Sept. 11 Memorial Blood Drive Selected as RSO Event of the Month for October

Al-Islam Student Association’s Sept. 11 Memorial Blood Drive is recognized by the office of student activities and SOOIE (Student Organization Outreach & Involvement Experience) as the RSO Event of the Month for October.

On the 11-year anniversary of the Sept. 11  terrorist attacks, Al-Islam Student Association hosted a memorial blood drive.

According to Hammed Naseem, the memorial blood drive was started to “promote collaborations with local communities to save lives” and “a means to fight and defeat the malevolent extremist fringe groups that spread hatred and violence.”

Sofia Naseem, president of Al-Islam Student Association, said, “People even today misunderstand Islam and associate it with terrorism and hate. Our goal is to share with our community the true teachings of Islam, a peaceful religion.”

Chancellor David Gearhart was there to address the gathering of students, faculty, staff and members of the public. “I hope that in the process of all of our reflections, that we resolve to act with peace and with unity and love in our hearts and in so doing we may each save humanity, one act at a time,” Gearhart said.

Charles Robinson, vice provost for diversity affairs, led a moment of silence to honor the victims of the attacks.

Sofia Naseem also said, “The key to planning a successful event is finding the right connections and resourceful assets to make it the best it could be.” She also noted that marketing their event was crucial to its success.

The event garnered attention from many media outlets, including local CBS and ABC affiliates, as well as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

AISA exceeded their own expectations by collecting 203 pints of blood.

Stacy Kimbrough in the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education said, “This was a very positive group to work with and I appreciated their leadership to put on the memorial blood drive.”

The office of student activities and SOOIE are privileged to recognize this event as Outstanding RSO Event of the Month, and this event will be automatically nominated for the RSO Event of the Year Award presented at the Student Involvement Awards in the spring. With a students-first philosophy, the Office of Student Activities provides an environment for involvement, empowerment, and collaboration through student organizations, programmatic experiences, and shared governance. OSA maximizes the UA experience by advocating for all students, promoting intercultural understanding, and developing citizens who are prepared to positively impact their communities.

Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience, better known as “SOOIE,” is a completely student-led organization. SOOIE members are trained to lead team-building activities, retreats, and workshops to help other Registered Student Organizations succeed. SOOIE members also help other students find an RSO to match their interests through outreach events and one-on-one consultations with students. SOOIE and its members can make a sincere impact on a student’s experience at the U of A. More information about SOOIE can be found at osa.uark.edu/rso/4601.php or by emailing sooie@uark.edu.