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 s ii i *i 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. ._. +k I i M * 5% DISCOUNT WITH THIS AD 994-1367 1002 PONTIAC TRAIL ANN ARBOR " MINIMUM ORDER 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. 3 I0 IN dik