Many Faiths Come Together To Share a Meal

BY JESSE ZAPATA

The twelfth Annual Interfaith Dinner was held last Wednesday in the Marvin Center to highlight the various faith organizations on campus. Students who attended were treated to live music, food, guest speakers, and more during the annual event. Started after 9/11, the dinner strives to bring together students in solidarity against prejudice. Overall, the event was focused on examining faith’s common role in social justice and freedom. 

Tim Kane, associate director for inclusion initiatives, introduced the various performers and guests. Each campus faith organization was represented, and they also chose the speakers. The Voice Gospel Choir began the program with several hymns.

Speakers for the event included Muslim Student Association student Aabid Mohiuddin, Satyam representative Pavithra Chidambaram, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship choice Jon Yu, Allied in Pride representative Nicholas Gumas, GW Catholic student Olivia Bee, Jewish Student Association representative Joey Saban, and Kabir Gumer from the Sikh Student Association.

Each original speech was unique, yet they all taught lessons. Some were deeply rooted in the biblical tradition and quoted passages from the New Testament while others focused on a secular morality. Another defined the term “Tikkun Olam” as the Jewish faith's "one common goal of a better place for those who follow". A fellow speaker focused on the Sikh traditions of identity and scholastic petition. Each address, though different from the others, represented the night’s theme of the involvement of faith in freedom and social justice.

In closing, GW President Steven Knapp gave a brief history of the Interfaith Dinner and the university’s history of student led interfaith initiative. He also shared an excerpt of a letter written by George Washington to a Rhode Island Synagogue's congregation. The letter contained not just the theme quote of the evening, " to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," but a larger statement about the power of diversity in bringing wisdom and prosperity to those who embrace it.

Interfaith Director for Satyam, the school's Hindu awareness organization and planner of the event Priya Yadav said she was happy with the dinner’s turnout. She added that the school had been working to “re-excite interest in interfaith and multicultural events.”

“We have so many [students] dedicated to their faith who want to let others know,” she said. 

WRGW News at 6 Tuesday Oct. 15, 2013

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News at 6: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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Religious Demonstration Occurs in Kogan Plaza

by Jesse Zapata


A crowd gathered around volunteers from a religious group at the entrance of Kogan Plaza on Monday.   The volunteers stood on milk crates they had brought with them at the mouth of the Plaza across the street from the Marvin Center.  For several hours the group used a megaphone  to speak to a spontaneous crowd that gathered around them about the need to read the New Testament more.  Additionally, other members of the group held signs that explained their goals.

According to one of their members, a man named John, the group was not affiliated with any congregation and the group's members came from many different places.  He said that the group was an international group that believes the New Testament was not read enough.  John said there were a lot of men and women in the world who could be saved if they "took scripture into their hearts."

The group was encouraging people to go to their website www.luke24vs47.com.  John did say the group was affiliated with Jeremiah Cries, DC Evangelicals, Gods Way and the website, which they displayed on their signs, "Youaresinners.com."

The crowd size peaked at about 30 people during lunch hour and responded in a variety of ways.  Some onlookers conversed with the religious volunteers and asked questions, while a few people in the crowd argued with the speaker on the milk crate about the group's message.

Officer Saechao from UPD was supervising a few feet away from the scene.  He said that UPD had been contacted but did not intervene because the demonstrators had done nothing more than exercise their right to free speech on public property.  Officer Saechao also confirmed that the group of eight-nine demonstrators had not been offensive or unruly and had told him that they would stay until about 3pm.

One student, Frank Ockleman, took advantage of his own right to free speech and setup speakers about 10 feet away from the demonstrators on the plaza that boomed out casual rock music while he sat on the ground and read a book.  Ockleman said he setup the music specifically because of the religious group's presence.

A calendar on the religious group's website showed that in the next week the group planned similar demonstrations at VCU, NCSU, Appalachian State, and West Carolina State.  In the past week the group had already visited Harvard, Princeton, Rhode Island University, Bloomsberg University, U Penn, and George Mason University before coming to GW.      


 

University releases Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

By Jesse Zapata

On Monday the GW Office of Safety and Security and University Police Department issued the 2012 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

The report has information on the crime statistics of the university's  last three calendar years, including crimes on public property next to or within campus property. Also included is information on personal safety, crime prevention, fire safety, law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and more. The report also contains useful information about crime log availability and emergency procedures.

In comparison to last year, the report also offers insight into trends in crimes on campus. Noticeable trends in serious crime include a jump in aggravated assault cases, 4 in 2011, up from none the year before. For petty crimes, Forcible Burglary on the Foggy Bottom Campus has had a drastic decline, with 6 cases reported this year, down from 53. There was also a slight decline in larceny and vandalism.

Negative trends include the Mount Vernon Campus reporting a rise in larceny with instances nearly doubling from 2010 to 23. Also prominent was the fact that the Foggy Bottom Campus last year reported 3 Hate Crimes, a contrast to 2008, when there were none.

The document revealed updates to policy and wording. For example, a new emphasis was put on the use of texting as a way of alerting the universities staff and students of serious crimes on campus. 

Residence Directors also found a new role in University Policy, being given the ability to enforce security measures as well as report on instances of crimes. There has also been substantial rewording of the Policy on Notification on Serious Threats. The Policy has been updated for use of GW Alert, Facebook, and Twitter in notifying the campus, left out from last year's policy is mention of the 4-Ride PA system.