The Moroccans

(Warning: Low quality pictures, high quality friends!)

Ibrahim El Kamla, Anas Akkar, Adam Khouildi, Amine Rais, and Yasser Gsair are hands down some of the best people I have met at Augustana College. These five boys are from Morocco and they are the most respectful, welcoming, caring individuals there are. Whether its cooking, listening to music, pre-calc help, eating popcorn, or watching movies, these guys are a go to for a good time. The friendship the guys offer isn't just any kind of friendship...it's the friendship that you know will last for life.

Last summer, I was living in an on campus flat with my friend Hanane Bousful. Hanane is Moroccan and just across the hall from us lived some rowdy Moroccan men. Hanane introduced me to the guys and I knew it was going to be one fun summer. Across the hall, lived Adam, Anas, and Ibra. They had a few friends who would stay a few nights but Anas and Ibra were always there, unless they were at work.

The first night I met the guys, we went to their apartment and played games. Anas and Adam grew up together and have been best friends for 13 years. So as one can expect, they were arguing. That night I gave Adam the nickname Aggressive Adam because he kept yelling at Anas. It was hilarious.

I joke and say he is Aggressive Adam. But in truth, since meeting him this summer and becoming great friends throughout the school year, Adam has been a very charming and well spoken individual. He has a good head on his shoulders and he is nothing but respectful in every way possible. Adam walks into anyroom (and you hear him coming as he blasts his music on his speaker) and the whole environment changes. No matter the situation, Adam is the type of friend that's always there for you. I can have serious convos with him and we can talk in all different accents about absolutely nothing. Adam will give you popcorn and make you watch three hour long movies and wake you up every time you fall asleep so you don't miss anything. He is the friend that asks to make a handshake and gets upset about already made handshakes with other people. He is funny and caring and completely one of a kind. He is my go to date for every event because we're always on another level. No one can match Adam's energy. This is a picture of Me, Adam, Ibra, Anas and his girlfriend Veronica at Chi Rho. A toga themed date party my sorority, Phi Rho, has with Veronica's sorority Chi Omega Gamma.

One day towards the beginning of the summer, I was looking for my can opener and Hanane had told me she let the guys borrow it. So I went next door to get my can opener and Anas invited me to come eat popcorn and watch a movie with them. So we all watched Get Smart and ate popcorn. After that day, everything kind of changed.

Adam and Anas would knock on our door and we would share our popcorn with them. While, Adam had left to go to Morocco, Anas and Ibra became our new roommates and we became theirs. On some days, I would come home from work and go to the guys house before I went to mine. Or they would come over to our place after work before they went home. Either way, we always ended up hanging out and having a good time.

Over the summer, Hanane and I would go across the hall on the weekends and encourage the guys to come out with us. From singing into my karaoke microphone to blasting Moroccan music, it worked. We ended every weekend with a giant barbeque at our friends Sarah and Mahnam's house. The guys would go to the store and get meat to grill in the backyard. Sometimes I made some chilli mac, and Sarah or Mahnam would make vegetables and pasta salad.

But our friendship didn't end when summer did. Adam came back from Morocco and he and Anas were roommates in the same building I lived in. In fact, one of their friends, Amine, was always in their room. Amine didn't talk to me for the first few days that I met him. Eventually we became really good friends and he never stopped talking after that! He told me that he didn't talk to me because he was seeing if I was a going to be a friend worth keeping. After I passed his little test, Amine and I became really good friends. We had rap battles all the time and he was hilarious. Every conversation with Amine ended in both of us crying of laughter. I was really sad when he went back to Morocco after first semester. But, I can't wait for him to come back in the fall!

During the school year, Ibra lived in the building right behind Anas, Adam, and me. So as you can guess, we hung out a lot. Ibra and Anas are both Global Ambassadors at school. What this means is that they are there to welcome and help mentor international students from the moment they get off the plane throughout their experience at Augie. Through that, I was able to meet Yasser. If you ask him, I was his first, female, american friend.

