NEW JERSEY, October 9, 2007: Hindu Student Council members from all over the country gathered at the University of Pittsburgh for the 2007 Annual Meet to jump start the school year with a fresh perspective of what it means to be a member of HSC and what it means to be a Hindu-American. Every year the annual meet brings together chapters from all over the country, and members from all parts of the organization come together to learn about HSC, discuss the organization’s plans and goals for the year, and bond with one another. Sprinkled with cultural activities, field trips, and presentations, this weekend retreat, like every year, reinvigorated everyone who attended with the spirit of HSC. This year, however, the annual meet also had a special focus on engaging more with the local community, and thus the attendees also had the opportunity to interact with temple representatives and visit the local Pittsburgh temples.
With Pitt’s beautiful campus setting the background, the meet started off with a relaxing yoga session on Saturday morning. After a lively round of icebreakers, A.R. Ravi and Dr. N.V. Srinivasa, who represented the famous local Shri Venkateshwara temple, delivered inspiring talks emphasizing the value of youth involvement in temple activities. Religion provides us with a steady source of lifelong guidance, they conveyed, and a relationship with the temple provides one with a place where one can learn about and share one’s religion and heritage. “It provides a support system, an enriching environment, and a cultural community,” said Dr. Srinivasa. Applauding HSC’s efforts for providing a means for the college youth to stay in touch with the Hindu religion and culture, they also took feedback from HSC members regarding what temples could do to increase their show of support for youth involvement in temple activities. Following the talks, Dr. Venkatram Dharmarajan’s enlightening presentation on the Vedanta philosophy complemented the value of religion the temple representatives had expressed. As the presentation gave the audience a tiny glimpse of the depth and value of Hindu philosophy, it also demonstrated the universal, practical, and scientific nature of the guidance that the Hindu religion offers. Also addressing the students were Dr. Krishna Agrawal, who helped sponsor the event, and Dr. Vijai Singh, Associate Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Capturing the attendees’ appreciation of the many speakers, Ambika Lall, a 2007 graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and a former chapter officer, recognized that this was an essential way of engaging with the community. She remarked, “It’s important for temples to reach out to youth in order to increase the interest of young people in temple administration and activities. This will help them preserve their heritage, tradition, and values.”