Category: UCM Athens

On November 11, at 8:00 p.m. in Bentley Hall Room 132, Latin American Studies presents Colombian Catholic priest Fr. Jesus Alberto Franco. He will be reflecting on two decades of human rights work in the midst of deadly conflict.

Father Alberto is a Colombian missionary priest and the Executive Secretary of Inter-church Justice and Peace Commission, a Colombian human rights and community organizing group. For more than 20 years, Fr. Alberto has worked for human rights and accompanied the resistance processes of Afro-Colombian, indigenous and mixed-race farmers. In 2009, he was a featured speaker at the School of the Americas annual vigil at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Witness for Peace is a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Witness for Peace’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Ohio Benefit Bank helps low and moderate-income individuals gain access to government programs targeted to benefit them. If you qualify, you could be eligible for work supports such as home energy assistance, health insurance, childcare subsidies, FAFSA, and food stamps. You can complete the paperwork for these supports with the assistance of a trained counselor at a  registered OBB site, including UCM: Center for Spiritual Growth and Social Justice. All information exchanged during an OBB session is strictly confidential and sessions are quick, easy and painless!

*Birth certificate IF available
*Rent or mortgage bill
*Recent heating bill
*Other recent utility bills
*1-4 recent pay stubs for each household member earning an income
*Estimated value of household assets
*Information about unearned income (child support, assistance, etc.) for each household member
*The social security number of each household member

For more information about OBB services at UCM, or to schedule a Tuesday appointment, call Shannon at (740) 464-7384 or email her at ss335907@ohio.edu.  Also, you can stop by Thursday Supper, served at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday, or Saturday Lunch, served at 1 p.m. every Saturday and ask for Shannon.
 

On Wednesday, October 20, Graduate Student Senate, OU Little Monsters, Student Senate, LGBT Center, United Campus Ministry, ALLY, Open Doors and others held a candlelight vigil to remember LGBTQ teens and young adults who have committed suicide because of bullying and harassment. More than 300 people attended, and for those who could not, UCM Campus Minister Evan Young opened his heart and shared a prayer.

“I’m here tonight because my heart is breaking. It’s breaking for Tyler Clementi . . . and Seth Walsh . . . and Asher Brown . . . and Billy Lucas . . . and Raymond Chase. It’s breaking for my son and his friends who were harassed, ridiculed, and spat on at their high school because they used their silence to express their belief in and support of the full and equal humanity of their friends and neighbors who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer. It’s breaking for the 9 out of 10 LGBTQ teens who report experiencing harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. And it’s breaking for all of us who have built, live in, and maintain a community that professes love and respect yet permits, even encourages, acts of hate, oppression, and alienation.”

“I know your hearts are breaking too. I love that about you. But it’s not enough. We can mourn and grieve, we can wail and beat our breasts, and it won’t stem the tide of hate. We need to change—our selves, and our world. We need to heal this division between what we say we believe, our commitment to equality and compassion, and what we do, our complicity in oppression. For me that change must begin by being put into words; and the words must come from a deep place some call the bottom of one’s heart, others call the soul. I call these words a prayer, and I want to share my prayer with you.”

“The prayer of my breaking heart is that the next time we gather, it be in celebration of the transformation we have wrought, the transformation of our community into a place where our shared belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person is embodied in the systems and structures we build. A place where the way we teach our children and each other reflects our unshakeable commitment to the full equality of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, class, and all the other fake lines we draw to make a ‘them’ when we know there is only ‘us.’ A place where no one of us can stand by and do nothing when we witness harassment, bullying, and oppression, because the lesson of our common worth has been fed to us from birth, and reinforced by everything we see our parents, families, friends and neighbors do. A place where, when fate brings suffering to one of us, all the others of us simply cannot stay at rest, but must move to comfort and affirm and heal. My dear departed friend Art Gish told me that prayer is dangerous—because when you pray you risk changing yourself. So I pray from the bottom of my breaking heart that my prayer be the most dangerous kind, that my self be changed, that you who hear me be changed, and that our change bring forth change in the ones around us, the world around us, on and on out into the night, so that no hearts need break and no lives need be lost again. May it be so; may we make it so.”

The leaves may be falling and the days may be getting colder, but that doesn’t mean fall quarter is over just yet! That’s right, UCM still has two important events just around the bend!

