The Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament featured more than 30 different competitions this year, including math olympics, photography and scrapbooking. Participating high school students were also treated to a variety of academic workshops and activities. | Shaimaa Eissa/The Daily Cougar

The walls of the University Center Houston Room rang Sunday with dozens of high school chants, high-decibel cheers and even a rendition of “Whose House?” that could put any Cougar to shame.

The UH Muslim Student Association helped host the 2013 Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament Texas Regionals on campus this weekend, bringing about 700 young students from 29 high schools across Texas and from one in Oklahoma.

“It’s like an academic decathlon that’s devoted to building leaders out of our youth and teaching them ethics and values,” said UH alumnus Bilal Siddiqui, judges chair of the event. “We want the kids to venture out and explore their passions.”

The tournament featured more than 30 competitions — in categories ranging from Quran recitations to Muslim rap — and dozens of workshops and educational activities to keep the students entertained during their down time.

MIST was founded as a local project 12 years ago and began in the halls of the C.T. Bauer College of Business by an 18-year-old student. Since then, the competition has reached the international level with 12 locations in North America, stretching as far as Toronto.

“It continues expanding,” said computer information systems junior Javeria Pirzada, who was appointed as MIST Texas Regionals director this year.

“UH will always be the main root for MIST, though.”

According to several volunteers, the annual tournament is 90 percent run by college students.

When it came time for the afternoon Dhuhr prayer on the final day of competing, the hyped high schoolers managed to quiet down long enough to follow UH accounting graduate student Hamzah Ghia in his lyrical recitation the Quran.

“One of the pillars of Islam is prayer,” Ghia said. “It’s mandatory.”

Also mandatory in the Muslim religion is the separation of men and women, which was upheld throughout the weekend. Although brought together in the same room, boys and girls were assigned to opposite sides during the finals, workshops and in prayer.

“The separation is to cut off at the root anything that might lead to adultery,” said biology sophomore Ammar Khan, “Guys” Head of Security.

He said that some devout Muslims cannot speak to the opposite sex at all, but the limitations often varied.

“You really just have to set your own limits,” Khan said.

Students participating in the event said it has helped them become more comfortable in social settings, improved their academic performances and has made them excited for life after grade school.

Stephen F. Austin High School senior Zain Battla, 17, said he has already been accepted to the UH Honors College, and he plans to study business.

“I’m more social, more outgoing, and I’m excited to meet new people,” said Battla, who participated in the rap competition.

“MIST has changed me.”

arts@thedailycougar.com

The Cougars went 2-1 at the Astros Foundation Classic against tough competition.