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Show www.dailyutahchronicfe.com' MINORITY STUDENTS 3 Tuesday, September 29,2009 Jews find ways to connect to roots Rosemary Campbell STAFF WRITER When Mike Aloni moved to Salt Lake City from his home in Fairfax, Va., he did not expect to find a large Jewish population like what he grew up in—and he was right in his expectations. The Jewish population in Utah, especially at the U, is significantly smaller than in other places and institutions in the United States, said Harris Lenowitz, U professor of Hebrew. This greatly affects how Aloni, a senior in economics, defines himself in such a society. "I basically see myself as even more Jewish," Aloni said. "It forces me to go back to my roots and back to Judaism. I've become way more observant." Aloni said he came to Utah for a change of pace and thinks the U is a good school. He said it was not a huge shock for him when he found a small number of Jews here. He has become involved in the U's Jewish Student Association, which has been an active organization for the past four years, to help him feel at home at theU. Now president of the JSA, Aloni said the group celebrates all the big holidays, such as Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, both in the month of September, and they try to have Shabbat dinners once a month. Twice a year, about seven of the 6o student and alumni members of the JSA travel to represent the U at international gatherings of Jewish college students in New York and Los Angeles as a way to strengthen their core. "There is a lot of growing to be done," Aloni said. "We need a lot of people and we need to be active." Ashley Malnove, a third-year law student at the U and a member of the JSA, is one of few Jewish students in the law school. She grew up in Utah and graduated from PHOTO COURTESY JEWISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION Jewish students from around world gather in New York for a meeting. The U's Jewish Student Association sends about seven students to New York and Los Angeles twice a year to attend the meetings. high school at Waterford School in Sandy and said she is used to being in the minority. When Malnove left for Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., for her undergraduate, she said she found a considerably larger Jewish population than she knew in Utah. "It was a big shock," Malnove said. "I knew college would be different than high school, but it was really nice. They always had events that a lot of people (would) go to." After leaving Washington University, which has a student popula- tion that Malnove said is almost 50 percent Jewish, she came to the U's law school, which is even less diverse than the undergraduate population. The law school generally has only one or two Jewish students in each year of the school's three-year curriculum. Malnove said her religion has never been an issue, and any outward signs of antagonism have been isolated instances. Still, she says, people should make sure they think about what it's like to be in the minority before joking about it so those incidents stop. As for the Jewish community itself, Malnove said she believes it is strong, but could be more unified. Jews have diverse views and in Judaism, people are free to disagree with one another, creating some division, she said. The JSA is doing its part to strengthen the community, hoping to give Jewish students a chance to be involved, she said. Aloni said he has encountered situations where fellow students have tried to convert him away from Judaism, adding that the effort it takes to be self-defined and true to his roots is difficult when there aren't many Jews around for support. However, Aloni and Malnove said they appreciate how accepting teachers and students in his classes are of his beliefs. "I (think) that all students have been diplomatic and I don't feel tension," Aloni said. "Everyone is very good about Judaism." *• " r.campbell@ chronicle.utah.edu Gay students stru with self-censorship Chris Mumford STAFF WRITER Among the many misconceptions dogging members of the U's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, the most common might be the least obvious—the notion that they agree on everything and face the same problems. On questions ranging from whether homosexuality is a choice to the legality and desirability of sanctioning gay marriage, a variety of perspectives can be found within the U's LGBT community. One of the purposes of the LGBT Resource Center, located in the Union, is to create an environment in which individuals feel free to express opinions that might be stifled elsewhere. The Utah Legislature shot down all of the Common Ground initiatives that would have granted the state's gay community some of the same benefits as heterosexual couples, "I think I do very much censor myself," said James Lancaster, a junior in gender studies and mass communication, who did not state "It just seems like a lot of peohis sexual orientation. "It's just ple are trying to make sense of part of survival." their sexual orientation and their Lancaster said he feels like he religion," said Allie Shephard, a has only recently begun to come to bisexual junior in pre-nursing, in terms with his true