Spring Break
Club discusses faith
by Lital Shair
News | 1/22/08
Posted online at 3:58 AM EST on 1/22/08
/ Last updated at 10:45 PM EST on 1/22/08
Approximately 35 students met to discuss questions of religion and how to attain peace at the Intercultural Center last Sunday for a program titled, "Faith: A Pillar of Life," part of Brandeis' celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. day.
The event was organized by Lilia Pineda '09, Victoria Roomet '09 and Jonathan D'Oleo '08 of the MLK & Friends club, which is made up of recipients of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship as well as other members of the Brandeis community.
Students met in small groups for their discussions. As she shared what her group had talked about, Desiree Murphy '10 spoke about the need for understanding one another and treating everyone with respect. "It's about recognizing that we are more similar than we are different. ... You can't have peace if people aren't working for the common man," she said.
Roomet, who moderated the event, spoke about the example that King set for an individual's ability to make a difference. "Martin Luther King was only one person. ... People still live by his words and are still inspired by him and all that he did," Roomet said. "We can become those individuals who initiate things at Brandeis and in our own communities."
Aviva Zadoff '10 spoke about the upcoming Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, which she referred to as the Jewish Arbor Day, and an upcoming event today hosted by the Brandeis Orthodox Organization and the Brandeis Black Student Organization to promote Jewish-black dialogue.
According to D'Oleo, this event was organized "as a way of preparing the field for the great day [on Monday]."
"People left with a greater sense of responsibility and respect for one another," D'Oleo said.
This event, D'Oleo said, was aimed at exploring ways to establish peace globally, and through discussion, "We came to the realization that we first had to act locally." It drew on Martin Luther King Jr.'s idea of projecting the I into the thou, of empathizing with others, he said, but "now we have to go further and execute all the ideas that were discussed."
"The Martin Luther King and Friends club was created a few months ago and has increased exponentially since then," D'Oleo said, explaining that the club is geared toward creating such events to continue King's legacy.
The event was organized by Lilia Pineda '09, Victoria Roomet '09 and Jonathan D'Oleo '08 of the MLK & Friends club, which is made up of recipients of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship as well as other members of the Brandeis community.
Students met in small groups for their discussions. As she shared what her group had talked about, Desiree Murphy '10 spoke about the need for understanding one another and treating everyone with respect. "It's about recognizing that we are more similar than we are different. ... You can't have peace if people aren't working for the common man," she said.
Roomet, who moderated the event, spoke about the example that King set for an individual's ability to make a difference. "Martin Luther King was only one person. ... People still live by his words and are still inspired by him and all that he did," Roomet said. "We can become those individuals who initiate things at Brandeis and in our own communities."
Aviva Zadoff '10 spoke about the upcoming Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, which she referred to as the Jewish Arbor Day, and an upcoming event today hosted by the Brandeis Orthodox Organization and the Brandeis Black Student Organization to promote Jewish-black dialogue.
According to D'Oleo, this event was organized "as a way of preparing the field for the great day [on Monday]."
"People left with a greater sense of responsibility and respect for one another," D'Oleo said.
This event, D'Oleo said, was aimed at exploring ways to establish peace globally, and through discussion, "We came to the realization that we first had to act locally." It drew on Martin Luther King Jr.'s idea of projecting the I into the thou, of empathizing with others, he said, but "now we have to go further and execute all the ideas that were discussed."
"The Martin Luther King and Friends club was created a few months ago and has increased exponentially since then," D'Oleo said, explaining that the club is geared toward creating such events to continue King's legacy.
Be the first to comment on this story