Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
The Campus Mirror
In addition to being home
to more than two dozen
different faith
communities, the Kay
Spiritual Life Center offers
a wealth of educational
programming for the
American University
community.
The Newsletter of the Kay Spiritual Life Center:
A Publication of the University Chaplain
American University, Washington, DC
A Note From the University Chaplain
In This Issue:
Note from the University
Chaplain
1-2
Coming Around the Table:
Food as a Tool to Build Community
2
The Struggle for Freedom in
Egypt
2-3
Promoting Women’s Political
Empowerment in Burma
3
Women’s Rights in Sierra
Leone
4
Table Talk Series: A Study in
Black and White: Race, Privilege, and Class in the District
of Columbia
5
Table Talk Series: Torture
Report: Truth and Consequences
5-6
Table Talk Series: Fashion,
Factories, and Labor Rights:
Who Wins?
6
Annual R. Bruce Poynter
Lecture: Rashad Robinson:
Color of Change
7
Catholic Student Association
8
JSA: Carbo-Load
8
Interfaith Council Update
8-9
JSA: Biet Cafe
9
International Students Meet
Nobel Laureate Malala
Yousafzai
10
Teach-In Highlights AU’s
Focus on Civil Rights, Race
11
Upcoming Events at Kay
12
Joseph Eldridge, University Chaplain
Jennifer Baron Knowles, Assistant Director
Student Contributors: Stephanie Dudek,
FiFi Baleva, and Amber Waltz
OCL Staff Contributor: Patrick Bradley
Preparations are underway to acknowledge and celebrate the fifty
years that the Kay Spiritual Life Center has stood on the north end
of the quad. On the opposite end of the quad is the Bender Library
and I like to say that these buildings are the intellectual and spiritual
wings that hold this university aloft. For five decades this building
has been the spiritual home for the AU community. I hasten to add
that people have been coming to this space for a multitude of reasons, not all of which can be attributed to the “spiritual realm.” It
has been a place for intellectual inquiry and discovery, concerts
and lectures, teach-ins and calls to action, for career discernment
and romance. I am often surprised by the number of people who
have fallen in love, romanced each other, finally committing themselves to marriage on the chapel’s stage/altar. So the KSLC harbors sweet and sentimental memories for many.
The chapel is also the place where people gather to grieve and
mourn. The largest gathering during my tenure occurred on
9/11. The twin towers in Manhattan had just disintegrated before our very eyes, the Pentagon
had been struck and a plane had gone down in a field in Pennsylvania. Suddenly, the routine
warrants about our own security and the nation’s had crumbled as surely as did the buildings. As word spread around campus that people would be gathering in front of the Kay center
at noon, students began pouring out of the residence halls and faculty and administrators came
streaming out of their offices – all gathering on the steps of the chapel. Not that those of us in
the chapel had any answers, but as a community we needed to be together and to seek the assurance of each other – and perhaps a well to seek the assurance of a power that transcends
the limits of our earthly lives.
For the past 50 years the AU community has gathered to remember and celebrate the lives of
the saintly and yes, even the not so saintly, who have passed from our midst. Being part of the
human community is more than enough to entitle you to being eulogized and celebrated in the
chapel. Martin Luther was right that “God can carve the rotten wood and ride the lame
horse.” Our shortcomings are legion, but so is our capacity to love. It is in the midst of our fragility and vulnerability that the chapel’s doors are flung open for countless memorial services that
have taken place for anyone in the AU community and far beyond. Tears and laughter ring out
from these round walls as family and friends recall with pathos, sadness, love and poignancy of
the lives who have been and are being remembered. Sometimes those lives being memorialized
have been very long and prolific and sometimes far too short and tragically truncated by premature death.
From the archival records, the Kay Center was also the epicenter for engagement with the civil
rights movement. AU’s chaplains in alliance with students and faculty (at least one chaplain
marched across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma with Dr. King) helped rally the community to
wrestle with these racial justice issues and mobilize public support for the historic voting rights
legislation of 1965. While the leaders, language (“We Shall Overcome” and “Black Lives Matter”) and tools for mobilization (civil disobedience and social media) were very different five decades ago, the issue of race has continued to vex the nation. Students of color then as today are
the conscience of the campus. Recognizing that our nation continues to be segregated by race
Continued on Next Page
1
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
A Note From the University Chaplain, Continued...
and class with equal treatment and simple justice still distant
dreams, the Kay Spiritual Life Center is joining with other colleagues in the Office of Campus Life to shine the spotlight on racial justice making it our programmatic theme for the fall semester. It is regrettable but true - fifty years later we are still struggling with the issue that defined the nation in 1965 and shamefully continues to.
Human Rights Defender Series
Coming Around the Table: Food as a Tool to Build Community
Dr. Johanna Mendelson-Forman, Scholar in Residence at AU’s nections between these phenomena and the discovery of the
School of International Service and Senior Associate with the
New World, which came with an abundance of new vegetables,
Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International including corn and potatoes.
Studies, began her talk by asking audience members about
She then introduced the U.S. State Department's Culitheir good and bad memories of food. Almost everyone has
some sort of memory that revolves around food, as it is woven nary Ambassadorship program. This program, founded by Secinto our respective cultures and continuously brings people to- retary Clinton, sends regional U.S. chefs to embassies around
gether. Forman explained to the audience the political power of the world to present United States cuisine and atmosphere. In
food and its cultural and ritualistic power. Her style of presenta- this program, food becomes political power and cultural diplomacy, or soft power. UNESCO, which also
tion was unique in that she encouraged a disbelieves in the political and cultural power of
