Last month, the Muslim Student Association of Townsend Harris held their annual Hennafest, marking the end of the school year with food, activities, and, of course, Henna. Students celebrated by trying homemade foods, partaking in the henna station, and participating in a game station.
The event aimed to bring students of different backgrounds together to enjoy the art of henna. For a fee, attendees were able to pick from various designs and styles, while student henna artists were given the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hennafest also plays a role in uniting the Muslim population at THHS. Senior Maimuna Amina, MIST Coordinator of the MSA, said, “We definitely wanted to incorporate the bigger Muslim community that’s here in the school, and so since it’s an annual event, it’s more about just having fun.”
Sophomore Mohashin Tasfiya said, “I think it’s just the cultural diffusion that happens, because I see so many people of different backgrounds, and I get to introduce it to them. They ask so many questions, and it’s just so inspiring to see them learn about it.”
Board members expressed how they faced some challenges while planning Hennafest. Maimuna said, “there were more problems with scheduling, especially booking a day during the school year, especially because we always try to do it after AP month.”
Sophomore Sayemah Nadi, Treasurer of MSA, said, “We began planning a few weeks in advance and had to make sure we weren’t going overboard in spending for the decor. I think the decorations with the pink and beige theme ended up looking great, and I hope everyone else thought so too.”
Senior, Shayera Shoshi, President of MSA, said, “We also had Jamaica Muslim Center (JMC) come this year, and they had a booth to talk about their youth programs and for people to make vision boards. We also had a guest speaker, Mawlana Fahim, the QC imam, who delivered a wonderful talk.”
Attendee Sophomore Tabassum Mizan said, “My experience was good, the environment was friendly, and I think it was the perfect way to unwind after AP month.”
