By Lena LaJoy

The University of Maryland’s Korean Language & Culture Exchange Club, JARA, invited students to St. Mary’s Hall on Feb. 26 for the chance to try a new popular Korean snack inspired by Dubai chocolate. 

Ndeye Diop, a senior neurobiology and physiology and Arabic studies double-major, founded JARA last spring. The club meets biweekly and often hosts events like the Dubai Chewy Cookie Night. 

Diop said the name of the club also holds significance for how she aimed to connect Korean culture with the UMD student life. 

“JARA is the union of UMD and Korea,” Diop said. “There is an island in Korea called Jara Song, and it represents a turtle … It has a hill on its back, so it looks like a turtle.” 

Diop said the inspiration for the Dubai Chewy Cookie Night came from a sudden craze for the snack in Korea. The difference between the snack currently taking over Korea and traditional Dubai chocolate is that people cover Dubai chocolate in marshmallows and put cocoa on top to mimic mochi. 

Students who attended the event had the chance not just try Dubai chewy cookies, but also to make their own. 

Annalise Mang, a freshman animal science major, said she wanted to come to the club to celebrate and learn about her friend’s culture. 

“I saw an Instagram post about it, and I thought it was pretty interesting because my friend is Korean and I want to know more about the culture,” Mang said. 

Emily Kim, a junior marketing major, said that she came to the event because she was excited to try the snack but also because she wanted to meet people after recently transferring to UMD. 

“This is my first student association event, so I guess that’s why it is a bit more important, because it’s my first time to meet new people here rather than just in class,” Kim said. 

Lydia Chandler, a freshman letters and sciences major, said she wanted to go to the event to enjoy the experience with her friend while celebrating her culture.

“I’m just excited to be with my friend and have a time to connect and eat together,” Chandler said. 

Diop said she is proud of her role in JARA specifically because she has been able to see many different people come together to celebrate Korean culture. She also said that she has loved meeting new people. 

“Seeing the Dubai chocolate and everything made me want to know more about the club,” Mang said. 

The process of forming the club was long for her since she needed a sponsor, president, vice president and five members. She said the process was worth the wait, and she never thought her dream would actually come true.

“It was just a thought in my head, and I never thought it would actually manifest … so I’m really happy, and I’m really excited,” Diop said. 

Featured Image: JARA Club President Ndeye Diop talks to people at JARA’s Dubai Chewy Cookie Night. The club met on Wednesday for this event at St. Mary’s Hall where they made and enjoyed the treat together while celebrating Korean culture. Photo by Lena LaJoy.