TECHNICIAN
thursday february
11
2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
‘Howl for Haiti’ campaign hits $25,000 Fundraising efforts still going strong, individual student organizations contribute Arth Pandya Staff Writer
SATYAJIT SARANGDHAR/TECHNICIAN
Doa’A Dorgham, sophomore in psychology, interacts with the audience and explains the significance of the hijab in Islamic culture during the “Behind The Veil” seminar at the Talley Student Center Wednesday evening .
Workshop unveils truth behind hijab Students learn about, discuss truths and misconceptions behind the veil Siva Ramesh Staff Writer
Behind the Veil, a seminar in which students discussed and learned about the role of the hijab in the lives of Muslim females, took place Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Talley Student Center. “It’s a dialogue and social experiment in which non-Islamic women veil for the day,” Doa’A Dorgham, a sophomore in psychology, said. Dorgham organized the event this year. The workshop included a session in which students were able to exchange opinions and ask questions of a student panel composed of Muslim female students, half of whom wear a veil and half of whom do not. Both
sides of the panel gave their respective which co-sponsored the event. The event was first held Jan. 2007 reasons for wearing or not wearing a and was the idea of Sara Yasin, an veil. In Islam, wearing a veil is part of alumna from the class of 2009 who the act of “hijab,” for women, which began wearing a veil when she was 15 years old. involves modest beWith the help of havior and covering the Women’s Center the entire body exat the University, Yacept for the hands, sin planned the event feet and face. as a means of educatThe organizers of ing others about the the event expressed veil. their hopes for a sucAs par t of t he cessful evening. event, non-Muslim “I’m excited. I fe m a le s t ude nt s hope that we’ll have Shannon Johnson, the director adopt hijab for a day. a good turnout,” of the Women’s Center During this time, Dorgham said. they are expected to “On our Facebook follow Islamic prinpage, about 30 have already confirmed [their attendance] ciples of not drinking alcohol or eatfor the event,” Farris Barakat, a sopho- ing pork, not displaying affection in public and not uncovering their heads more in civil engineering, said. Barakat is the social coordinator in the presence of men unrelated to of the Muslim Students Association, them.
“On that day I chose to wear the headscarf, to walk in someone else’s shoes.”
Shannon Johnson, the director of the Women’s Center, said she enjoyed adopting hijab for a day in order to experience the feeling of being different. “On that day I chose to wear the headscarf, to walk in someone else’s shoes,” Johnson said. Barakat said he was proud to have seen non-Muslim students wearing the veil earlier. “I saw about five non-Muslims wearing the veil around campus, and it made me and a lot of Muslims proud,” Barakat said. Sarah Mohammed, a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, attended the event in order to see what it was like. “UNC has panels on women and Islam, but none specifically on the hijab,” Mohammed said. Christina Harp, a freshman in
VEIL continued page 3
Senate to review dining hall redistricting Bill allowing Wood, Avent-Ferry halls to eat at Case being considered by Senate committee
“Currently, only Central Campus is allowed to eat at Case,” Hayes said. “We brought the issue to Randy Lait [director of dining services] but the question of capacity came up. The only way we can think about it happening is to restrict people to their respective Nick Tran News Editor dining halls, and we don’t want to do that.” Kelli Rogers, student senate president, said Student Senate is considering a bill which it was a good idea to revise the policy, as evwill allow students living in Wood Hall and eryone wants to eat at Case. the Avent Ferry Complex to eat at Case Din“It’s important every so often for policies to be reexamined to make sure they’re serving Hall. Wood and Avent Ferry students are forced ing the best need,” Rogers said. “Case is a to walk past Case and find their meals at a small dining hall so we’re going to have to more distant dining hall, Clark Dining Hall, get creative to allow more students. Takeout as that is where they are disboxes would help.” tricted. Sen. Stephen Kouba said takeout helps anywhere The piece of legislation there’s overcrowding and it under consideration, enis one of the solutions being titled the Dining Hall Redistricting Act, seeks to considered. reorganize the districting “There are concerns of of residence halls to allow serious overcrowding and students to access dining the bill hit a brick wall when halls which are more conwe considered occupancy rates,” he said. “The reason venient to them. we want to do this is to creSen. Jason Hayes, the Steven Kouba, ate easier access for students sponsor of the Redistrictsenator from CHASS based on their locations. We ing Bill, said the decision would like to give Wood to push this bill back came and Avent Ferry accesss to Case; currently with a large amount of student support. “The issue came up after a survey of stu- the way halls are districted most of Central dents in the area,” he said. “304 of the around Campus gets it.” 1,000 surveyed said that they would like acAccording to Kouba, solutions being concess to Case. When we talked to people about sidered include expanding the takeout, curallowing them to eat there they said it was a rently planned for Clark, to Case. Another is good idea.” Case is currently the smallest dining hall with a 110-person seating capacity. DINING continued page 3
In the past month, the “Howl for Haiti” campaign has raised $25,000 for their effort to raise funds for Haiti, with the help of numerous campus organizations. This puts the campaign at the halfway mark towards their goal of $50,000. The Quad Area Council has organized various fundraising events, including a pancake dinner, and is in the process of organizing more. Their motivation stems from an incentive proposed by their president, Nathan Combs, according to Mac Scott, sophomore in mechanical engineering and program director of the Quad Area Council. “Our president gave the Quad a challenge; that if we could raise $2,000 by the end of March, he would shave his head completely bald,” Scott said. “And a lot of people would like to see him bald.” The Quad has raised over $450, with $300 coming from their pancake dinner fundraising event. The event offered a free pancake dinner at the Honors Village Commons, but encouraged those who ate to donate. More funds came from the Quad’s most recent fundraising effort: a flower sale. Flowers cost a dollar and could be sent to individuals specified by the buyer with a personal note. “Recently, we were selling flowers for Valentines Day. We’ve been taking orders for the past week,” Scott said. “We sold 215 flowers for Valentines Day, bringing in $107, along with $40 more in donations.” Scott said that their next planned event will be toward the end of February. “There will be a smores and hot chocolate night,” Scott said. The pre-health club - the university’s biggest organization - has raised $2000 for the campaign, according to Anita Flick, director of health professions advising. “Our fund-raising has gone very well - we recently donated $2000 to the Howl for Haiti campaign and are still collecting,” Dr. Flick said. She said the club will continue to raise funds, and help in anyway they can. “We will be supplying 75 students to participate in the Feb 21st Stop Hunger Now Packaging Event,” Dr. Flick said. “We also are considering a return visit in May to help with demolition and reconstruction at one of the three
HAITI continued page 3
“...we’re advocating the inclusion of Wood without removing other students.”
insidetechnician
Hokies handle Pack 72-52 story. See page 8. SARAH TUDOR/TECHNICIAN
On Wednesday night in the Student Senate chamber, Jackie Smith, a sophomore in political science and sociology and the president pro tempore of Student Senate, and Scott Goldsmith, a junior in political science and philosophy, discuss finances and the budget for next year.
viewpoint life & style classifieds sports
4 5 7 8