Hindu Students Celebrate Holi

By wpengine | April 21, 2003

More than 350 people attended the Hindu Student Council’s (HSC) Holi Celebration at the Annabel Taylor Hall courtyard on Saturday afternoon. Visitors from the community and other universities joined Cornell students and staff members to observe the Hindu springtime festival of colors.

Festivities included, among other events, throwing 40 lbs. of colored powder and a number of games and activities, including relay races, sponsored by the Cornell Indian Association (CIA), which is made up of mostly graduate students of South Asian descent.

The Cornell Bhangra Club and Sitara Dance Troupe also performed cultural Indian dances and led audience members in informal Garba and Ras, or traditional celebratory dances that hail from the north Indian province of Gujarat.

Those who attended the Holi festivities also were given the opportunity to taste various Indian foods, including appetizers, such as somosas, pakoras and various sweets, as well as an Indian version of lemonade.

Former HSC President Ashwin Patel ’03 said that Cornell’s Holi celebration was comparable to the wide-scale celebrations held in India.

“For most people at the festival, even me, this was the first time to celebrate Holi in this capacity because generally it is only celebrated so elaborately in India. It was especially good because it united people of all cultures and religions. People were not only throwing color on their friends, but they were going up to strangers and basically breaking boundaries. And that’s what Holi is supposed to be,” Patel said.

Meera Rajani, president, South Asian Students’ Association at the University of Massachusetts, attended Cornell’s Holi celebration to support members of HSC and to collect ideas for the implementation of such activities at her school.

“I think that it is very appropriate for Cornell to be celebrating Holi in this capacity, considering the events in the world, because Holi is an excuse for people to shed their inhibitions and differences and come together for a day of good fun,” said Rajani.

Attendees of the celebration included people with various different cultural and religious affiliations, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Jews; those in attendance coming from India, Pakistan, America and other diverse nations around the world.

Joe Hoegler ’04 enjoyed the festival because it gave him a chance to penetrate the Indian culture and take part in it.

“A friend of mine is on the HSC board and encouraged me to attend the event. I am glad I came because I had a good time. It was a lot of fun throwing the powder and I liked the fact that I got to see a little bit of the background of Indian culture. It’s really interesting,” said Hoegler.

HSC president Amit Rajani ’04 said that it is a brand new organization that “seeks to promote the religious and cultural traditions of India, specifically the ideals and philosophy of Hinduism.”

Because of the recent creation of the organization, Holi was HSC’s first large-scale event. However, Rajani said that it was worth the effort because of all that Holi signifies in Hindu culture and religion.

According to Patel, the celebration of Holi represents the legendary triumph of good over evil to members of the Hindu faith.

“Many stories about the significance of Holi have developed over the years in Hindu culture, but they all have a thematic reference to the victory of good over evil,” Patel said.

He added that one such story centered on the legendary King Hiranyakashyapu, who believed himself to be of Godly status because of his immense power.

“The king convinced his subjects to worship him instead of Lord Vishnu, the Creator. However, while in the womb, the king’s son Prahlad had been instructed by a saint that Lord Vishnu was the greatest. When Prahlad was born, he rejected the recognition of his father as God and so the king and his sister Holika tried to kill him in various different ways. But each time, Prahlad was saved by the grace of God and the king and Holika perished in the process.”

According to this story, Pratel said, the term “Holi” was derived from Holika’s name and the festival itself commemorates Prahlad’s survival and defeat of his evil family. Patel added that the celebratory traditions of throwing colored powder and participating in Garba and Ras were developed by Krishna, who is reputed as the fun and mischievous Hindu god.

HSC plans to hold many more events to spread and celebrate Hindu culture. Among others, future HSC programs will include the featuring of speakers on campus, more service events, confronting common misconceptions of Hinduism and an art gallery exhibition that will present ancient Indian contributions to math, science and other fields.

Rajani said that Cornell students should look forward to one more extremely important HSC event this semester: the Saraswati Puja, which is a religious tribute to Saraswati or the goddess of knowledge.

“The Puja will be held to honor [Saraswati] before exam time so she may bless us for finals and hopefully let us do well on them. It will be held on May 3 and is open to all,” Rajani said.

