Faith, Issue 25 Volume 80

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

INSIDE

Living color

Easter isn't the only holiday that comes in the spring. Coogs can explore different belief systems in this issue.

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About Cooglife Faith

Faith is part of a series of new special sections published every month by the Cougar.

These sections are intended to give recognition and focus to certain aspects of student life that can often be overlooked.

EDITOR Christopher Shelton WRITERS Jacqueline Guerrero Joshua Cochran Trey Strange Henry Strum Karis Johnson

Top: Jeremiah Rashid leads the pack despite a tough challenge from Ella Brentsen in the sack race. Right: Ryan Kennedy searches for the perfect treat to fulfill his sweet tooth. | Brittaney Penny/The Cougar

PRODUCTION Jose Cruz Josue Diaz Alex Tomic

Eggsellent family fun Food and fun headlined the 25th Annual Spring Egg Hunt. More than 800 games and prizes were donated toward the event. Patrons were treated to a free lunch of hot dogs, chips and drinks that were provided by Central Texas BBQ. The event was hosted by Staff Council, Faculty Senate and the Student Government Association.

CLOSING EDITORS Christopher Shelton Cara Smith Jenae Sitzes ADVERTISING JP Montgomery Elizabeth Murphy Tiffany Willie Summer Davis Yissel Lerma Jose Salazar

ABOUT THE COVER Stained glass windows, especially those with the image of Jesus, have been a longstanding staple of Christian churches. photo by Karis Johnson

Faith Issue will appreciate UH's diversity Growing up, Easter was always one of my favorite holidays because it meant I would get a colorful new suit. My mother always made sure my dad, brother and I were sharp when we opened the doors to the sanctuary. But more importantly, it also meant I would see my whole family — no one in the Shelton clan skips church on Easter or Mother's Day lest my CHRISTOPHER grandmother would have a cow.

SHELTON FAITH Suits come and go, EDITOR but it's hard to replace that togetherness. And I want my classmates to experience this too by using this issue to cross religious lines.

Many are familiar with Easter, but did you know that Hindus celebrate Holi, a festive event with colors dancing?

In this issue I hope you gain a greater knowledge of the various faiths that acknowledge holidays in early spring. This is greatly needed on a campus as diverse as ours.

Contact The Cougar thedailycougar.com NEWSROOM 713-743-5360 editor@thedailycougar.com facebook.com/thedailycougar twitter.com/thedailycougar

EDITOR IN CHIEF Cara Smith

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Wednesday, April 1, 2015 | 3

In their own words

Staff members of The Cougar explains how Easter has impacted their lives.

Sara Samora

Jenae Sitzes

Trey Strange

Cara Smith

Kelly Schafler

News editor

Managing editor

Staff writer

Editor in chief

Opinion editor

What Easter means to me is family.

Regardless of religious figures or a furry bunny with painted eggs, it is just another reason to bring the family together and celebrate; to laugh, eat, maybe even hit each other over the head with confetti eggs. It’s really the best feeling in the world to be surrounded by the ones you love.

For me growing up, Easter was about dyeing and decorating eggs and finding them hidden throughout the house and around the yard. I honestly don’t remember much about the church service we attended every year, but I do remember the great food we’d eat after with visiting family members.

Easter is a time to celebrate and be grateful for the life I have been given. For me, that's spending time with my church and family in Fort Worth. I am especially excited to see my sisters and, more importantly, my dogs.

Easter has always been a big thing for my family. My entire family – aunts, uncles, infant cousins, grandparents – always go to chuch and then over to my house for an Easter egg hunt and potluck Tex Mex. I see my extended family fairly often, so Easter is less of a reunion and more of another reason to hang out with each other.

Easter means springtime and colors and chocolate that I don't feel bad for eating. Like everything good and pure in life, it was better when you were a kid. Easter, for me , is a time when my parents got to have fun putting me in sundresses.

