 Media Credit: Sweeney, Clare Boston College Campus Ministry sponsored a multicultural Thanksgiving celebration, featuring prayers and readings from many faiths yesterday afternoon.
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'Tis the season to be jolly - almost. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, students get a break from classes and a time to express gratitude for all of one's blessings. This was the focus of the Multicultural Thanksgiving Service held yesterday.
Eight days before Thanksgiving, the Heights Room was filled with worshippers from a variety of faiths. The event was sponsored by the Boston College Campus Ministry and headed by the Rev. Howard McLendon, who said that he wanted attendees to take away "an appreciation for the religious diversity of our community."
He said that even though 40 percent of the undergraduate population associates with religions other than Catholicism, they rarely get a chance to express themselves spiritually. Yesterday's service was designed to satisfy this need.
The Multicultural Thanksgiving was also formulated to combat the main forces behind intercultural discord -"lack of experience, lack of understanding, and ignorance keep cultures apart," McLendon said.
The event opened with an address from Gov. John Hancock as played by D. Michael Ryan, a historical interpreter, who read the 1789 Proclamation of Thanksgiving and Prayer from George Washington.
The service was interspersed with practices from all religious backgrounds: an Anglican blessing, readings from the Holy Quran, a Jewish blessing, and a Baha'i traditional thanksgiving prayer.
Three speakers present at the event offered their reflections on thankfulness. Matt Ryan, quarterback of the BC football team and WCAS '08, expressed gratitude for what he is most thankful for - his family. Next to the podium was Fuzieh Jallow, president of the Muslim Students Association and A&S '08, who quoted Mohammed: "If you tried to number God's blessings you could not count them." Finally, Ben Birnbaum, a 29-year veteran of BC and executive director of marketing and communications, stood up to make share his thoughts. "Judaism has great respect for sages," Birnbaum said, who went on to name several people who fit the intellectual profile throughout history including William James, writer Samuel Johnson, and the poet Basho.
When the ceremony concluded, the audience was invited to join in on a feast of every college student's favorite meal - free food.
"[The most important aspect of bringing cultures together is] for everyone to come in with an open mind," Jallow said. She said that the faiths had all been equally represented, and that these types of events showcase the best parts of each religion.
2008 Woodie Awards