Yasser is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He always goes out of his way to say or do something kind for those around him. When Yasser smiles, the world smiles. He makes everything better, just with his presence. From our memories made at the top of Andreen to vibing on the slough path, Yasser has been making me laugh since the moment I met him. Not to mention that he is an extremely talented artist!

Whether it is listening to Frank Ocean or watching Dave on Hulu, I know if I have time to kill, I can always head to Yasser's room for some honest to goodness company.

If it weren't for Ibra and Anas I would not have met Yasser. I am grateful for them both! Ibra is a Junior. So sadly, he will be graduating next year. For some reason he is leaving the perfect Augustana College to study abroad in Canada. Needless to say, he will be missed.

Ibra is a lot of things, passionate for one. He puts so much work into his graphic design and it is truly incredible how ambitious he is. He has his own design company and makes things like stickers, shirts, logos, and hoodies. Follow his business instagram account @ibrahimelkamla to some of his amazing designs! Ibra's drive for success will truly take him far in life. Ibra encourages me to be better. He thinks of everything as an opportunity to improve. Whether that be in classes, work, personal business, or mentality, Ibra encourages those around him to become the absolute best version of themselves, while still having fun of course! When in a good mood, Ibra is very fun to be around! He is witty, respectful and always dancing. If your hungry he will cook for you and if your struggling with something he will help you conduct a plan to fix whatever the issue is. If your looking to procrastinate, he will take time-lapse videos in the library with you. Ibra is the type of friend I can sit down and have a heart to heart with, get advice on literally everything, and still goof around. He is the one where if he sees me anywhere on campus I hear,

"MEEEEEEEEEESHELLLLLLLLLL,"

before I see him walking towards me with open arms.

Anas, Yasser, Adam and Ibra are alike in that way, always greeting us with hugs and smiles! Anas is a goofball. He is the kindest, most caring, loving, goofball. If Anas sees me looking down, he does absolutely everything he can to make me smile. Whether that's helping me with pre-calc or sharing popcorn and good movie recommendations, Anas is always so helpful. He goes the extra mile for everyone he cares about. He is also extremely smart and very good at math! Anas reminds me of all the best things about my older brother. He is extremely kind, driven, protective and fun! I know Anas will support me in any and everything I do. Whenever I have a performance I can always count on Anas to be in the crowd with a

"Go Meeshellll!"

These guys have been such a great asset to my Sophomore year. I am grateful Augustana has given me the opportunity to meet these amazing people. I have learned so much about their culture and their traditions and I can't wait to visit Morocco and see the beautiful country that my friends call home.

From the multitude of popcorn we've shared, to them coming and supporting us at the basketball games, (because even the cheerleaders need cheerleaders.) These guys have been a constant light in my life and I can always count on them for good vibes. But it's not just me who sees this. Anyone who is lucky enough to know the guys always have nothing but good things to say.

I can't walk around campus with one of the guys without them saying hello to at least 20 people. Everyone who knows them, loves them, including my grandparents.

Adam and Ibra got the chance to meet my grandparents when they came up to visit. My grandparents were enthralled with them the entire time. They hung onto every word when they were talking to the guys. From seeing how passionate they were when talking about Morocco, to Ibra sharing his fresh spices with my grandmother, my family was very impressed. They often ask me how the guys are doing and the guys ask about Mima too.

Overall, the guys have had such a positive impact on so many people. So swipe through the pictures and scroll to the quotes! See what our friends think about the guys!

"Overall, I feel extremely blessed to have met the boys they are some of the best people I have ever met." -Kool Cheyenne Bartelt

"Adam and Ibra are both truly someone you should meet. I love those boys, I could just squeeze them!" -Mima

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"Yasser is...

...the sweetest." -Danielle Williams

...an amazing poker player, the sweetest kid, and my favorite Moroccan. His smile and personality make my day every time I see him, even when he asks me five times a day how my day has been. It's so easy to talk to him and he just loves to hear about anything you say!" -Veronica Cervantes

...one of the nicest people I have met at Augustana. I have never heard a negative comment come out of his mouth and he always makes me smile when I see him." -Kool Cheyenne Bartelt

...the coolest man! My favorite thing about Yasser is his smile. When he smiles, so does everyone else. He truly does light up the room. Along with Anas, Yasser greets me with a hug everytime I see him which is so heartwarming. Another thing I admire about Yasser is his ability to converse with anyone. He is always so polite and thinking of others. Yasser is one of the more wholesome people I've met." -Sophie Sarabasa

... a flow will have an ebb." An idiom by Lavie Pham

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"Anas is...

