Religious groups participate in many activities this fall

BY SHAUN GALLAGHER

Student Affairs Editor

Many campus ministries are entering their busiest times of the Fall Semester for social and religious activities.

Junior John Tanner, a ministry leader for the student group InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, said the beginning of the year is a time for outreach, and the group is also participating in a service project.

"It's called Operation Carelift. We pack up different items to send to underpriveledged kids," he said.

Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman of Chabbad, a Jewish student group, said he hosts Wednesday night discussions at Brew Ha Ha and Friday night dinners, in addition to special events.

This past week, he said, the Chabbad student group sponsored the "Sukkah Mobile," a pick-up truck with a large booth mounted on its bed. The truck drove around campus as part of a tradition for the holiday of Sukkot.

"Jewish people have a custom of sitting and eating in the booth," he said. "Some people even sleep in there."

Another Jewish tradition during Sukkot is to shake the lulav, an ornamental floral arrangement with symbolic significance, he said. Chabbad included the lulav in its Sukkot festivities.

Chabbad plans to conduct several special holiday meals later in the semester and may be organizing a group at Homecoming, Sneiderman said.

Kierney Corliss, secretary of the Baha'i Club, said her group will be holding a small discussion group called Firesides, which talks about issues concerning the Baha'i faith.

Though the group has not yet sponsored any organized events, she said there will be a planning meeting in the next two weeks to discuss possible events later in the semester.

Graham VanKeuren, the Presbyterian campus minister, said his group will be hosting a "dinner and a movie" night every Sunday, as well as several service projects during the semester. Small groups within the Presbyterian Campus Ministry also hold meetings throughout the week to discuss religious topics.

In addition, he said, his ministry is involved in events with other groups on campus.

"We meet regularly with other Christian denominational groups on campus, like the Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists and Lutherans, and with the university's Religious Leaders Organization, which includes leaders from Hillel and Chabad,"VanKeuren said.