Archived article by Anita Valliani

U.N. Human Rights Lecture Packs Statler

By wpengine April 22, 2003

Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Ireland, addressed a packed Alice Statler Auditorium last night as the recipient of this year’s Henry E. and Nancy Horton Bartels World Affairs Fellowship. The fellowship recognizes Robinson’s pursuit of universal human rights initiatives through her past work with the United Nations and through her current project, the Ethical Globalization Initiative. Introducing Robinson, President Hunter R. Rawlings III underscored the pertinence of her global efforts. “[Robinson’s] visit is especially appropriate given the current world situation, [including] the war in Iraq and its aftermath,” Rawlings said. Robinson’s address emphasized the need to implement human rights initiatives that not only protect civil and political liberties but that also honor economic, social and cultural rights, which include food security, access to clean water, education, health care and other elements that constitute a decent standard of living. In discussing human rights policy, Robinson specifically articulated her admiration for Eleanor Roosevelt’s contribution to the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document which was drafted upon the creation of the U.N. Referring to the declaration as “an extraordinary breakthrough for mankind,” she applauded Roosevelt’s efforts to include as many worldwide traditions as possible in the creation of a universally applicable code of human rights. “The world was gifted with a charter that matters in every single country,” she said. “[If the document reflected] a Western agenda, it would not be a universal one.” In her address, Robinson also recalled the worldwide spirit with which nations approached human rights initiatives at the turn of the millennium and contrasted this enthusiasm with post-Sept. 11 attitudes that she said have prioritized human security initiatives over human rights. She expressed her disappointment that the Millennium Development Goals, human rights initiatives drafted by the U.N. in 2000, were neglected following the terrorist attacks, saying, “There seems to have been a tradeoff between human rights and human security.” Championing simultaneous implementation of human rights and security measures, she said, “[We need to] make an important new link between the protection of human security … and the protection of human rights.” Finally, Robinson emphasized the individual’s responsibility in fostering a community that values human rights. “[Every person] has duties to the community, without which the individual cannot develop [attributes] of personality,” she said. Robinson’s comments elicited both applause and critique from audience members. Many members of the audience commented on Robinson’s eloquence. “She was very well-spoken,” said Tajrina Hai ’05. “There were no questions she left unanswered.” Audience members were also impressed by Robinson’s work with the U.N. “I was very impressed by her work as the human rights commissioner,” said Prof. Wayles Browne, linguistics. “I enjoyed her description of how the human rights commission works,” added Tomer Malchi ’03. Critics of Robinson referenced human rights issues that Robinson did not address in her lecture. “One of the bigger problems she failed to touch on were the corporations,” Malchi said. “Corporations have more economic power than some nations.” In addition to drawing applause and critique, Robinson’s comments also inspired global analysis. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a big milestone in getting countries to agree that there are some rights that everyone ought to have,” Browne said. “Every country ought to help the U.N.” Archived article by Ellen Miller
Straight Takeover Recalled