cussion throughout, incorporating questions
food, protects processes of food preparation
from the audience in order to tell a fluid, interin some parts of the world so that future genactive story. She particularly focused on diaserations will be able to experience it. But,
poras and refugees. She explained that when
beyond political power, food has historical
someone becomes a refugee or part of a diasritualistic power. Be it food brought to a new
pora, he or she clings to others that have that
country by immigrants or new crops discovfood connection with you despite previous soered in a foreign land, food has specific histocio-economic or political identifications in the
ries, and the people who eat it relate to that
home country. For example, the large Ethiopifood as a part of their own personal histories.
an diaspora in the DC area has cultivated a
Religion and other rituals also determine
rich Ethiopian food culture. Iranians in the
Photograph courtesy of Academic Multimedia Services
how someone relates to their food; for exUnited States can also be examined in this
ample, someone may eat or not eat specific
Johanna Mendleson-Forman
way. After the negotiations that followed a
foods at designated times, or may have cerlong history of strained relations, Iranian restain
habits
or
manners
regarding how they treat their food. We
taurants are able to be more open and proud of their culture
and Americans are having a positive response. A similar expe- often take for granted the ways that food acts in our lives, but
rience occurred with the American adaptation of Mexican food. food is a cultural and personal concept which we should not
How did we begin to eat Mexican food? The workers that emi- ignore when trying to understand how it might affect the lives of
grated from Mexico frequently brought their unique cuisine with others.
them and Americans began to enjoy it, too. Forman drew con-
The Struggle for Freedom in Egypt
Maikel Nabil Sanad is an Egyptian human rights activist who
started the first and only grassroots peace movement in Egypt.
In 2009, he started his organization after declining the compulsory military service, and since, it has flourished. His organization advocates for peaceful Egyptian relations towards Israel
and Iran, no more compulsory military service, and an end to
military control in Egypt. His work, however, did not come without consequences. Sanad was first arrested for refusing his
military service, but released a day later. Then, in 2010, the
Egyptian government declared him psycho
logically unfit for military service due to his outspoken nature
against the draft.
Although he was active in the Egyptian revolution,
Sanad says that he was surprised when the revolution started.
Before the revolution, protest crowds would only draw up to 50
people, which were always accompanied by the military police
trying to break it up. He explained that the nearby Tunisian revolution inspired several regional revolutions, including the Egyptian one. Sanad said that because the army failed in controlling
the
Continued on next page...
2
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
A Struggle for Freedom in Egypt , continued….
revolution and its protesters, it decided to take over the government, overthrowing Mubarak and seizing control. One week
before Mubarak was overthrown, Sanad was captured by the
military. He then experienced a series of torture and human
rights violations from his captors. After his release, he wrote an
article that exposed the tactics of the new military regime and
the horrors he had witnessed. As a result of his article, he was
arrested again and sentenced to three years in prison. As
Sanad described it, “They thought I was trying to ruin their image and credibility.” He received a brief, secret military trial
where they accused him of slandering the military in his article.
The media was not notified of his trial, and the public was not
allowed to watch it. Once in prison, he faced harsh treatment.
He had been an advocate for LGBTQ rights before prison and
so now was treated worse because of this, often kept in a cell
alone since they assumed that he was gay. Although there are
not laws that make being gay or transgender explicitly illegal in
Egypt, laws do exist which declare “indecent” behavior as illegal. These laws are used to justify the arrest of the gay community. The harsh reaction of the authorities to the Egyptian
revolution meant that these kinds of arrest became much more
common. These arrests became even more frequent after the
Muslim Brotherhood took control, as a result of its religious
political stance. Sanad spoke against these arrests, and was
thus labelled as gay in prison. Sanad lost much of his international support for release after spending some time in prison.
As a publicity campaign, he started a hunger strike that gained
him attention, sympathy, and support once again.
Although he was offered another military trial, he refused. As a rights-bearing citizen, Sanad demanded a fair trial
in a citizen court or nothing at all. He was then sent to a mental
hospital, where he was the first political protester in Egypt in
over 50 years to be sent to a mental institution as punishment.
He expressed his gratitude, however, that the doctors there did
not believe in treatment as punishment and were worried that
he would die because of his hunger strike. Sanad was then
offered release if he apologized, which he again refused, believing that if he apologized all the work that he had done
would go to waste. He finally reached success when he was
pardoned in 2012. After, he left Egypt to further his education
in Germany, soon having to confront more lawsuits about remarks he had said on Twitter. Last year, his brother also refused the compulsory military service in Egypt; while he was
not arrested, the government denied him identification documents, without which he cannot go to school, work, or travel.
Anyone that does not complete the three obligatory years of
military service is being refused these documents. The military
is degrading the Egyptian population and weakening the economy. Now, almost everything is built and owned by the military.
They do not, however, have any employees and are taxexempt, using their troops as free labor. Sanad, took great personal risk in upholding his beliefs, sacrificing his own freedom
to stand up for what he believed in. His efforts have since inspired other movements against the repressive military government.
Promoting Women’s Political Empowerment in Burma
Zin Mar Aung is a National Endowment for Democracy Fellow from
eventually found a community of other ex-political prisoners at the
