The Lebanese Student Association brings a rich culture to the Baylor community

By Ruhi Thapar | Arts and Life Intern

Bringing the beauty and distinctiveness of Lebanese culture to Waco is no small feat. However, the Lebanese Students Association achieved this goal with grace.

Lebanon is a small country located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, north of Israel and south of Syria. It is a country with an immensely rich culture and heritage and a proud people known for their hospitality, sensitivity and love for helping others.

LSA has created a home for many students on campus and provided Lebanese students with a safe space to express themselves and practice Lebanese traditions in community with other members.

“Being a member of LSA has allowed me to stay in touch with my cultural heritage and to bond with my classmates through our common cultural heritage,” said Alexa Sokhon, a senior in Lebanon. “I like LSA because it brings me a sense of joy and belonging to Baylor by reminding me of my home.”

Since its founding in January 2022, LSA has already made an impact by contributing to the culture of Baylor University. The organization creates a community that makes the nearly 7,000 miles that separate Lebanon and Texas less formidable for students looking to find a home in Baylor.

“Being a Lebanese international student coming to Baylor, LSA has been my second home where it allows me to interact and practice my culture with students of the same ethnicity as me,” said Andrea Sokhon, Lebanese Junior and Co-Chair of LSA. “I am extremely proud of my ethnicity and look forward to seeing LSA grow at Baylor while sharing our cultural traditions with the Baylor community.”

Whether through their meetings in Cashion every other Thursday at 7 p.m. or through meaningful conversations around the dinner table at the various social events they offer to members, LSA cultivates a community that reflects Lebanese culture. .

The association is committed to cultivating an authentic Lebanese experience while promoting its heritage, adding to diversity on campus while raising public awareness in Lebanon.

LSA looks forward to fulfilling this mission in the future by sharing Lebanese traditions and customs with Baylor students through cultural events, examining history and art, revealing Lebanese contributions to society, and sharing the kitchen.

They hope that by sharing Lebanese culture with the Baylor community, they can send a powerful message about unity and inclusion and help erase the stigma around people from the Middle East.

The Lebanese Student Association strengthens the Baylor community through its bold cultural expression and desire to share it with others. They highlight the value of creating spaces where individuals can truly be themselves and engage in nurturing fellowship.

They also strive to overcome the barriers of distance and language to honor where they come from and recognize how our cultural heritage shapes our identity.

“For me, LSA is my home away from home, the people I can honestly say are part of the family,” said Vincent Sokhon, Lebanese Junior and Treasurer of LSA. “We laugh together, we dance together, we eat together, we play, we do everything together as a family.”