The newest common ground for discussing the Middle East at Evanston Township High School is Middle Ground, an ETHS student group working to spread knowledge of the region.
Daniel Esrig and Rob Fiffer, ETHS students who founded Middle Ground earlier this school year, are trying to encourage students and Evanston residents who are interested in the world beyond their front door to become informed.
“Middle Ground is a group of kids who want to learn more about the Middle East, the history of the region and the culture,” Fiffer said. “The whole idea is discussion.”
The group, which has eight to 10 core members, brings in speakers, musicians and food to help explain the region and how American and Middle Eastern cultures are both different and the same.
Esrig and Fiffer founded the group after taking an ETHS course on the Middle East.
“There isn’t just one opinion out there,” Esrig said. “You don’t have to agree with what the U.S. says or what Israel says or what Iran says.”
On April 19, Middle Ground held its second big event of the year, hosting Brown University Prof. Dr. William Beeman, who spoke about the histories and cultures of Iraq and Iran.
Earlier that day, the group offered Middle Eastern cuisine during lunch.
“It’s amazing that the group can attract so many people,” said Fizza Hussain, an ETHS student and member of Middle Ground. “Our school doesn’t have a very big Middle Eastern population.”
Hussain said she would like to see Middle Ground address a wider range of issues.
“We should touch on social topics, like women’s issues — more than whether the war in Iraq is justified,” Hussain said.
Fiffer said more than 100 people attended the group’s first event, but Esrig said they would love more involvement.
The group advertises through its newsletter, which they distribute at ETHS, and on the group’s Web site, www.ethsmiddleground.org.
Esrig said the group would like to continue expanding contacts with Northwestern. Middle Ground’s first event hosted NU law Prof. Doug Cassel, who spoke about the United States’ presence in the Middle East.
In the future, Fiffer said Middle Ground shouldn’t focus only on the Middle East, but should also include discussions about regions all over the world.
Group members said they do not have any more events planned for this school year, but next year would like to bring in more speakers and expand their sponsorship of cultural events, such as foreign movies.
Both Fiffer and Esrig said the group’s overall purpose is to bring people together and show them they have common interests. For example, Fiffer said, there are Middle Eastern kids who watch MTV, and some American music has Middle Eastern origins.
Reach Laura Olson at [email protected].