By wpengine April 22, 2003

In remembrance of the Willard Straight Hall Takeover, The Sun is reprinting, verbatim, the original account of the events taken from the Sunday, April 20, 1969, extra edition published the day after the takeover began. On April 19 of that year, students from the Afro-American Society occupied the Straight regarding several issues and grievances which had created tensions over the preceding months between University administrators and African-American students on campus. The following Sun article was written by former Managing Editor C. Barton Reppert ’70. This week, the African Latino Asian Native American Program Board (ALANA) is holding events for Willard Straight Hall Takeover Week, including a film screening at Robert Purcell Community Center at 8 p.m. tonight and a “Retracing the Steps of the Takeover” event on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Straight. University officials and faculty representatives were slated to reconvene this morning to continue deliberations over yesterday’s takeover of Willard Straight Hall by about 100 members of the Afro-American Society (AAS). Steven Muller, vice president for public affairs, said late last night, “We don’t want to use any kind of police action” to clear out the building. But Muller emphasized that “this does not mean that we will not use police at any time.” About 50 members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) kept up a picket line late into the night at the Straight steps, in support of the AAS takeover. SDS decided early this morning at an almost silent meeting in Anabel Taylor Auditorium to rally at 11 a.m. and march on the site of the administration-faculty meeting. A sleep-in was also planned for Anabel Taylor, where an estimated 300 people geared themselves for a night of continued discussions centering around “contingency plans.” The takeover, which began shortly before 6 a.m. yesterday, jarred out of bed about 30 parents visiting Cornell for Parents Weekend and caused a temporary shutdown of WVBR before the radio station moved to a clandestine remote studio. The day-long occupation and picketing were marked by no violence except for a morning fight between white counter-protesters — who stormed into the Straight — and the black students, along with some SDS members. Sparking the takeover was Thursday’s decision by the Student-Faculty Board on Student Conduct to impose reprimands on three members of the AAS allegedly involved with harassment incidents last December, during agitation for a stronger Afro-American Studies program. The AAS protest action yesterday followed by one day the burning of a small wooden cross in front of Wari, the COSEP women’s co-op at 308 Dearborn Place. Also heightening campus tensions were more than a dozen false fire alarms since Friday. The AAS announced yesterday that its members would give up their takeover of the Straight only if the University drops all charges against the black students in connection with the December demonstrations, and undertakes “a full and thorough investigation of the recent cross burning and the subsequent actions of the campus police.” Edward L. Whitfield ’71, chairman of the AAS, told The Cornell Daily Sun last night that another request, concerning improved housing for blacks, was withdrawn because “the people in Ithaca hadn’t been consulted properly.” Whitfield said AAS members “handled everything very tactfully” in the start of the takeover yesterday, which resulted in the ousting of about 40 Straight employees as well as the 30 overnight guests. Commenting on the effectiveness of the SDS picket line, Whitfield said, “If they’re able to explain to students the importance and the legitimacy of what we’re doing, that’s fine.” The AAS chairman declined to speculate on how yesterday’s takeover might affect prospects for the new Center for Afro-American Studies expected to open next fall. The Board of Trustees voted April 12 to budget $240,000 for financing the Center in 1969-70. A University press release issued last night said yesterday’s session with the administration, Faculty Council and “other faculty and student representatives” arrived at “no final conclusions during its three hours of deliberation.” The release added that, “At the present time individual efforts intended to achieve further understanding through discussions with the black students in the occupied building, as well as other student groups, are under way.” Asked about the administration’s rapport with the AAS, Muller said, “There have not been representatives of the society in our discussions.” He added that the occupation of the Straight, which serves about 6,000 meals a day, would cause “considerable inconvenience” to the University community if it continues through tomorrow. Shortly after the black students started their takeover yesterday, a WVBR announcer interrupted regular programming at 6:03 a.m. to introduce a “relevant political message.” A person identified as Whitfield then came on the air to say AAS members had assumed control of the building because of what they called the University’s “racist” policies and lack of a program relevant to black students. About 75 SDS pickets had gathered with placards in front of the Straight by the time a special convocation was slated to commence at 9 in Alice Statler Auditorium. President James A. Perkins had been scheduled to address the convocation on “Prospects for Stability,” but Mark Barlow Jr., vice president for student affairs, told the audience of about 80 parents that the event was canceled. C. David Burak grad, as SDS spokesman, then mounted the stage to explain the group’s stance on the Straight takeover and bicker briefly with some of the parents over SDS ideology. “We feel it is ethically incumbent upon white people to support [the black students’] efforts for self-determination,” Burak said. One woman leaving the auditorium commented to her husband, “he’s just grinding out the party line.” About an hour later, Perkins issued a statement saying the seizure of the Straight was “both an astonishing and a regrettable action on the part of some black students claiming to speak” for the AAS. “It is astonishing because of Cornell’s program for both the admission and special education of black students,” Perkins said. “It is regrettable because it has cut across the plans of many months’ standing for entertaining several thousand parents of Cornell students.” The statement added: “The black students within the building have been informed that they must leave. A refusal to do so will set the stage for any one of a series of alternate actions by the University community.” Burak returned to the area in front of the Straight to lead a rally of the SDS pickets about 11:30, while several of the SDSers scuffled with counter demonstrators. The AAS statement distributed about this time by SDS charged: “This administration, faculty and liberal student body let six black students wait four months with a suspension charge hanging over their heads, for no reason whatsoever.” The students cited in the December incidents had been repeatedly told they would face automatic suspension unless they appeared before the conduct board. It was later ruled that the board could decide their cases whether or not the students appeared. The AAS statement further charged: “The University chose to disregard the mental health of those six brothers as it had chosen to disregard the physical health of the black inhabitants of the Ithaca community.
…” The main conclusion the AAS said it drew from these conditions was that “Cornell University is a racist institution which holds nothing for blacks but degradation, oppression, insults and finally death.” Archived article by Sun Staff