Burma working to form a political roadmap for women's developAmerican and British center. By being able to finish her studies she
ment. Aung, a former political prisoner, spent 11 years in a Burmese was able to co-found the Yangon School of Political Science. She also
prison. Her original sentence, starting in 1998, was 28 years. She
founded Rainfall, a community human rights training and awareness
joked that she didn’t believe this to be too
building campaign for Burmese women. This
harsh of a sentence, compared to some of
school, which American University students
her peers who had received 35, 42, and 52
on the Burma Democracy Alternative Break
year sentences. Despite the barriers she has
program visit, educates young students and
faced, Aung is a very positive and uplifting
activists in the values of democracy. Most
speaker, and has never been discouraged
Burmese opponents of democracy believe
from continuing her human rights work. Nine
that democracy is a Western ideal; it was inof her eleven years were served in solitary
vented in the West and it does not meld into
confinement where she spent most of her
Eastern culture. Aung and other activists do
time thinking and planning about how she
not agree and her school and training prowas going to continue both her education and
grams counteract this anti-democratic mindset.
Photograph courtesy of Academic Multimedia Services.
Zin Mar Aung
her political work once she got out. The BurAung believes that democracy is not just applimese government makes it very difficult for Burcable to Western cultures, but could also bring
mese political prisoners to continue their education once they are
benefits to Eastern cultures. There have been many student moveout of prison—prisoners are not allowed to attend university with
ments in the region that are pushing for democratic education reregular students and can only attend distant schools. However, Aung form and she has dedicated her work to raising awareness about this
vowed to get her bachelor’s degree despite her circumstances beissue. Our community learned a lot from her story and AU students
cause she wanted to continue on to obtain a master’s degree. The
will have the opportunity to reconnect with her on future Alternative
government made it extremely difficult for ex-political prisoners to
Breaks.
organize with students. She
3
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
Women's Rights in Sierra Leone
N’yella is a human rights lawyer who advoand illiterate. Sexual crimes and victims of rape
cates for women and children wrongly convict- in Sierra Leone also almost always feel like it is
ed on death row. Her work helped Sierra Leo- their fault and are afraid to report the incident
ne pass the protection laws for women and
because of the stigma. N’yella has been
children of 2009. She began her career by
fighting for more legislation to protect them,
completing an undergraduate degree in
and in 2012, the Sexual Violence Act was
education, desiring to one day be a teacher.
passed, which
However, it was difficult for her to stay in this
resulted in a minimum age for marriage and
profession because of the delay in pay and
requires consent for all sexual acts. In 2009,
corruption in Sierra Leone, which prevented
there was also the passing of the Domestic Viher from always being financially supportive of olence act where wives can go to a police staher siblings. She explained that she chose to
tion to seek help or solace if needed.
leave teaching to study law because she would Furthermore, there have been great strides in
be able to make more money in that profession taking down the existing dowry and wife inherand raise her family out of poverty. While she itance laws. With the spread of Ebola, women
was studying law she volunteered with Advoin Sierra Leone are extremely at-risk because
cate, an organization that works with women
of their cultural roles as caregivers. Women
wrongly convicted and put on death row. While are also catching diseases and infections
working with Advocate, N’yella met a young,
through sexual acts because it is not acceptailliterate woman bullied into signing a confesble to deny sex to a husband. Another project
sion she could not understand. N’yella stated
of N’yella’s is working towards the greater
that after meeting this woman, she found her
ability of the younger generations to use the
calling as a human rights lawyer. She
internet and apps like WhatsApp in spreading
elaborated that one of the major threats facing news across the world. She is currently focuswomen in Sierra Leone
ing on encouraging
is sexual violence, both
Sierra Leone citizens
in prisons and outside of
and the greater Sierra
them. During the Sierra
Leone diaspora to be on
Leone civil war, most of
social media to expose
the major crimes against
corruption in Sierra
women were violent sexLeone and work for
ual acts. Women in
greater accountability.
these situations are
often not able to defend
themselves adequately
Photograph courtesy of Academic Multimedia Services
and are coerced into
N’yella Maya Rogers
confessions of
crimes because they are poor
4
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
Table Talk Series
A Study in Black and White: Race, Privilege, and Class in the District of Columbia
The first speaker in the “Black and White in DC” Table
Talk was SIS professor, Easten Law. He highlighted contradictions
about DC such as the fact that we have the highest concentration
of law degrees in the country and are the capital of the nation, yet
do not have voting rights. Or, the fact that although we have some
of the best hospitals in the country, we also have some of the highest rates of HIV in the country. Professor Law then went on to
show a satirical map that shows the different wards and neighborhoods of DC by their stereotype. He pointed out that American
University is right in the middle of “rich white people.” This map
proved his point that the different neighborhoods have their own
identities and that many people come to DC to witness the diversity of cultures.
same issues at both of the previous speakers. He agreed with Professor Runstedtler about housing rates and prices being an injustice. Shelton believes that most Americans obtain their wealth from
property and home ownership. When prices are too expensive and
inflated for citizens to access, problems arise. He also noted unequal access to medical care, explaining that DC General Hospital
was forced to close because of the high price of caring for shooting victims that came into the emergency room. The hospital had
to use emergency room care, the most expensive form of health
