Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar - Student Life

Student Life

Seeking well-rounded individuals who strive for education and knowledge, the school's student body represents twenty-eight different countries and five continents. Forty percent of students are Qatari, and sixty percent of students are female. A total of twelve student groups exist on the school's campus.

Student activities include:

• Brainfood: Brainfood arranges discussions over dinner between SFS-Q students and professors. Past guests have included visiting theologians and the US Ambassador to Qatar.

• Debate Club:The SFS-Q Debate Club participates in regular debating competitions throughout Qatar, often receiving local honors. In January 2011, a group of six students traveled to Botswana for the World Debating Championships.

• Diwan Literary Magazine: The students behind Diwan took advantage of local enthusiasm during the "Arab Spring" to launch their inaugural issue in 2011. Adopting the theme of "Revolution!" the magazine included stories in English and Arabic on such diverse subjects as the role of women in Islam, colonialism in the Arab world, and economic development in Bangladesh. The group plans to put out one issue every semester.

• Hope Club: In the spirit of "Women and Men for Others," the Hoya Hope Club organizes community-based research and service projects. The club strives to gain a better understanding of the needs of communities in Qatar. Past projects include making lunches for workers and sponsoring a Ramadan food and clothing drive.

• Hoya English Learning Program (HELP): HELP is a volunteer outreach program, in which students organize and teach weekly English language courses for Education City workers. In 2009-2010, members taught more than 60 English classes to 180 workers.

• International Relations Club:The IRC promotes the study and discussion of international issues. Members engage in debates of current issues, travel to collegiate MUN conferences abroad, and help to plan SFS-Q's annual Model United Nations conference for high school students.

• Photography Club:This group brings together students with a passion for photography and creates a forum for the exchange of ideas, improvement of skills and the effectual display of their work. The Photography Club assisted in the creation of the Jordan Refugee Project Photo exhibition in 2007. In 2009, the club executed photographic shoots at the newly opened Museum of Islamic Art where they took hundreds of shots, followed by a group critiquing session to analyze and fine-tune their work.

• Senior Class Committee:The Senior Class Committee organizes fun events for members of the senior class, aimed at promoting group bonding and school spirit. In 2010-2011, the SCC planned a senior dhow cruise, a Halloween party, a women's spa day, go-carting, and a "Last Chance Lecture" with the class of 2011's favorite professors. SCC members also provide vital input into the planning of commencement and other senior events.

• Theater Club: tackling all things from Monty Python to Shakespeare, the Theater Club invites any and all to perform, observe, and enjoy all that the club has to offer. In their inaugural performance in 2009, the group tackled Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. It was a highly respected and difficult work that was met with great fanfare by students, faculty, and staff. In 2010, senior Madhoorya Mantha directed and starred in Scenes from an Execution.

• Student Government Association: The SFS-Q Student Government Association is a democratic government that includes representatives from each class, as well as three elected officials who oversee the entire group. The SGA is responsible for planning annual events such as Georgetown Day, held on the last day of classes every spring semester, as well as voicing student concerns to administrators of Georgetown and Qatar Foundation.

The university also has a wider range of health services that it provides to all of its students