Hood College Office of the Dean of the Chapel

On Thursday February 24, 2022 Ukraine was invaded by Russia. The significance of this aggression calls us to stop and bear witness to the pain of people whose lives are now torn apart by violence and war, and to recognize our shared humanity. They are just like us- children and teens, young adults, middle aged and elders- hoping for the same things we do, to carry on their daily lives in peace.

This war in eastern Europe begins as Black History Month ends in the United States. The words of Pauli Murray’s poem To the Oppressors connect two communities from different times and places in the voice of those who know their power isn’t in armies or weapons but in determination and vision. If you haven’t heard of Dr. Pauli Murray- Baltimore born Black lawyer, civil rights champion, Episcopal priest, professor and poet- take time to learn about their remarkable life and work. (www.paulimurraycenter.org)

There are few clear answers about the trajectory of this war but there are two clear, vital questions that each of us will need to answer for this moment in history- what are our responsibilities to each other and how will we live out our values?

To the Oppressors

Now you are strong
And we are but grapes aching with ripeness.
Crush us!
Squeeze from us all the brave life
Contained in these full skins.
But ours is a subtle strength
Potent with centuries of yearning,
Of being kegged and shut away
In dark forgotten places.

We shall endure
To steal your senses
In that lonely twilight
Of your winter’s grief.

(Pauli Murray, Dark Testament and Other Poems, 1939)

Thank you to African American faculty colleagues at Hood for understanding and speaking to the needs of our students in a letter sent today.

May 31, 2020

Dear Hood College Black Student Union, African Student Association, and African American Studies Minors:


We, the African American faculty at Hood College, stand with you in unity. We have witnessed the events of the past several nights, and experienced the frustration and anger engendered by the reasons that created a need for the protests. We, like you, understand that the protests and frustrations are not just about the murder of African Americans by law enforcement. They are also about the daily harassments and indignities suffered by African Americans at the hands of the criminal justice system, and of far too many other entities and individuals. We, too, have been greatly impacted by the frustration inherent in witnessing a disproportionate number of black and brown people die from the Covid-19 pandemic. We understand that the anger in the country at this time is about the structural inequality that has created seemingly insurmountable barriers to progress. We stand with you in unity.

At times it seems that things have not gotten better, but we must all remember that people working together in solidarity have made changes in society. We realize that it does not feel like this at the present moment. The pain of what we are witnessing, experiencing, seems overwhelming. The static nature of how black lives are devalued in this country is maddening, but remember that we can facilitate change. We as a people can and will prevail. History tells us that change has occurred through the persistence of those who stand up for justice and work to eliminate racism. The foot soldiers who woke up each morning and put one foot in front of the other on the path toward freedom during the Modern Civil Rights Movement did not stop. They worked to create new moral paradigms; they successfully urged the creation of new legislation. They stood together for the cause of liberty, of justice, to force a nation to confront its wicked reality and to make the words written in the founding documents apply to all. We can and must continue the work of those foot soldiers as we march toward a world of equity and justice.

We, the African American faculty at Hood College, are here to help create and maintain community. At this time, we ask that you take care of yourselves both physically and mentally. If you are struggling and need help, please reach out to any one of us and we will help you.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once stated: "Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be." If you are searching for ways that you can get involved in facilitating change, there are links at the end of this message that you might find helpful.

Signed,

Dr. Terry Anne Scott – Associate Professor of History, Director of African Americans Studies

Dr. Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs – Associate Professor of Political Science, Department Chair, Virginia E. Lewis Professor of Political Science

Dr. Diane R. Graves – Associate Professor of Psychology – Program Director, Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Behavior

Dr. Atiya R. Smith – Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling, Advisor to BSU

Dr. Malikah Marrus – Assistant Professor of Social Work



**Things that you can do now to eradicate racial injustice and promote change**:

The following link includes numbers for various offices in Minnesota. You can call today to urge officials to arrest the three police officers who remain free as of today:

https://www.aclu-mn.org/en/call-for-justice-for-george-floyd?fbclid=IwAR1VeabjxIR9NPemklnzaPXwWsWjntwobHUgYb_cwBRMKSg3X05B05iIPjg

https://www.aclu.org/other/fighting-police-abuse-community-action-manual

https://www.un.org/en/letsfightracism/
https://www.uunorthfield.org/docs/Things%20We%20Can%20Do%20to%20End%20Racism.pdf
https://www.uunorthfield.org/docs/Things%20We%20Can%20Do%20to%20End%20Racism.pdf

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
https://www.lawyerscommittee.org/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SecuringJustice&gclid=CjwKCAjwq832BRA5EiwACvCWsW4bnoH2gEcBsDsoDxPgi3ia3NtbccxAIhDQhJBA_0IDr6dKTLiC5BoCijoQAvD_BwE

https://www.splcenter.org/teaching-tolerance

https://www.naacp.org/

NAACP
The NAACP has started a social movement and we need your voice to make one thing clear: We Are Done Dying. Join us, as we urge Congress to take every measure in ensuring we protect Black lives. Take action now. Focus Areas: 1. Federal Advocacy 2. Education 3. Economic Opportunity 4. Criminal Justice 5.
www.naacp.org

NAACP | Home The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

Regardless of your spiritual tradition this essay on learning to let go is worth reading.

