Friends and Staff gather to celebrate new Khayrallah Center

The Khayrallah Center’s opening reception on September 15^th was a great success. The fragrance of cedar chips and Lebanese food filled the air as about 60 faculty and staff from six university departments (History, English, Foreign Language, Graduate Research, Religious Studies and Philosophy) socialized and enjoyed the flavors of Lebanese food. Students working for the center also attended and discussed their research projects. Remnants from the exhibit, Cedars in the Pines, decorated the space allowing guests to explore ipad games, listen to oral histories, and read stories that were featured at museums in Raleigh, Charlotte, and New Bern, NC. A trailer from the Center’s documentary played in the background while guests filled their plates with falafel, fatayer, hummus, mujaddara and more. Three artifact cases displayed heirlooms from Lebanese immigrants including the Mack family’s Arabic bible and peddler bags. Overall, the reception was a wonderful way to engage the NC State Academic community with the Center’s mission and spread the word about its upcoming projects. Check out additional photos on our Facebook page. This post is written by Margie Stevens, Researcher for the Khayrallah Center.