care, because 85% of shooting victims that came in to the emergency room did not have health insurance. Since the hospital had
to cover these costs, it eventually ran out of resources. Shelton
elaborated that the increase of shootings that we see in the news
are not an increase in shootings themselves, but an increase in
The second speaker, History professor
the use in cameras and technology, allowing
Theresa Runstedtler, began by breaking down the
“the youth standing up these shootings to be seen by the public. As the
two different ways the word “diversity” is used. On
Director for the Washington Bureau of the
and taking action to
one hand, she says, it is used to correctly to deNAACP, Shleton strongly supports the new U.S.
make a difference gives attorney general in his actions to stop racial proscribe a wide variety of cultures, colors, smells,
languages, arts, music, and food. On the other
filing with new immigration laws in some states
me hope.”
hand, the use of the word has been appropriated
like Alabama and Arizona. He also supports the
for use when around a culture where the speaker is not a part of
ID legislation that allows low-income citizens to get picture IDs, as
the majority. Prof. Runstedtler gives the example of a Canadian
many of them will not get their driver's license when they turn 16 or
family in Jamaica calling the country and community “diverse” only go to college to get a student ID. He lamented that have we not
because it is a black community. Prof. Runstedtler also looked at
learned from the urban inequalities that were brought to light by
the relationships between blacks and whites today from a historical Hurricane Katrina, and stated that the poor face structural disadlens, stating that current racial relations are both at the best
vantages which we must address.
they’ve ever been and the worst. While we have a black president,
there are still great injustices happening towards black children,
At the end of the panel, when asked what gives him hope,
women, and transgender community. The property values of preProfessor Runstedtler responded, “the youth standing up and takdominantly black communities are taking longer to bounce back
ing action to make a difference gives me hope.” Finally, Professor
after the recession, which she said is at the cost of black commu- Law encouraged students to go out and observe a housing ordinities.
nance, stating, “do not be too eager to participate the first time. I
find this to be an issue with AU students, always trying to particiThe third and final speaker was the director of the NAACP pate, but go and observe and learn from those already doing.”
Washington Bureau, Hilary O. Shelton, brought up many of the
Torture Report: Truth and Consequences
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan E. Mendez, examines questions relevant to torture by conducting fact finding
visits in all UN member countries and submitting annual reports.
Mendez’s ultimate goal is to eliminate torture but one of the biggest obstacles is the treatment of torture victims and their families.
He strives to create greater transparency by eliminating secret
hearings and giving victims access to comprehensive reports on
what they experienced while imprisoned. At AU, Mr. Mendez discussed the need to divert attention away from the debate about
the effectiveness of torture onto a debate about how to eliminate
torture. For example, when speaking about the Senate CIA torture
report, Juan Mendez stated that the report focused too much on
whether or not the CIA tactics led to valuable information and not
enough on the lack of transparency in the CIA and on how to end
torture in the U.S. military.
5
Fall2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
Mendez described the adjudication process of torture cases by
asserting that most cases stay within the jurisdiction of one
country but even when a case is sent to the International Criminal Court there is cooperation with domestic courts. He stated
that the process of sending a case to the ICC is extensive.
prosecuted and fined but the U.S. has remained immune from
punishment. Human Rights First is trying to achieve greater
accountability for those who have conducted torture through
bipartisan legislation which eliminates legal loopholes which
protect those who have conducted torture. The discussion ended with a focus on prosecution. Mendez stated that everyone
The second speaker was Raha Wala, Senior Council
along the chain of command must be prosecuted in order to
on Defense and Intelligence at Human Rights First, where he
avoid scapegoats. International law, unfortunately, only reworks to re-enforce human rights protection in the context of
quires a fair trial not a conviction so federal courts decide who
national security and counter terrorism policy. Wala began by
to prosecute and whether or not they are guilty. The Internagiving a historical background of the use of torture in the U.S.
tional Criminal Court becomes involved only if a country is not
After the 1980s the CIA effectively stopped using techniques
able or willing to prosecute. Mendez says that the United
such as waterboarding but there has been a return to these
States is able to prosecute but U.S. citizens. see prosecuting
tactics after 9/11.Wala described the secret CIA prisons called
those who have committed torture as a ploy to slander political
blacksites where torture is used. He explained that some of the
rivals which is why justice hasn't been reached.
countries which house these blacksites have been criminally
Fashion, Factories, and Labor Rights: Who Wins?
Starting out the discussion on labor rights was Jessica Champagne with Service Employees International Union
which had a former long-term partnership with AU. Service
Employees International Union has collegiate partnerships
and examines the conditions under which college apparel is
made. Ms. Champagne’s discussion focused on South
America with an emphasis on big businesses and unions.
She stated that the countries where labor violations occur
have adequate labor laws but the fear of losing business
with the United States leads to lower wages. Governments
do not enforce labor laws because they seek to attract foreign investment. When workers unionize they are threatened, fired or blacklisted.
collapse in Bangladesh in 2013.Katie stated that the new
Accord which establishes factory safety standards and worker conditions is imperative for the prevention of future disasters. The hardest part will be convincing U.S. companies to
only use factories that meet the standards of the accord.
The third and final speaker was Judy Gearheart, the
Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum.
Gearheart talked about women's labor movements and social accountability. The IRF was started by international unions who seek to integrate human rights into trade policy.
Ms. Gearheart asserted that the only way for the women’s
labor movement to advance was to unify with the suffragette
movement. She stated that lack of women’s labor rights can lead to gender
based violence and sexism in the home.
Gearheart rejected the tactic of boycotting stores and encouraged students to
ask their favorite stores where they are
sourcing their products. When asked
about free trade agreements, specifically the TTP-Transpacific Partnershipboth
Judy and Katie said that free trade
Photograph courtesy of Academic Multimedia Services
Left to Right Katie Plank, Jessica Champagne, Judy Gearheart agreements are not generally helpful to
the labor movement.
One of the biggest forces of
change is a student group called the
United States Against Sweatshops which
has put pressure on countries to recognize unions. Katie Plank,a current AU
student involved with the AU branch of
USAS, discussed the campaigns students can be involved with on campus.
The End Death Traps campaign seeks to
persuade university administrators to require all brands used by the university to
sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
Katie recalled chilling parallels between the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York in 1914 and the Rana Plaza
Continued on next page...
6
Fall2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
Annual R. Bruce Poynter Lecture:
Rashad Robinson: Color of Change
For this year’s Poytner Lecture, the preers. Robinson encouraged everyone to listen
senter was Rashad Robinson, Executive Direc- and participate in the
conversations about
tor of Color of Change. Color of Change is a
race relations. Color of Change supports the
nonprofit organization which focuses on empow- new generation and its new ideas. Robinson
ering Black Americans and their allies. The ordoes not believe his position is lifelong and he
ganization seeks to make the government and
believes that his
successors will bring
media more responsive to the concerns of Black great change. When he first spoke to the leaders
Americans. Mr. Robinson explained the history from Ferguson, Robinson asked them what asof Color of Change and the events which
sistance they needed. The leaders were
spurred its beginning. The U.S. government’s
shocked because they were expecting the meetfailure to understand the needs of the African
ing to be focused on telling them what to do
American population after Hurricane Katrina led next.
to the start of Color of Change. No
During the question and
African American organization had
answer portion Robinson exthe capacity to respond to Katrina.
panded his statements on getThis lack of representation led to the
ting involved. When asked for
death of almost two thousand people,
advice about what college stumostly Black, elderly and the poor.
dents should do, he encourColor of Change seeks to correct this
aged students to take adlack of representation by amplifying
vantage of every moment
Photograph courtesy of Academic Multimedia Services
the voices of Black Americans.
Rashad Robinson
and experience they have.
Mr. Robinson stated that Color
of Change is not just a
We are in a new moment, movement for Black
outside the moment of
Americans but rather a
communication and
movement for everyinto the moment of
one started by the
participation.
Black community. The
events in Ferguson, the Black Lives Matter
movement, and the new leadership emerging
from these movements are not crafting a brand
new message but they are speaking about issues Americans are largely unaware of. Through
social media and technology, these movements
bring new energy from a new generation of lead-
He stated that connections
you make in college may help in the future. Robinson stated that the experiences college students get are invaluable and should not be taken
for granted. Color of Change does not carry out
any initiatives that its members will not support
which is why they don’t focus heavily on education. Color of Change is comprised of individuals
of different economic classes so the opinions on
education are varied. For that reason, the organization focuses on small education initiatives
where member support is likely, to maximize
their impact and create positive change.
7
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
Religious Communities Update
Catholic Student Association
By Ariqa Herrera
For the two years I have been part of the
Catholic Student Association, I have found a
great community due to the numerous activities that the CSA puts on throughout the year. Every month
CSA hosts a community dinner which is open to everyone,
not just Catholics, that can range from pasta nights to breakfast for dinner. Some dinners have board games, bingo
nights, or bring in nuns or brothers from the Dominican House
of Studies across the city to answer questions about the
Catholic faith. These dinners are a great way to meet and
socialize with others in the community and share a good
meal.
Every week, the Catholic Student Association hosts
Women’s and Men’s Groups and Bible Study. The Women’s
and Men’s Groups is a focused meeting on
answering and addressing gender roles in the Catholic
Church. The Bible Study focuses on covering the Bible from
cover to cover and is led by a brother from the Dominican
House of Studies. Other irregular events that happen at different times during the year are visiting the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
Baltimore and a yearly ECO (Encountering Christ in Others)
Retreat.
The Catholic Student Association does an excellent
job of combining youth ministry and a sense of community. It
helps students learn more about their faith as they transition
into college and adulthood, while meeting people who share
in a common faith tradition.
Contributing writer
Jewish Student Association: Carbo-Load Event
American University’s student-run Jewish Stu- to our major food vendors: Bethesda Bagels and Domino’s Pizdent Association started a new tradition in
za, the Jewish Student Association successfully pulled off their
April of 2015 with their new
first Carbo-Load event, satisfying all of the
and creative social Carbo-Load event. This
final leavened bread cravings hours before
food event, specifically consisting of carbothe start of Passover. The faint sound of Jewhydrates, was inspired by the upcoming obish songs playing in the background didn’t
servance of Passover, which began the folnearly come close to the overpowering sound
