The Compass
Thursday, December 12, 2002 lo
( CHRISTMAS CULTURES )
ECSU CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
Erika Cooper
The holidays are right around
the corner and Elizabeth City
State University has many activi
ties planned for the students,
faculty and public.
On Dec. 18, there will be an
Employee’s Christmas Party held
in the K.E. White Graduate Cen
ter. The party will start at 3:00 pm
and end at 6:00 pm.
So that students would be well
informed of the way other cultures
celebrate Christmas, the Office of
Student Life held a Cultural Cel
ebration on Nov. 20.
“We had representatives talk
about Ramadan, Hanukkah, and
Kwanzaa,” said Jean Holt, Assis
tant Dean of Student Life.”
Ramadan is a special month
of the year for many Muslims
throughout the world. Ramadan is
a timeof worship, reading of the
Qu’ran, purifying one’s behavior,
doing good deeds, and giving
charity.
Hanukkah is celebrated for
eight days and nights starting on
the 25 of Kislev on the Hebrew
calendar (which is November-
December on the Gregorian cal
endar).
Kwanzaa is a celebration
which focuses on community
responsibility, the traditional Afri
can values of family, self-improve
ment and commerce. Kwanzaa is
celebrated from Dec. 26 through
Jan.1.
“We had the Chancellor do
the official lighting of the Christ
mas tree,” said Holt.
Different organizations on the
ECSU campus are conducting
various drives such as food drives
and clothes drives. The ECSU
Commuter Services and Psychol
ogy Club, in conjunction with the
U.S Marine Corps Reserve, are
gathering toys for tots. The drive
will be held Dec.3-Dec 13.
“I love the joy of seeing the
kids’ faces and their parents. I
love to make them happy,” said
Willa Lamb, Commuter Services
Coordinator.
Toys for Tots wad originated
under the U.S. Marine Corps
Reserve.
“We work with the Marines
out of Jacksonville, N.C. We
service the area children. We’ve
had support from the Elizabeth
City Fire Department. They used
their antique fire truck and deliv
ered toys to 12 families. This is
our third year helping out with
Toys for Tots. Our first year, we
serviced 84 children and 42
families in Pasquotank,” said
Lamb.
The ECSU Planetarium
hosted its annual Christmas
Feature Presentation Dec. 2,4,7-9,
2002. The ECSU Planetarium
sponsored a Christmas laser show
entitled, “Tis the Season.” The
dates were Dec. 2 - Dec. 7 (Dec. 6
at 6:00pm and 7:30 pm), and Dec.
7 at 6:00 p.m. The Planetarium is
located in the Jenkins Science
Complex, Room 146.
Admission is free and open to
the public.
The ECSU Choir and the
Evelyn A. Johnson Community
Singers presented a Christmas
Concert on Dec. 5 at 7:30pm in the
Moore Hall Auditorium. The choir
performed George Frideric
Handel’s Messiah. Admission is
free and open to the public.
All residence halls will close
Dec. 19 at 12 noon. They will re
open for all students Jan. 12 from
8am to 5pm.
STUDENTS GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF CHRISTMAS CULTURES
McKeith Cordell
mckcordell @ hotmail.com
As the Christmas season
quickly comes and goes, Elizabeth
City State University took a mo
ment to recognize the various
traditions in which this beloved
time of the year is celebrated in
cultures other than our own. On
November 20, 2002 at 7:00 pm,
ECSU held a very intimate pro
gram that was open for all titled “A
Cultural celebration for the Sea
son.” The event included various
guest speakers who explained the
importance of Hanukkah,
Ramadan, and Kwanzaa.
Dr. Jean Holt introduced the
Hanukkah tradition. Hanukkah is
an eight-day Jewish holiday that
begins on the 25*^ day of the
month of Kislev according to the
Hebrew calendar, or during No
vember and December. Hanukkah
celebrates the victory of the Jews
over Hellenistic Syrians that oc
curred in 165 B.C. After the battle,
they went to the Holy temple in
Jerusalem for the purpose of
rededication only to find that there
was not enough oil to light their
lamps. Amiably, they found
enough oil that would normally last
for one night, but that oil instead
lasted eight nights.
Next, Dr. Mamadu Yakubu,
professor at ECSU, introduced the
celebration of Ramadan. This
Muslim holiday, also known as the
month of fasting, is a time for inner
reflection, devotion to God, and
self-control. The Muslims believe
that many special benefits come
from fasting such as, the body’s
digestive cycle getting a break,
thankfulness, as well as apprecia
tion for food. While fasting the
Muslims get the chance to engage
in intensive worship, giving charity,
purifying their behavior, and read
ing of the Qur’an. Fasting is by all
means voluntary, and Ramadan
is known as the most widely
practiced form of Muslim wor
ship.