Join Us For Holy Week and Easter Worship Maundy Thursday, April 2 7:30 pm Good Friday Liturgy with Reserved Sacrament, April 3 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm

Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church Proudly Announces Our New Composer-in-Residence

DAVID ASHLEY WHITE Professor of Composition and Former Director Moores School of Music

Good Friday Stations of the Cross, April 3 1:15 pm Easter Vigil, April 4 7:30 pm Easter Sunday, April 5 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 9:15 am, 11:00 am, and 6:30 pm

% Our Mission Know and Share the Love of Jesus Christ

Palmer Church is located at 6221 Main Street. We are bordered to the north by the Museum District, to the west by Rice University, to the south by the Medical Center, and to the east by Hermann Park.

— visit us at www.palmerchurch.org —

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Places for all faiths

Whether you're Christian, Jewish or Buddhist, Houston has several churches that meet your spiritual needs. Many have a long history of serving the community and please the eye from an architectural standpoint.

Beth Israel serves thriving Jewish community Congregation Beth Israel 5600 N. Braeswood Blvd.

Though its fourth temple was completed in 1967, Congregation Beth Israel is the first Jewish congregation in Texas and has been a pivotal part of the Houston Jewish community since 1854, when Jewish settlers realized a need for a common burial ground.

St. Michael's has two roles in community

Sacred Heart stands out downtown

St Michael's Catholic Church 1801 Sage Road

Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 111 St Joseph Pkwy.

A parish community in the Galleria area, St. Michael is both a parish community and a 500-student school. The smooth, modern faces of the building are slit with stained glass windows that lead the eye to the large golden cross that hangs just above the altar.

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart stands prominent against downtown Houston's skyscrapers, and its Resurrection window is a reminder of the spiritual experience of stained glass windows. Though the church has been in service for more than a century, the new building that it occupies first opened its doors in 2008.

First Christian Church 1601 Sunset Blvd. @ Rice, Houston, 77005

Maundy Thursday–April 2

10424 Hillcroft St Houston, TX 77096 713.729.7880 westburycoc.com

Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Bible Class 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Our service of music, sharing and communion will take place in our Prayer Garden at 6:30 p.m.

Good Friday–April 3

Our Tenebrae, a worship of extinguishing light, begins in our Chapel at 6:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday–April 5

Our service of joy and celebration begins in our Sanctuary at 10:30 a.m.

FCCHouston

@FCCHouston

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Local temple has more than aesthetics

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Annunciation, a Houston staple since Civil War Annunciation Catholic Church 1618 Texas St.

Annunciation's pale angelic towers are a testament to how gracefully a 146-year-old building can age, though its image has changed over the years as it evolved from the old courthouse first purchased by a priest in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Pien Hou Temple 1507 Delano St.

Pien Hou Temple serves the Buddhist community of downtown Houston, and though it's been supplanted by the larger temples in Bellaire, it still gets packed to the gates on festival days. On ordinary days, however, Pien Hou Temple is almost eerily quiet, but that adds to the charm of its age.

WELCOME TO CHURCH Rev. Dr. Leo Griffin-Senior Pastor and First Lady Evang. Mary Griffin

JOIN US FOR A SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP SERVICE Sunday School 9:30 am Sunday Worship Service 10:45 am Weekly Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 pm or 6:30 pm The Youth will be performing a special Easter Program on April 5, 2015 AT 9:00 AM

Wesley AfricAn Methodist episcopAl church 2209 Dowling Street Houston, Texas 77003 | Tel. 713-659-6682 | info@wamec.org

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Get spiritual: Four events that will broaden your horizon TREY STRANGE

STAFF WRITER

@TREYNORMAL

UH, like the city it shares a name with, is diverse. With that diversity comes several different nationalities and faiths. Listed below are four ways that you could learn about different spiritualities around Easter Sunday. Check them out by taking a few hours to learn about your fellow Houstonians.

Holy Week Art Show at Houston’s First Baptist Jacqueline Gonzalez searches for goodies during the 25th annual Spring Egg Hunt on campus. | Brittaney Penny/The Cougar

Families, corporations profit from Easter

E

asily the largest religion in Western culture, Christianity has become affected by free enterprise like anything else in society. When it comes to money, no ideology is off limits.

Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But according to Business Pundit, “this holiday is commercialized with Easter bunnies, plastic eggs, jelly beans, play grass and candy to fill Easter baskets. Businesses … sell boys and girls already made baskets along with costumes and other play gear … (and) restaurants also profit from breakfasts, brunches, lunches or dinners that families plan together.”

This commercialization of Easter, and Christianity in general, will be exemplified in Waco this Sunday, where an Easter event at the Baylor University sports stadium will

“ likely draw 45,000 (people) from as far off as New England and South America.”

People such as Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church and Ed Young of Second Baptist have spoken at similar events in Minute Maid Park. One can assume the speakers will be of the same vein.

Joel Osteen, with his swollen church, phony smile and radio and TV programs, is a good example of a man making it big off of the commercialization of Christianity.

Yet Osteen, and other religious leaders like him, is ultimately harmless, but he is not a good representation of the religion he supports.

Because even if Easter has been commercialized past its original intent, the holiday still produces wholesome results.

Even at the upcoming holiday extravaganza in Waco, good things will be

Holy Week at St. Paul’s

Maundy Thursday. april 2.

12:15 p.m. with foot washing and Holy Communion.

7 p.m. with Holy Communion and stripping of altar.

Good Friday. april 3.

11 a.m. Children’s Tenebrae Service + Labyrinth.

Noon. Traditional service with sermon.

7 p.m. “Seven Last Words” bi-lingual Spanish/English.

EasTEr ViGil sErVicE oF liGhT. april 4 at 7 p.m.

EasTEr sunday. april 5.

English services 8, 9:30, and 11 a.m. Spanish 5 p.m.

LIS TEN + LOVE + LEARN 5501 Main at Binz in the Museum District• www.stpaulshouston.org • 713-528-0527 College Class normally meets Sundays at 9:45 a.m. (except this Sunday)

happening. According to the Houston Chronicle, “for admission, attendees are asked to bring two cans of food, which later will be distributed through Waco-area food banks.”

Easter also brings families together for food and cheer. Children enjoy themselves searching for eggs that will contain candy and other surprises. The fact that rabbits don’t lay eggs is of no matter to kids during this holiday.

But many people still complain. Some find Easter to be just another example of discrepancies of Christianity. One could say that something so vulnerable to capitalism must have a hint of greed in it.

And some Christians dislike such commercialization, saying the specter of money hides the true nature of Easter.

“I think it’s similar to Christmas in that it is commercialized and, in a lot of ways, lost its true meaning,” said W. Tom Hall, evangelist at Mount Pleasant Church of Christ in Warren County.

Is the commercialization of Easter a bad thing?

Money leads to greed, and so a nation of free enterprise is guaranteed to contain greedy individuals and sketchy deals. But such is life. The prevalence of candy and Easter eggs during the holidays has made it a good memory for families everywhere.

In its current form, Easter is able to help people while also remaining fun for families everywhere.

Opinion columnist Henry Sturm is a print journalism junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com.

IMAGO Arts Community will showcase their art at the Loop campus of Houston’s First Baptist Church. Viewers of the redemption-themed exhibition can meet the artists at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8. All of the church campuses will host Easter Sunday services throughout the day. Check the website for more details.

Twelve Moments of Spirituality and Healing Each month, the Rothko Chapel hosts a different religion in a series to learn meditative practices. Wednesday, April 1, Ann Friedman will speak on meditation and equanimity in Judaism. A Buddhist meditation will be held May 6 by Myokei Shonin.

Loving the Family of the Prophet The Risala Foundation will present lecturer Ali Ataie, president and founder of the Muslim Interfaith Council, who will speak on the wisdom of Jesus and the unifying force of love in the family of the prophet. Friday’s lecture will begin at 7:45 p.m. at the Masjid as-Sabireen mosque, and Saturday’s will commence at the same time at the Islamic Education Center.