lowing evening and lasted for a full 7 days.
of voices chatting away as people smeared
This Jewish holiday, also known as Pesach
cream cheese and butter on their bagels,
in Hebrew, commemorates the escape of the
poured glasses of fresh orange juice, and
enslaved Israelites in Egypt with unleavened
enjoyed their deliciously cheesy pizzas.
bread. The Hebrews had no time to let their
Free food is a common attraction
dough rise during this escape, thus forcing
among the average AU college student, as it
them to eat unleavened bread. Also known
is for all broke college students. Not only did
as matzo or matzah, this unleavened bread
this event filled with free delicious carbs bring
is the main food of Passover. In order to prein familiar faces to mix and mingle with each
pare for the week long absence of leavened
other and bond over the upcoming leavenedbreads, JSA knew it would only be best to
bread
fast, but also this event brought in new factake initiative and stock up on bagels and pizza, Photograph used with permission of JSA
es to JSA to enjoy the provided goodies and to
two major food groups that would be missed out
learn about the traditions of Passover. Deemed to be a new
on for the following week.
tradition in the face of JSA’s commoners, Carbo-Load was a
So, we as a group decided to host a new social event
successfully entertaining and delicious event that allowed intercalled Carbo-Load, in which we provided these delicious foods action beyond the norm. Who can’t resist bagels and pizza?
and opened our doors to all. With great help and many thanks
By JSA
Contributing Writer
By Alex Gamcsik
Interfaith Council Update
Interfaith Council has done some incredible things this semester, including a womPresident
en in religion panel, student presentations
on interfaith acts of kindness, and a trivia
night to test our members’ knowledge. However, this semester
was special in that the bi-annual interfaith conference, Coming
Together, took place. Universities from around the country sent
representatives from their multi-faith councils to meet at Yale to
discuss their interfaith councils and share in understanding.
American University had the privilege of sending three of our
Interfaith Council members with different faith backgrounds to
this conference. On February 12th, Shai Hobscheid, Izabella
Banka, and I rode a train into New Haven, Connecticut where a
solid foot of icy snow covered the ground. Yale’s campus was
beautiful, with old Gothic architecture and an enchanting sense
of grandeur.
On our first night, after introductions and delicious
sandwiches, we practiced a new take on speed-dating called
speed-faithing.
Interfaith Council
Continued on next page...
8
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
practices. Our Interfaith Council
has a lot to learn from non-Abrahamic religions. After a tour of
the sacred sites on campus (including the Hindu prayer room
and Buddhist temple), we relaxed at Global Grounds, Yale’s
late night board game and coffee hangout spot.
Our last full day we listened to Yale’s Pamela George
speak about vulnerability and tough conversations. Her talk
inspired a round of three-second hugs with everyone in the
room. It was the most uplifting moment of the entire conference. Dinner was held at Yale’s Catholic center where we took
a picture with Yale’s President, Peter Salovey (and a cardboard
cutout of Pope Francis). At night we witnessed the world premiere of the play Familiar, which was a dramatic look into the
struggle of an African family in the United States. Next was a
Valentine’s Day acapella concert in one of the on-campus
churches followed by a final night of rest.
Before everyone had to say goodbye, we split into
groups and made art projects that the Yale Chaplain’s office
would keep to remember us by. It was tough to say goodbye to
so many kind and understanding people. We were more than
just a group of different religions. We were of many nationalities, sexual orientations, places of origin, and lifestyles. To
have such a diverse group of people gathered at one place of
solidarity and learning was what made Coming Together 7 such
a powerful experience. I am forever grateful to the Chaplain’s
offices at AU and Yale for sending us on this amazing trip.
Shai, Izabella, and I took away many great experiences that will
make the Interfaith Council even better than it was last year!
We split into groups of two and
Interfaith continued...
rotated while answering prompts
about our faith experiences. The AU
Interfaith Council would love to try something like this in the
future! It was a great way to get to know our new friends while
having the opportunity to share some of our past experiences.
After that we heard spoken word from some of Yale’s most
powerfully talented poets before settling down for the night with
our student hosts from Yale. The second day was even better
than the first! Yale professor Marvin Chun gave an eye opening
lecture on happiness, which taught us that living in the moment
is what makes us happiest. Next was an interfaith Jumu’ah service lead by Yale Chaplain Omer Bajwa. The North Carolina
shooting of three Muslim students had taken place around this
time, to which Omer Bajwa gave a profound sermon on what
his religion is really about. How Muslims have had enough of
the discrimination that they face constantly. How society needs
to be more upfront about its feelings, rather than just sweeping
issues under the rug. His anger and passion were so moving,
not a sound could be heard in the room as he spoke. As I sat
chewing my post-Jumu’ah lunch, I could hardly think of anything else. Moments like these are when people need Interfaith
Councils the most, and I had comfort knowing that a vigil was
being held back at AU to grieve those who were murdered.
That night we celebrated Shabbat in Yale’s Jewish
Slifka center. Both the Orthodox and Reformed services were
full of passionate singing that left us all hungry for a delicious
Shabbat dinner. I had the privilege of speaking to a Sikh person
from John Hopkins who educated the table on his religious
JSA’s Annual Beit Café
The American University Jewish Student Association is not too different from many of the other organizations on campus. They
hold events, give away some food and invite others in the AU community to share in the good times.
One such event was Beit Café, or as it would translate in English, Coffee House. As the name would
By JSA
suggest,
the concept was fairly simple. There were hot beverages, some pastries and snacks, light conversaContributing Writer
tion and enough entertainment to keep everyone happy.
