Page 10-The Michigan Daily-New Student Edition-Perspective-Thursday, September 9, 1993
HSC searches for Hindu meaning
Council supplies forum for discussion and exploration of beliefs
by Shalini Chandra
HinduStudentsCouncil: Whoareyou?
As an incoming first-year student,
one is bombarded with an immense
amount of information. As a result, it is
very easy to get lost in the numbers and
lose one's sense of identity. This is
especially true at large universities, such
as this one. One way to prevent this
from happening to you is to become
involved in an organization. Within the
University, there are numerous student
drganizations, each with its unique fo-
cus and goals. Of the many tasks we
face as college students, attaining a
solid education, encompassing a wide
range of fields, is first and foremost.
Nonetheless, along with developing
ourselves academically, we must de-
velop our identity and establish our
sense of self.
As with the search for most anything,
the first step in our self-exploration is
retracing our past.This entails reflecting
upon and understanding our heritage and
ancestry. The Indian sub-continent is fa-
mous for its rich culture and heritage, but
discovering the jewels and treasures of
The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
Regardless of race, creed, color,
or the number of times you've been born.
Indian heritage is not an easy task. Never-
theless, the slightest scratching of the sur-
face of Indian heritage will reveal that the
foundation of it is Hinduism.
Too often, Hinduism is seen exclu-
sively as a "religion," but in actuality, it is
much more than a religion. Hinduism
incoporates the vastbeliefs and traditions
of ancient India intoaset of non-dogmatic
philosophies. Even so,it canbe difficult to
delve into the depth of Hinduism single-
handedly. With this in mind, many stu-
dentshavetumedtoHinduStudentsCoun-
cil, through which people with similar
backgrounds and interests can work to-
getherto decipher some of the more enig-
matic aspects of Hinduism.
The structure of Hindu Students
Council (HSC) is based primarily on
weekly discussions, which are essen-
tially open forums in which students
share their knowledge and opinions on
various issues of concern to Indians
today. These discussions have proven
to be quite beneficial in our quest for
knowledge in that each individual has
the opportunity to contribute and adopt
as much or as little information as he or
she wishes on the specific topics. A
sampling of the issues of concern in-
clude the Bhagavad-Gita, mythology,
the four basic yogas, current events,
vegetarianism, social change and west-
ernization of India and Indians. As is
apparent, the issues coverabroad range
of ideas and philosophies that concern
all individuals of Indian descent.
One of the most important beliefs of
Hinduism is dhanna - the idea that
each individual has certain responsi-
bilities to nature and his or her fellow
people. Hindu StudentCouncil gives us
the opportunity to practice our dharma
by becoming involved in community
service. Some related activities include
educating youth groups at local temples,
serving the homeless at local soup kitch-
ens and a housing project for homeless
people of greater Detroit. By working
on these projects, students often feel a
sense of accomplishment - that warm
feeling that one gets when he or she has
done something to benefit his or her
fellow person.
Because HSC is anationalorganiza-
tion, it has the capacity to provide us
with opportunities to aid us in our pur-
suit on the national level as well as the
local level. Every year there is a na-
tional conference held in January and a
national camp held in May. Members
from campuses across the nation come
together to share their ideas and experi-
ences in a relaxed atmosphere during
these retreats. One of the best parts of
having retreats is that they are not all
seminars and lectures, the evenings are
filled with cultural shows and raas/
garbas - not to mention, how many
times you are able to combine an educa-
tional experience with a social gather-
ing without a guilty conscious.
This year HSCis also co-sponsoring
World Vision 2000, the international
centenary of Swami Vivekananda's
Chicago address. Delegates and digni-
taries from around the world will be
involved in this gala event.
There are numerous events and ac-
tivities that Hindu Students Council has
to offer. Any or all of these activities are
sure to aide you in your self-exploration
and search for identity. So be sure to see
what else HSC has to offer. For more
information call (313)995-2765 or(313)
489-5454.
Kristin Schrader participates in a candlelight vigil on Rackham steps.
DVP seeks to end
abuse in the home
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Canterbury House
518 E. Washington 665-0606
The Episcopal Church at the University of Michigan
serving students, faculty and staff
Sunday: 5:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
6:00 p.m. Supper
The Rev'd Dr. Virginia Peacock.
by Nadine Nienhuis
The Domestic Violence Project's
mission is to end domestic violence
in Washtenaw County. Ourorganiza-
tion exists to fulfill a dual function
within our community - to provide
direct services to survivors of do-
mestic violence and their children,
and to provide community education
and engage in social change work in
order to develop more effective re-
sponses to survivors of battering.
Specific goals include leveraging
resources for survivors from com-
munity agencies, advocating for jus-
tice for survivors of battering and
their children, advocating and work-
ing to change systems to remove the
barriers to the humane treatment of
survivors and theirchildren and work-
ing to change the policies and prac-
tices that support violence.
We have three orientation/train-
ing sessions planned for new mem-
bers in the months of October, Janu-
ary and May. Members attend
monthly inservices and have the op-
portunity to work in a number of
areas. Members can provide direct
crisis intervention for survivors of
battering and their children, partici-
pate in facilitating free support groups
for survivors andnon-offending fam-
ily members and/or offering ongo-
ing community education about do-
mestic violence and our services.
If you are interested in becoming a
amemberofourorganization, please
Specific goals (of the
DVP) include
leveraging resources
for survivors
advocating for justice
for survivors of
battering and their
children ... and
working to change
systems to remove
the barriers to the
humane treatment of
survivors...
contact us at 995-5444.
- Nienhuis is the Domestic Vio-
lence Project's student group advisor.
>.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
306 N. Division Street 663-0518
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Church School
child care- 7:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
The Rev'd Dr. Harvey H. Guthrie, Jr.
T-SHIRT PRINTERY
* A's MULTI-COLOR PRINTING CHAMPS!
* STAFF ARTIST SUPPORT.
* 2-DAY RUSH SERVICE AVAILABLE.
* U-M P.O. #s ACCEPTED.
* LOCATED ACROSS THE BRIDGE FROM GANDY DANCER.
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* 5% DISCOUNT
WITH THIS AD
994-1367
1002 PONTIAC TRAIL ANN ARBOR
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12 SHIRTS
So you've moved into your
residence hall. Now take the
opportunity to meet the friends
you'll have for the rest of your life.
You might even meet up with friends
in high places, like these members of
the Class of 1993. Who knows where
a Michigan graduate might end up? -
you might be living next door to a
future Nobel Prize winner, or the
majority leader of the House of
Representatives, or the CEO of Time
Magazine, or a world-acclaimed artist,
or maybe even the first First Man.
We hear over and over again from U-M
alumni that the best friends they have
come from their years of living in one
of our residence halls.
We offer the kind of community
at a time of your life that you'll
likely never duplicate again. The
staff of the Housing Division
extend our best wishes to all U-M
students, whether you're living on
or off-campus.
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