OCR Text |
Show G WEDNESDAY, JANUARY - DIXIESUNNEWS.COM o O 9 v 20, 2015 - n sireiT' UNIVERSITY SUPPORTIVE OF MUSLIM COMMUNITY'S NEEDS ,'V. Jr ' - f v V M 1 I I J L. L 1 i x 2 ot Sr ' ct x mt, .: cej- si Bahy Darrouza, a sophomore business major from West Bank, Palestine, leads students, faculty and community members who are Muslim in a weekly prayer in the North Instructional Building Friday Room 1 25 in the NIB has been available to use as a prayer spot for Muslims since March. Check out Kelby BY SPENCER RICKS SpencerRicks Morrison's I I hashtags i AJthough the Muslim community in St. George is rela- and relationships video at - tively small, many Muslims have found a haven at Dixie State University. Its a very forgiving, very DixieSunNews.com. 9 4 v T 1 STAFF PROFILE OF if understanding place for the most part, said Bahij Darrouza, a sophomore business major from West Bank, Palestine. Darrouza led the weekly prayer in the North Instructional Building Friday with a group of about 20 community members, students and faculty who are Muslim. Praying and affiliating with other Muslims in St. George is something they have only been able to do since March when Darrouza and other students specifically asked DSU administrators for a prayer THE WEEK space on campus. They were given Room 125 of the North Instructional Building as a prayer space, which is used for yoga classes Monday through Saudi Arabia the heart of at the weekly prayer Friday. Darrcaza read the story Islam of Jonah, using passages from the Quran and spoke on the Thursday. importance of patience, Faheedat Ayoola, a junior nursing major from Osun, Ni- tance and praising Allah geria, was among the students who asked for the prayer space last year. She said she began asking for a prayer room in fall of 2014. I really like the efforts of the DSU administrators in giving us the prayer spot, Ayoola said. Its been a selling point for Dixie. We can go out and tell our friends, Dixie does have a prayer spot. Muslims in St. George needed to travel to a small mosque in Cedar City each week to pray with other Muslims before the prayer room at DSU was set aside. People removed their shoes and kneeled on prayer rugs facing the east toward Mecca, repen- the Arabic name for God. There are not very many Muslims in St. George, but its nice to have a place to pray and socialize with other Muslims, Darrouza said. Because many of St. Georges residents are religious, Darrouza said the people here have been peaceful and accepting toward Muslims, even though many may not understand then-culture- . Ayoola said some students have asked questions about why she covers her head with a hijab, but most were supportive and understanding. In Nigeria, I wear my hijab so I dont get assaulted, Ayoola said. Here at Dixie, if people say Im a terrorist because of the way I dress, I stand strong and let them know I am not a terrorist. More efforts are being made to help Muslims feel more comfortable on campus, said Daneka Souberbielle, director of intercultural engagement. Souberbielle said she is working with the Multicultural and Diversity Center to provide activities for students who are Muslim during the summer for Ramadan a month of fasting observed by Muslims. Many of the Muslim students are international students, so they stay on campus Souberbielle said. This year, were really going to be focusing on supporting them through Ramadan. Fasting for 30 days can get pretty intense. Shadman Bashir, a visiting professor who is Muslim, said Utah as a whole has been more accepting of Muslims than year-roun- d, other states. Gov. Gary Herbert was the only republican governor to continue welcoming Syrian refugees after the November terrorist attacks in Paris. And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, Utah's predominant religion, made a statement upholding its position on religious liberties after republican candidate Donald Trump made his call to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. in December. It has taken our country 200 years to reach this point as far as religious freedom and tolerance goes, Bashir said. It would be a huge step back in our society if people start to no longer welcome people based on their religion. Bashir said when he first heard about the shooting in San Bernardino, California, in which 14 people were killed and 22 were injured Dec. 2, he was up until 3 a.m. trying to find out what happened with a sunken heart for the victims. I immediately hoped the perpetrator wasnt a Muslim, Bashir said. I knew if he was, it could be a huge loss for Muslims in this country. Married couple Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik were j identified as the killers in the San Bernardino attack. Both were Muslim and are thought to have been motivated by extremist ideals. Islam is a peaceful rehgion, and its the bad guys that mess it up for the rest of us, Bashir ( said. Darrouza said anyone who is interested in learning more about Muslim culture in St. George is welcome to visit the k weekly prayers on Fridays at 2 pm. in Room 125 of the North Instructional Building. The U.S. is the best country in the world for religions and tolerance, Darrouza said. We are glad to be here. C I r Career Center beneficial before, during job search geared toward service, not sexism X-Cl- ub BY DIANA FOSSETT BY EMILY FIAVENS DianaFossettDSN EmilyJFIavens v l T'., OSSETT EDITOR What is your favorite place to be? A: Anywhere with beautiful views Q. What is your favorite activity? A: Running Q' What was your main purpose for joining the Dixie Sun? A: To build my portfolio Q What is your favorite movie? A. "Ponyo" Q: Job hunting a process everyone loves to hate. While people may hate it, bringing in an income is necessary in a capitalistic society. As the popular saying goes: Money cant buy happiness. But in reality, money can help provide a lot of things necessary for happiness. However, a dichotomy exists. It is commonly acknowledged that it is easier to find a job when already employed. This puts many students in an awkward position some having never worked before, transfer students new to an area without contacts, or simply funds getting tight unexpectedly. Jasmine Candland, a junior English major from St. George, is a transfer student from Utah Valley University. She works for the SunRiver Golf Club. My advice would be to be a squeaky wheel, Candland - One of the most exclusive clubs on campus Tfte career center can help! thinks it has what it takes Located on the Illtfi Hoor ol the to be this years club of R. Holland Jeffery the year. building. Dixie State Universitys has been around since 1939 and serves as an service club. Its capped at 15 members. President Eric Gubler, a junior sports said. My boss said that he additional tools for Dixie State science major from Santa is not hiring anyone even Clara, said keeping the University students to use. though applications are sitting The Career Center employees club small makes it easier on his desk because no one to perform service projcurate jobs on the Dixie job is knocking down his door for ects. which are called in by board, the job. If you have a select few employers. A title and a short However, many workplaces job description will be listed, as of the most prestigious have moved toward elecwell as how to apply. Career guys on campus, you can tronic hiring methods. It can Center employees will also list get a lot done, Gubler be intimidating to try to wade all the openings on campus. said. through the different job sites a hisBy prestigious, Gubler Cody Peterson, junior like Monster, CareerBuilder said the club looks for tory major from Cedar City, and Craigslist. But the Career switched jobs halfway through men on campus who are Center, located on the fifth last semester. He works on involved in as many DSU floor of the Jeffery R. Holland activities as possible. In Centennial Commons, has see JOBS page 8 addition to having Dixie X-Cl- ub all-ma- X-Cl- le zl - 5? spirit, a GPA of 3.0 and e enrollment status is required. Students who try out for the club need to write a short essay about why they deserve to be on the club and participate in an interview. James Kerner, a junior English major from Logan, said prestigious" refers the club members' willingness to serve. All of members have a strong desire to give back to the school and community, Kerner said. Some service projects the has been involved in are the Campus to Community events, picking up trash on local trails, and Bowl for Kids Sake through Big Brothers Big Sisters, which the club donated $1,000 to last year. In addition to these service projects, mem- bers of the go to full-tim- X-Cl- po the be; vej it c she 1 Ge Clc frie to t dec P has cla; use gets are X-Cl- see page Ti are |