Holi Festival The Council of Ethnic Organizations will present Hindu festival Holi from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 in Lynn Eusan Park. Holi is a colorful celebration of life, love and the start of the Indian agricultural season. Participants will receive paint powder for throwing and shirts while supplies last.

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The curious case of the Easter Bunny

How rabbits and eggs became associated with one of the most revered Christian holidays

The Easter Bunny has become a staple of the celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection, but that wasn't always the case. Easter has combined elements of pagan ideas to become what it is today. | Brittaney Penny/The Cougar

You may be wondering what fluffy bunnies have to do with one of the most prominent Christian holidays celebrated across the globe. The short answer: not much.

Bunnies, eggs and Easter gifts all developed independently of the celebration honoring the day Jesus Christ rose from the grave. For different pagan groups, the rabbit represented rebirth and fertility because the bunny is such a prolific reproducer, according to the University of Florida's Center for Children's Literature and Culture.

As far as eggs, they became a symbol for Christianity after The Roman Catholic Church became the dominant religion in Europe. Eggs, which were an ancient symbol of rebirth for several pagan faiths, were recast as a symbol for Jesus' resurrection, according to history.com.

The tradition made its way to the United States in the 1700s when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, and the rest is history. Now bunnies, eggs, chocolate candies and baskets are inseparable from the Christian holiday. — Christopher Shelton

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The Council of Ethnic Organizations is hosting an on-campus Holi celebration on Wednesday at Lynn Eusan Park. | File photo/The Cougar

Colorful story, bro Holi's positive energy and use of love fits right in at UH KARIS JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

Vibrant colors cloud the air and coat faces across the world during the Hindu festival of Holi, when millions of people gather to enjoy food, music and the traditional throwing of dyed powder to usher in spring and celebrate the joy of new beginnings.

Though Holi fell on March 6 this year, the Council of Ethnic Organizations will host an on-campus Holi celebration from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in Lynn Eusan Park.

All students are welcome, and colors and water guns will be provided for the celebrations.

“The colors, food, music and atmosphere are the essence of India,” said supply chain management junior and Indian Student Association Social Chair Apeksha Sandesara. “We love to share our heritage with people.”

Traditionally, Holi starts the night before with a ceremonial bonfire lighting, which harkens back to a legend of a demon named Holika, who burned in the fire she intended to use to kill a prince. The bonfire ceremony serves as a reminder of the con-

sequences of evil, and in spite of the grim story, it doesn’t dampen the participants’ spirits.

As a celebration of new life and the strength of good in the face of evil, bright colors are thrown in powder form to symbolize blessing one another, a custom that is also rooted in Hindu folklore.

The tradition of smattering colors on faces stems from a legend surrounding the Hindu god, Krishna. As the legend goes, Krishna’s skin took its characteristic blue color when he drank poisoned breast milk as an infant. When he expressed concern to his mother that his blue skin would make him less appealing to Radha, the girl he loved, his mother told him to throw powdered color on Radha’s face to show her that their love was deeper than the surface. Krishna took his mother’s advice and sparked the Holi tradition of throwing color.

“Specifically, the colors correspond to positive emotions,” said pre-med freshman Ambica Sethi. “By throwing these colors on relatives and friends, you basically give them best wishes for the year ahead.”

Holi is most known for its vibrant colors, but many are attracted to the Hindu festival because it features a healthy amount of dancing. | File photo/The Cougar

Music and dancing play a significant role in the festival and are inspired by Krishna’s famous performance in which he simultaneously danced with millions of young women while playing his enchanting flute.

Today, flutes are not the only instrument you will hear at a Holi celebration — loud, upbeat music implores the participants to dance and celebrate the beginning of spring in free-form fashion.

“There are absolutely no rules — we go

ham,” Sandesara said.

As the Holi Festival becomes more widespread, cultures all over the world are joining the celebration as not only a religious ceremony, but as simply a good time to be had by all.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend and participate in any Holi festival,” Sandesara said.

“We, the Indian community, welcome you with open arms and hands full of color.”