####Steel Hammer On Feb. 9, Steel Hammer had its Middle Eastern premiere at the newly opened Red Theater at NYU Abu Dhabi. This collaboration between composer Julia Wolfe, SITI Company and Bang on a Can All-Stars tells the Appalachian folk story of John Henry, an African-American hero. Through acting, music and dance, the artists explore the themes of mechanization, labor and humanity.

The show sold out. However, reactions were mixed.

Emma Chiu, Class of 2020, noted, "It was a piece that demanded a lot from the audience ... As a viewer though, you [become] emotionally drained from watching.”

Chiu attended the 2 p.m. performance, during which many walked out.

“The frustration that it provokes is part of the cast's intent, I think. I saw many people leave during the long periods where it seemed like nothing was happening,” wrote Chiu.

####DubaiDrums On the afternoon of Feb. 10, the Freshman Class Planning Committee hosted a group drumming session at the NYUAD Central Plaza. A hundred drums were acquired for this group jamming session led by three professional drumming instructors from Dubai Drums. Without much introduction, each student received their own drum and became part of a group performance that rang all across the campus.

Hafsa Ahmed, Class of 2020, was taking pictures and recordings of the event when she was invited to join in.

“After a long week it was a perfect way of taking out frustration in an interesting and lively way. We learned how to mask our own rhythms into the rhythm of the crowd,” she said.

####Gully Cricket On Feb. 10, the third NYUAD Gully Cricket League tournament took place at the Performance Gym. The event was co-hosted by NYUAD Athletics, TASHAN and the Pakistani Student Association. Four teams of eight players, including both male and female students, competed in the friendly tournament. Besides cricket, guests also indulged in spicy samosas and South Asian music.

Mahrukh Tauseef, Class of 2020, particularly enjoyed this little taste of home. “I don’t know how to play cricket, but I got the chance to participate and try it out, so by the end I got the hang of it, even though I only came to watch,” she said.