
Friday January 31, 2025

Members of The Somali Students’ Association perform traditional dances representing Somalia’s diverse regions during the Taste of OSU 2024,
COLUMBUS, Ohio (HOL) — The Somali Students Association (SSA) at The Ohio State University will mark its 20th anniversary this Saturday with the sixth annual Somali Night, a vibrant cultural celebration that has grown to become a major event drawing attendees from across the country.
What began as a small gathering has evolved into a celebration of Somali culture, heritage, and unity, with hundreds expected to fill the Archie Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union. The event will feature traditional Somali poetry, dance performances, and a theatrical play, known as a Riwayaad, created by the SSA’s members.
“We’re celebrating 20 years of the Somali Students’ Association on [OSU’s] campus helping Somali students and giving them a safe place to come and talk and connect,” said Fatima Shauri, the SSA’s vice president and a third-year international studies student. “Obviously, we are a minority on campus, and we do want a safe place, and I feel like the Somali Students’ Association has been doing that for 20 years. It’s a big accomplishment.”
“It started off as a small event in the U.S. Bank Theater, and now it has evolved into something where we expect to have 800 people coming and sitting in the Archie Griffin Ballroom,” Shauri said. “We’re just using this night to celebrate that because it is a huge milestone to be alive and active, to have continuous board members, and to grow each year to uplift the Somali community on OSU and outside of OSU.”
This year’s celebration will include guests from Somali Students’ Associations at Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota, spotlighting the event’s national influence.
Ohio State’s SSA was among the first to host an annual Somali Night, a tradition that has since spread to university campuses nationwide.
“The concept of Somali Night is becoming more [widespread],” said Abdirahman Moualem, the association’s president and a third-year computer science and engineering student. “Every SSA across the country has adapted to it. It demonstrates how powerful the community is and how powerful our voice is.”
Poetry, deeply embedded in Somali culture, will take center stage at the event. Known as the “land of poets,” Somalia has a rich oral tradition that has endured through generations.
“We’re known as the poets, and Somalia is the land of the poets itself,” Shauri said. “The way we talk is with poetry; the way of our music and dancing, it’s all like a language of poetry that’s being shown to get that emotion out of you, but to also bring you back to your roots.
Cabsi Cabsi, a Somali dance troupe based in Columbus, will perform traditional dances that bring audiences together in celebration.
“The dance team connects the audience and connects the community together,” Shauri said. “It doesn’t matter if they know the person next to them on their right or left; they just start dancing with each other, and they start connecting, and they forget all their problems, and they just connect to the music and the dance.”
A theatrical play, or Riwayaad, will also be performed, blending humor and emotion to tell stories that resonate with Somali and non-Somali audiences alike.
“This year, we have a play, which we call ‘Riwayaad’ in Somali,” Shauri said. “It’s a way to show the Somali culture as funny and emotional, and it pulls your strings a little bit, but it keeps it engaging.”
The event will also recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the Somali community, highlighting the importance of leadership and service.
While Somali Night serves as a celebration of Somali identity, it also invites people from diverse backgrounds to experience and appreciate the culture firsthand.
“It’s a day to learn about a culture that you might not be familiar with,” Shauri said. “Showing other demographics at OSU how wonderful the Somali culture is and how beautiful it is with the culture and our dances, the music, our poetry, [and] the awardees.”
Tickets are available on the SSA’s website. For more information about Somali Night and upcoming events, visit their Instagram page.