identity, which attempting to explain how some he has become accustomed to sup- people in the LGBT community pressing. can hold opinions, such as oppos"I don't know what my behavior ing gay marriage, that seem at odds would be if I hadn't grown up in with public assumptions. such an oppressive environment," Lancaster and Currey both he said. pointed out that disagreements Others, however, say they feel are handled civilly and that stuperfectly comfortable on campus dents interested in the LGBT and that self-censors hip isn't a Center don't need to worry about problem. being interrogated about their Nate Currey, a gay senior in ur- political views. The differing beban planning, said he feels comfort- liefs found at the center only ilable on campus, but said this might lustrate the idea that everyone is be because of the fact that he came welcome. out to his family and friends years The principle aim, Lancaster ago and has therefore had more said, is to make individuals—and time to adjust. particularly newcomers—feel safe Currey, who comes from a Lat- and comfortable. ter-day Saint background, spoke "I think it's just basic things of accepting his sexuality as a like reading people and asking choice, which provoked some dis- them how their day has been," he agreement from other students at said. the center, who felt that sexuality c.mumford@ doesn't involve choice. chronicle.utah.edu Cold weather shocks newcomers Rita Totten STAFF WRITER International students studying at the U cite weather as the biggest difference they have experienced. Sultan Almubarak, a junior in business finance from Saudi Arabia, said until he began studying in Utah, he had never seen snow. "It was a great thing," Almubarak said. "I really love it." He said Utah's mountains and the views they offer are why he enjoys studying here. "It makes me want to stay in Utah all the time." As far as the religious aspect goes, Almubarak said he doesn't mind the predominance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Salt Lake City. "Everyone has their own mind," Almubarak said. Almubarak said his father, who was studying for a master's in health care administration, described Utah to Almubarak over the phone and encouraged him to study in Utah. "My father convinced me to come here," Almubarak said. Naser Almansoori, a sophomore in business, came to Utah from United Arab Emirates and, like Almubarak, said the cold was a shock from the normally humid temperatures he experienced in of Dubai, where winter temperatures rarely drop below 60 degrees. Almansoori also chose Utah because of the financial program. He said the best thing about being in Utah is the experience of a new country and a new language. Almansoori said the hours of businesses are hard to understand. "At home, I can be in coffee shops till 2 or 3 in the morning," Almansoori said. "Here, everything closes early." r.totten@ chronicle.utah.edu ILLUSTRATION BY AIYSSA WHlTNEY/ft*Datl/UtdiOimttk Not all Utes bleed red BYUfans on campusflyunder the radar Katie Valentine STAFF WRITER Despite raving animosity during Rivalry Week, students feel safe to bleed blue on a red campus. It's unconventional, but not all BYU fans attend BYU and not all U fans attend the U. Stephanie Stagg, a graduate student in public administration, bleeds blue. She grew up a BYU fan and did her undergraduate education at the conservative school down south. Doug Woodbury, a sophomore at BYU in accounting, bleeds red. John Weist, a junior in psychology and English at BYU, started at the U but after a year of school, went to BYU when it offered him a scholarship. He is also a Ute fan. The athletic fandom minorities find a lot in common. For instance, they'll make exceptions and cheer for the rival team. Stagg said she cheers for both teams because she wants "them to do well, except when they play each other." Woodbury and Weist only cheer for the U—except on rare occasions. When BYU played the Oklahoma Sooners at the beginning of the season, Woodbury and Weist made an exception and cheered for BYU because it was a good win for the conference, not just their school, they said. Both environments also have been welcoming. "I can wear a U shirt all day on campus and no one will say anything," Woodbury said. Woodbury said he discovered that as long as he shows respect to his fellow classmates about their favorite sports teams, they show respect back. Weist has a U sticker on his laptop and people often ask him why he has it, assuming he would be a BYU fan, he said. When Stagg was growing up, she said she had some friends who were obnoxious U fans, but she found that stereotype to be untrue when she started going to the U, Stagg said. Not that there isn't any antagonizing. Last week, an Associated Press article ran in the sports section of The Daily Universe, BYU's school paper, about BYU's loss to Florida State. The article says the loss changed the "Cougars' hopes from the BCS, possibly even a national championship, to winning the Mountain West Conference title." Weist said some BYU fans have a sense of arrogance, which the school has not encouraged, that the team could still compete for a national championship this year, Weist said. "Really? After two games?" he said. k.vatentine@chronicle.utah.edu |