... the smartest, most sociable, crazy person I have ever met in my life. It takes him 15 minutes to get around campus because he truly cares about every one of his friends that he runs into. He is also the only one I know that can pull off as many hairstyles as he's had. He is the best part of my day and always finds a way to have a good time. I don't know a more perfect person than my best friend." -Veronica Cervantes

... a king." -Danielle Williams

...so extremely sweet and positive. He never fails to make me smile when I see him, even if I'm having a rough day. I am so glad I have met him." -Kool Cheyenne Bartelt

...always happy to see you and gives so many hugs that it's hard to not want to be around him!" -Alyssa Watson

...a man of math and mystery, I'll always treasure the time I've spent with him." -Turk

...one of the biggest sweethearts I've ever met. He will give you the shirt off his back if you ask. Everytime I see Anas the first thing he does is give me a big hug and compliment. His smile is contagious and he will always be there for you. He's the type of person who will do something for you and expect nothing in return; one of the most selfless people I know." -Sophie Sarabasa

... truth, like light, blinds, Falsehood, on the contrary, is a beautiful twilight that enhances every object." An idiom by Lavie Pham

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"Ibra is...

...the coolest." -Danielle Williams

...an apple loving, creative ball of hair! He is the most influential and motivating person I have met. And God d*amn his styles are amazing. No matter how hard he works he finds time to relax which I admire so much and he cares for the people in his life." -Veronica Cervantes

...the kind of guy you want to raise your children with. Total husband material. I'm not trying to flirt or anything, he's just a really good guy." -Alyssa Watson

...so creative, hardworking, and laid back all at the same time. How many people do you know that already have their own business!?! He always brings a smile to my face and is my favorite person to give hugs to on campus." - Kool Cheyenne Bartelt

...a man of principle, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to cut loose." -Turk

...the definition of chill vibes. One of my favorite things about him is his laugh and caring eyes. Plus the curly hair! You can talk to Ibra about anything and everything; anything from light hearted laughs to deep thoughtful conversations. I know Ibra will always give me the best life advice, and I really trust his judgement on all things. I could talk to Ibra about thought provoking deep questions all night. Also, he is so smart and motivated in his work. Ibra is always putting in the most effort and creativity in everything he does in life. He is passionate." -Sophie Sarabasa

...a listener with a very calming spirit. I think he is attentive to anyone he converses with and he is a very generous, respectful, caring, laid back individual." -Mima

... stronger by rice, daring by money." An idiom by Lavie Pham

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"Adam is...

... the funniest guy I know." -Danielle Williams

...the only person I know will have my back when arguing about Marvel with Anas. He has a really good style, even if he does watch TikToks and is always caught up in the latest styles and news. His accents are always a good time but he is also a passionate, smart, caring individual. Just don't get in the way of his jiu jitsu!" -Veronica Cervantes

...one of the most outspoken people I have ever met. He never fails to make us all laugh our *sses off!" -Kool Cheyenne Bartelt

...thoughtful and always genuinely engaged in conversation. He's always a great person to chat with!" -Alyssa Watson

...one of the most charismatic and charming people I know. He knows how to talk to everyone and will befriend anyone he has a conversation with. If you need a good laugh, talk to Adam. If you need advice, talk to Adam. He will always lighten the mood and he is the life of the party. He's the type of person you want to ride along anywhere you go just for his energy and good vibes." - Sophie Sarabasa

...the life of the party and a man who always has his boys' backs." -Turk

...energetic. He is very talkative and passionate about his country and culture. He showed us pictures and he was so enjoyable. Adam is a very interesting, kind and respectful individual." -Mima

... the proof of the pudding is in the eating." An idiom by Lavie Pham