On November 6 at 6:00 p.m. we’ll be having our annual benefit auction at the Athens Community Center on East State Street. Reservations are required, and tickets are a sliding scale of only $25 – $100 ($15 for students and senior citizens). Three week-long vacations will be auctioned off as well as jewelry, gift certificates, artwork, etc. Check out the event on facebook, and email Melissa Wales at ucmathens@frognet.net to make your reservation today!

Then, on November 10 at 7:30 p.m. Interfaith Youth Core will be holding the “What if? Speak in” in the Friends of the Library Room (Alden 319). We will have a guided discussion about the common value of service in various religious traditions, and information about how to get involved in our winter quarter service project will be provided. More information can be found on the event page.

By supporting UCM, you’re helping engage the Ohio University and Athens communities in spiritual growth, work for social justice and community service guided by socially progressive and interfaith values.

On Saturday, November 6 at 6:00 p.m. UCM will be hosting its Annual Benefit Auction. Join us for our most important fundraiser of the year! The event returns to the Athens Community Center and will feature both a silent and live auction (conducted by Shamrock Auction Service), live musical entertainment provided by Tom Daniels on bass and Lynn Sullivan on keyboards, and heavy appetizers provided by local restaurants and chefs including Casa Nueva, Avalanche Pizza, Jonathan Leal (Milo’s Whole World), and others. We will have assorted beverages and you may also bring your own. (Please note this will not be a sit-down dinner as it has been in the past). Featured items include week-long stays at a cabin in Vermont, a condo on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and a one bedroom beach house on the Outer Banks, as well as jewelry, artwork, gift certificates and items from local businesses.

Sliding scale of $25-$100 (low-income, student, senior donation – $15).

Email ucm@frognet.net to make your reservations now.

On Saturday, September 25, Interfaith Impact members journeyed to the beautiful Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens for a fall retreat. The get-away gave veterans and new members of II a chance to bond during the overnight stay. The adventure started bright and early at 9 a.m., with an opening introduction by Melissa Wales, the Executive Director of United Campus Ministry, on what UCM is all about. Next, the retreaters spent a few hours drawing out “life maps,” and sharing their stories with one another. Pizza arrived just in time to hush rumbling stomachs, and the next few hours were spent snacking, laughing, and getting to know fellow II members. In between all of the fun, about an hour was spent discussing various issues that II members felt went against UCM’s mission of promoting spiritual growth and social justice. Next, UCM’s Campus Minister, Evan Young, arrived with dinner, and after vegetarian casserole and salad, the evening activities began. First, II retreaters paired up for in depth discussions about the days events, including what each thought about the Life Maps exercise. And finally, Evan lead a peaceful meditation that closed the days activities.

Interfaith Impact’s fall retreat was a wonderful bonding experience, and we are looking forward to doing it again soon.

UCM’s student group Interfaith Impact met for the second time this quarter on Tuesday. Over fifteen people showed up, all of whom were female until one lucky male was pulled in to the discussion. The topic this week was spirituality and sexuality, so you can imagine there wasn’t a dull moment the entire hour and a half. The fall retreat is this Saturday and we already have 12 confirmed attendees. We’ll be going to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens for an overnight stay to bond with fellow Impact members. Stay tuned to find out how the retreat went, and if possible, stop by our meeting next Tuesday in the UCM lounge at 7:00 p.m.

Also, don’t forget UCM’s open house is this evening from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Stop by for a bowl of chili and find out how you can get involved at UCM this fall!

Interested in getting involved with Athens storm/tornado recovery efforts? Call the Red Cross at 593-5273 or shoot them an email at redcross@frognet.net. You can also contact the OU Campus Involvement Center on the 3rd floor of Baker or check out their website .  UCM can receive non-perishable food donations M-F, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the blue bin on the basement stage. Please call ahead if you’re bringing a large amount of goods. No volunteer crews are being organized through UCM at this time, but may be in the near future. We’ll keep you posted!


Our student group Interfaith Impact meets in the UCM lounge on Tuesday’s at 7 p.m. This weeks topic is Spirituality and Sexuality. Students of all or no faith traditions are welcome to join. 


Also, this Thursday, September 23, UCM is holding an open house to kick of the 2010-2011 school year! All are welcome and a chili dinner (meat and vegetarian) will be provided. Bring a friend and meet the UCM community and find out how you can get involved this year.