What made Beit Café special was the way in which the entertainment was presented. This was no Starbucks playlist, nor
Pandora’s guesses at what everyone wants to hear. For one night only, from Battelle Atrium, everything was performed live. And
members of the AU community performed it all. Students of all ages and grades and majors coming together to provide a unique
experience and each injected their own style into their performances, which varied from covers of pop songs, original compositions, standup comedy and even magic. Beit Café turned out to be not only a good time, but also a true showing of some impressive talents. JSA was able to utilize the most abundant resource available, the student body, and used it to perfection.
Current JSA President Ellie Goodman says that Beit Café “attracts everyone
and that it really enables the Jewish community to come together in a different way.”
It transcends other events that are simply designed for socialization or even holiday
celebrations. Beit Café celebrates the talents of the students and puts them and
what makes them unique in the spotlight, yet still in a way where they can be supported by their peers.
This year’s Beit Café, the third annual edition of the event, is scheduled for
November 5, 2015.
Photograph used with permission of JSA
9
NEWS FROM AROUND CAMPUS...
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
International Students Meet Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai
By OCL Staff Contributor,
Patrick Bradley
When Naila Mammadova heard she was selected to attend a private event with Nobel Laureate Malala
Yousafzai, she couldn’t believe it. Normally, she’s not so lucky. “I’m very bad at lotteries. I usually lose,”
she said. “That was a nice, unexpected present.”
Mammadova—a graduate student from Azerbaijan in the School of Communication—was chosen randomly along with 19
other international students to see Yousafzai speak at the Newseum. It was an opportunity the Fulbright scholar won’t soon
forget. Coming to AU, she knew she’d be seeing politicians and thought leaders both on campus and across the city. In fact,
that access drew her to study in D.C. Participating in this experience on the heels of President Obama’s visit to the School of
International Service, however, Mammadova was more than impressed. “I never expected that we would have guest speakers like Obama or a Nobel Prize recipient,” she explained. “I expected to listen to interesting people, but not at that level.”
At the private event of around 100 people, students enjoyed traditional Pashto music and poetry before the 18-year-old
Yousafzai spoke and engaged in a brief Q&A on educational access for girls around the world. The Pakistani-born Yousafzai
was honored with the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy, after becoming known for her blog on the importance of girls’
education that made her a target of Taliban gunmen in 2012.
Like many others in the group from AU, Egyptian undergraduate student Shams El Adawy found great emotion in hearing the
Taliban attack survivor speak. “It was great,” she said. “I’ve always looked up to Malala since I heard her story . . . I read her
book this summer. She’s very inspiring to a lot of people.”
International Student & Scholar Services associate director Kristina Thompson
helped organize the outing after an invitation from the Voice of America, who
hosted the event. She sees the occasion as one of many chances to be involved
in global and intercultural conversations that students will have while at AU.
“I feel like the world is at AU, but even more so, the world is in D.C. Students
really have an opportunity to engage with amazing people here, if they take advantage of it,” she said. “There are an amazing number of things happening on
campus.”
For grad student Asvatha Babu, meeting the group from AU that attended the
event provided great excitement in itself. In just her first week at AU, Babu found
herself meeting students from as far away as Burma and Namibia—something
Yousafzai (center in red) with Babu and Mammadova to
rare back in her home of South India. “It’s awesome. It’s completely new,” she
her left and right, respectively. Photo by Luz Mary Mateus
said. “You don’t get people from completely different parts of the world where I’m
from. . . . You don’t have the huge culture gaps. . . . It was great getting their perspectives and stories.” Babu will have a number of chances to learn from others’ life experiences, as AU features a vibrant
population of some 1,700 international students and scholars representing 140 countries.
For Thompson, this set of high-achieving students from across the world is a valuable asset to all students—just as valuable
as AU’s proximity to such events and opportunities. “It’s a really diverse community,” she explained. “They’re people who are
really engaged. People come to D.C. because they want do things like this. They’re looking for internships, connections, and
networking. They want to be at the center of all these things happening. That’s true of all AU students but certainly of international students.”
Mammadova couldn’t agree more. Already taking advantage of AU’s Career Center during the first week of the semester,
she’s a true go-getter. “There are lots of opportunities for networking at AU,” she said. “It’s a good stepping stone for building
a career. . . . The university is a huge support to make a big jump into professional life.”
Whether educationally, professionally, personally, or all of the above, international students are finding huge benefits at AU.
Thompson promises good things are to come for these students, but she can’t guarantee another Nobel Laureate. “That’s a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, it was really nice to offer it to new international students on their first week,” she said. “I told
them that I’m not sure we can top it next week.”
10
NEWS FROM AROUND CAMPUS...
Fall 2015
Volume XIV, Issue 1
Teach-In Highlights AU’s Focus on Civil Rights, Race During MLK Week
By OCL Staff Contributor,
Patrick Bradley
Teaching Inclusion
During her freshman year, Marie Pagan marched through downtown Washington, D.C., in response to the shooting
death of Trayvon Martin; now, in her senior year, she’s marched on campus for the events in Ferguson, Mo., and New
York City—unfortunate bookends to her college career. Pagan helped organize the December demonstration, and her efforts recently carried into January’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week, when she assisted in planning AU’s Teach-In for Justice, focusing on civil rights in the 21st
century.