Conclusively, the ceremony
did not conclude until after
ECSU’s Concerned Black Aware
ness Council introduced the
celebration of Kwanzaa. People
of African origin from December
26 through January 1 celebrate
Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa, which
means “first” in Swahili and signi
fies the first fruits of harvest, is
described as a time to reflect on
the use of basic principles, a time
of recommitment to us in order to
achieve a better life for our fami
lies, and a time to enjoy the fruits
of our labor. Among the customs
practiced during Kwanzaa is
fasting. Fasting is done to
cleanse the mind, body and soul.
Also, a symbolic candle-lighting
ceremony is held among families.
The candles are black, green and
red. Black is for the color of
African Americans everywhere, and
it is located in the center of the
kinara. Then there are three red
candles representing the blood of
ancestors. And lastly, are three
green candles that represent the
earth, life, and the ideals of the
future.
After the presentations were
done, James Hill, ECSU senior,
recited a poem he wrote entitled,
“Love Guided My Steps.” Also,
Keith Richardson, Mr. ECSU, read
a speech he wrote about the “Rea
son for the Season.”
By the end of the ceremony a
Christmas tree in the University
center was lit, the Essence of
Praise gospel choir performed for
spectators, and Dr. Anthony Brown
made a presentation to the
Albemarle Food Bank. This was a
special celebration to all who at
tended. Each person left with
knowledge on new ways to cel
ebrate this wonderful time of the
year.
K1WANZA.A: IS IT STILL R.ELEVA.NT?
Quentona Cothran
Kwanzaa, which means “first
fruits of the harvest” in the African
language Kiswahili, is an African-
American celebration that focuses
on the traditional African values of
family, community, responsibility,
commerce, and self-improvement
by observing seven guiding prin
ciples from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
Kwanzaa was founded and cre
ated in 1966 by Dr. Maulana
Karenga and has gained a large
audience over the years.
Today, the debate about
whether of not Kwanzaa is still
relevant to African-American col
lege students still burns in a lot of
people’s hearts. More than 18
million people observe Kwanzaa
worldwide, but one wonders if it is
still an important celebration.
Travis Billups, a senior at
Elizabeth City State University
feels that Kwanzaa is still relevant.
“Kwanzaa is still an important
celebration to college students.
Many of my friends no longer
celebrate Christmas and only
concentrate on Kwanzaa so that
they can get closer to their roots,”
said Billups.
Shinah Hawkins, an ECSU
senior feels that Kwanzaa is still
important, especially for those that
have been raised celebrating it.
“I was not raised celebrating
Kwanzaa, but I do feel that it is
important to those that were. I do
realize the benefits of Kwanzaa
and more young African Ameri
cans should learn more about it”
said Hawkins.
Kwanzaa’s seven principles
are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia
(self-determination), Ujima (collec-
tive-work and responsibility),
Ujamaa (cooperative economics),
Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativ
ity), and Imani (faith).
Can it be assumed that the
seven principles of Kwanzaa
should be common knowledge to
students or should it be some
thing that is taught at Historical
Black Colleges and Universities?
Shanon Penn, an ECSU
junior, feels that Kwanzaa is not
mentioned enough at HBCU’s.
“I know when I was in el
ementary school, the seven
principles were taught to us. Now
that I am in college, you hardly
ever hear about anything relating
to Kwanzaa, let alone mentioning
the seven principles. I feel that it
would be beneficial to the stu
dents if the principles and the
symbols of Kwanzaa were
taught,” said Penn.
These seven symbols are;
mazao, mkeba, kinara, vibunzi,
zawadi, kikombe cha umoja, and
mishumaa saba. There are
plenty of aspects that fall into
Kwanzaa, such as the way the
home is decorated, the gifts, and
the Kwanzaa feast or the Karamu.
Some students believe that by
placing so much emphasis on
Kwanzaa take away the true mean
ing of Christmas. KerryAnn
Cummings, a senior at Elizabeth
City State University, does not
agree with celebrating Kwanzaa.
“To me, Kwanzaa takes away
from the tradition of the holiday
season. The purpose of the holi
days is to celebrate the birth of
Christ,” said Cummings.
Kwanzaa is a celebration of our
heritage and allows families and
communities to come together.
Kwanzaa is neither political nor
religious, and it is not a substitute
for Christmas. Kwanzaa is a time of •
reaffirming African-American
people, their ancestors, and cul
ture. Kwanzaa is a special celebra
tion of our past, present and future.
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