Bellevue College will hold an open celebration of Arabic heritage during the first week of June.

The campuswide cultural event —the first of its kind, according to the Arabic Culture Student Association — will include a sukh marketplace, music, food and an Arabic film festival.

The inspiration for the week came from a spontaneous moment in the campus’s student government elections, Association member Orchideh Raisdanai said. A group of students began dancing to world music in the commons, and other students came out of their classes to watch. She thought that perhaps the best way for students to learn about the Arabic world was to put it all out there.

“We’re a closeknit community, but we’re also a quiet community,” she said.