Along with other student organizers, the School of Public Affairs senior wanted to continue the momentum around these pressing issues.
“We didn’t want it to stop there,” she said of the December protest, called “The Darkening.” “We thought the teach-in would be a great education opportunity to bring more knowledge to students.” More than 200 students attended the Saturday, Jan. 24, event, which ran from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. The day opened with a welcome by Provost Scott Bass and an original, dramatic performance by Professor Caleen Jennings
before faculty and staff led breakout discussions that covered topics from white privilege to organizing for social change.
Students shared their personal experiences through the #AU6word story project. “It was an opportunity for students to be really candid,”
Pagan explained. “That day there were open conversations about race that I’ve never experienced before here at AU.”
A daughter to Puerto Rican and Colombian immigrants, Pagan’s six-word story read, “Soy latina y negra. Soy latinegra.”
“It was a watershed moment for our responsiveness to social movements and social action,” said staff co-planner Calvin Haney, who serves
as associate director for leadership in the University Center & Student Activities. “This could be a benchmark for how we address those cocurricular education moments that we need to help the students with.” To further on-campus discussions around race and diversity, the
university will offer continued programming and events throughout the semester.
Dedicated Week
The teach-in, however, was not the only standout event during AU’s MLK week. An annual tradition organized by the Center for Community
Engagement & Service (CCES) dating back more than two decades, the MLK Day of Service saw 228 students serve at nine sites around
the city. Some students packed cold weather kits for homeless veterans in the District, and this year, National Security Advisor and former
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice joined beside them in their work.
The Kay Spiritual Life Center continued its focus on social justice issues with its annual Poynter Lecture with Rashad Robinson, executive
director of Color of Change, as well as two Table Talk discussions. Rev. Mark Schaefer spoke on MLK’s spiritual influences in a lunchtime
lecture attracted students, staff, faculty, and alumni from as far back as the Civil Rights era. The second presentation focused on race and
class in D.C., with faculty members speaking alongside special guest Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington Bureau. “As a
university rooted in the Methodist tradition, the Kay Center strives to make plain the intersection between faith and action,” said Kay’s assistant director, Christine Gettings. “We hope that events like [these] help our students see the connections between the deep values, ideas,
and aspirations of a community and its response to calls to action.”
Similarly, the School of International Service held a workshop open to the entire university community on building skills to improve understanding across race and ethnicity. Attendees at the packed event ran through scenarios, discussing micro-aggressions that may appear in
the classroom. “It was a great mix of students, staff, and faculty,” said SIS freshman Rachel Bernard. “It was interesting to hear the different perspectives. There’s always room to grow, no matter how far you’ve come.”
In the company of so many different events, Haney saw the teach-in as a natural complement to capturing King’s approach to social justice.
“It honored the political activist spirit of MLK,” he explained. “Where [the MLK Day of Service] focused on the service component of his vision, I think the teach-in really brought attention to the political activist nature of King’s legacy.”
Next Steps
King’s legacy as well as the legacies of other Civil Rights leaders shaped Pagan’s academic path. Coming to AU to become a TV journalist,
she soon felt pulled in a different direction after taking classes on civil rights history. She felt, in many ways, that she connected with the
leaders she studied. “I could really see myself as a part of these struggles and what people have been going through,” the Virginia native
said. “I’m very aware of how great an opportunity it is for me to attend AU, because I know that not everyone from back home has that opportunity.”
Though now an RA in AU’s social justice living-learning community and a member of Student Government’s Women’s Initiative, Pagan
plans to eventually become a civil rights attorney or policy analyst, just as soon as she finishes Teach for America. And while she’s seen so
many negatives in the events that have bookended her time at AU, she’s taking the experiences—good and bad—with her into the life that
follows graduation. “My college experience will definitely be framed by what’s going on now,” she explained. “I feel like I have the support of
the university… Getting to know the different resources on campus and getting to know different people and their passion for the same
issues has been really inspiring.”
11
Your contributions to the Bruce Poynter Endowment at American University allow
us to reach out to students through our Table Talk programs, Alternative Breaks,
and Speaker Series. We thank you for your generosity!
To make a donation, please visit
https://www.american.edu/anewau/giving/index.cfm
Table Talks For This Semester

The Immigration Crisis from Central America: The US Policy
Response

No Place to Call Home: Displaced Africans in Europe
Book Launches This Semester

Terra Nova: Global Revolution and the Healing of Love

Ghandian Nonviolent Struggle and Untouchability in South
India: The Mechanisms of Change
Exploring Social Justice Lecture Series with Bender Library
Human Rights Film Series This Semester

Food Justice with DC Central Kitchen

3 1/2 Minutes

Melvina Ford, Executive director of Equal Rights Center

120 Days

Daisy and Max

Out in the Night
Human Rights Defender Series for This Semester

Indigenous Rights Defenders from Colombia

Organized Crime as a Factor in Failing Democracies: The Case
of Venezuela

The Bottom Layer: Impunity for Caste Violence in India

Forum with Indigenous Activist in Honduras
50th Anniversary of Kay Spiritual Life Center

Chaplains

Documentary Film screening with Center for Media and Social
Impact
*For the date, location, and time of our events, contact
kslc@american.edu or check out our website!
David Saperstein, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Kay Spiritual Life Center
American University
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016-8010
12