UNC Paksoc hosted cultural celebration with traditional music, dance

On Friday, the UNC Pakistan Society (Paksoc) celebrated Pakistani culture in a sold-out, vibrant and lively “Mehndi Ki Raat," or MKR — based on a traditional event part of Pakistani weddings — at the Great Hall in the Student Union.  

The organization welcomed all students regardless of background to share and indulge in a night of performances, food and dance, which lined up with their mission to promote diversity on campus and bring awareness to Pakistan. This year, a portion of their profit was also donated to the Zakat Foundation for humanitarian aid in Gaza. 

The night started with waves of intricately adorned guests, some wearing South Asian clothing, entering the Great Hall. Many stopped to take photos at the flower wall that spelled “Mehndi Ki Raat” in blue neon light. Inspired by classic Mehndi colors, Nadia Ghazali from Teal Events created the art that welcomed attendees near the entrance.

A little further in, students had two drink options: Paksoc’s board members had pre-mixed a fruity sparkling raspberry mocktail, and at the drinks table, they were blending virgin piña coladas live. 

“It's just a night filled with music, dancing, photos, socializing, meeting new people and just celebrating our culture,” Paksoc president Rayaan Bashir said.

This was Paksoc’s fourth year hosting MKR and Bashir’s second year as president.  

Alishba Shahid is the events coordinator for Paksoc. For the first time, Paksoc had a week of events leading up to MKR. They held a samosa sale and had henna artists. During this time, they raised almost $600 for donation to the Zakat Foundation. 

Shahid worked with the Student Union to make sure Paksoc was following the rules during the event. A lot went into organizing MKR — the team reached out to UNC dance groups, the Al-Falah food truck, Teal Events and the 360 degree photo booth Memorable Moments — and their efforts were appreciated by many. 

Nabiha Choudhury, a sophomore of Bangladeshi descent, attended MKR on Friday. 

“I think this event is very welcoming to many different cultures who have shared aspects, even if Paksoc is hosting it,” Choudhury said. "I feel very comfortable here as someone who's not Pakistani, and I see a lot of people of different cultures here.”

People socialized with their drinks up until around 7:40 p.m. when performances started. A comedic skit was followed by a short film Paksoc made called “Saving MKR.” The crowd laughed and engaged with Paksoc on stage during the skit and film. Then, dance groups Ek Taal,  Chalkaa and Bhangra Elite performed. The energy in the hall was exciting and playful.

After the first round of performances finished, the master of ceremonies announced that the food was ready and attendees swarmed into the foyer to grab a plate. Dinner was a classic halal plate of yellow rice, white sauce and a choice of kebab, chicken or falafel. 

Friends caught up and joked together, and attendees met new people on every corner. 

Soon, everyone was seated again for the second round of performances featuring an unofficial dance group consisting of UNC students, introduced as “Chunk City Girls,” and a group introduced as “Chunk City Boys.” The latter consisted of Bashir and other Paksoc board members on stage dancing. 

The night finished off with an open dance floor near the stage. Keffiyehs waved in the air and arms raised to the ceiling as attendees danced to Bollywood hits, Arabic songs and Jersey Club mixes.

“It was amazing,” Bashir said about MKR. “I think it was super smooth. I think it was one of the best MKRs we've had. I think that we made the most of it, and I'm excited to see what we do for the rest of the year.”

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