones. From Bengali festivals to language celebrations, every event is embraced as a part of the BCC family.

“I’m always excited when we have a general body meeting. You never know what type of new lessons you’ll get or if your future best friend will sit next to you,” Hussain said. “Even when I graduate, I will always be proud to have served this community and promote our culture.” 

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