Letting Go

(Wendy McFadden, publisher of Brethren Press and Communications)

In an essay about lost gloves, Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich passes along the story of a woman who exited a train car and discovered that she had only one of her gloves. Just before the doors closed behind her, she tossed it back inside. “Better someone had two, if not her,” the storyteller recounted.

I know I couldn’t have acted so quickly, and I’m not sure that my first impulse would have been so generous. But with little hesitation, the woman leaving the train shifted from thinking of herself to thinking of someone else, from regretting the lost glove to giving her pair to another traveler. How does one learn to let go so easily?

There are people who give something up for Lent, but this month I’m thinking more about letting go. These are different, but not completely. Giving something up is about sacrifice; letting go is about freedom. Both clear space for what matters. Both can provide spiritual focus.

What shall we let go of?
Stuff that weighs us down—single gloves awaiting lost mates, unused dishes, clothes that don’t fit. I recently let go of the heaviest thing in the house, an upright piano that was too big for our small living room. (I thought someday I might take lessons, but let the unfulfilled idea go out the door with the piano.)
The compulsion to acquire more. It’s bad for us, our neighbors, and the earth. And someday we’ll have to haul that stuff to the second-hand store.
The need to be in control. We’re not. Go ahead and make long-range plans, but hold them lightly.
Resentments and complaints. Grudges are easy to nurse, but they eventually poison our hearts. Resentment can actually shorten our lives.
Fear of what might happen. We are not our best selves when we are afraid. Sometimes fear is a weapon used against others; sometimes it’s a cancer that attacks its own body. Either way it’s too violent for those who want to build peace.
Outrage. Sometimes it’s justifiable and sometimes it works, but it’s caustic. We would do better replacing outrage with lament and compassion and action.
That’s a lot of letting go, but if we keep practicing it will become easier—even second nature. When the doors are closing, we can turn losses into something good. We can be the stories that are passed along to others, who happily hold them as warm gifts in cold hands.

This reflection was originally featured in the March issue of Messenger magazine. Learn more or subscribe to Messenger today at www.brethren.org/messenger.

Mindfulness is good for all ages!

Movement And Breathing Breaks Help Students Stay Focused On Learning When teachers give students opportunities to move during the day they set up the conditions for better learning.

Manage your stress, increase kindness. Mindfulness practices work! Try it out Monday
afternoons 12:30-1, Thursday afternoons 12:45- 1:15 in the Chapel Meditation Room (ground floor.)
And check out the powerful meditation work of Baltimore’s Holistic Life Foundation...

Breathing love into communities | Holistic Life Foundation | TEDxCharlottesville This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Mindfulness Programs Holistic Life Foundation - Baltimore-based org...

Keep shouting, don't become anesthetized, pope tells young people Pope Francis, starting Holy Week services leading to Easter, urged young people on Sunday to keep shouting and not allow the older generations to silence their voices or anesthetize their idealism.

Come out and please donate school supplies at the showing of the "Corridor of Shame" documentary , Wed. Feb. 25, 2-3:30 pm, Hodson Aud.

Supplies will go to needy schools in North Carolina with the 2015 Alternative Spring Break trip

Do you have an old bike gathering dust in your basement or garage?
Your donation of a bike can make a huge difference in the lives of the working poor in developing countries.

Come join us for the Alternative Spring Break: "Know Your Neighbors" Trip in Frederick on March 10-14th!!

Come join us for delicious pancakes at the Pancake Potluck on Sunday, February 8th at 8:15pm!!!! Bring a treat to share and your friends!!!!

The Hood College Traditional Vespers event will be held in Coffman Chapel on December 7th at 7:30pm. Check out the Flyer Below! The entire community is welcome to come. This is a FREE EVENT

The Hood Community is welcome to the final two chapel services for the semester: December 3 & December 10 at 1:30 in the Chapel Sanctuary.

Circle of 6 - Circle of 6 App

Download the app, Circle of 6, http://www.circleof6app.com/
Stay Safe!

circleof6app.com With Circle of 6, you can connect with your friends to stay close, stay safe and prevent violence before it happens. The Circle of 6 app for iPhone and Android makes it quick and easy to reach the 6 friends you choose. Need help getting home? Need an interruption? Two touches lets your circle know…

There was a very informative meeting at Hood College today for Title 9. This meeting, held in conjunction with Heartly House, informed faculty and staff on changes and updates to the Title 9 Act, and presented resources for facilitating discussions and offering help and hope. Hood College has pledged to be a safe campus!

HOOD COLLEGE CHAPEL IS A SAFE PLACE WHERE THE HOOD COMMUNITY CAN FIND DIRECTION AND PEACE OF MIND. OUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN.

Come join us for the, "Coping with the Loss of a Loved One" discussion, November 3rd at 7:30-9:30pm in Thanatology Library (Rosenstock 1)

Come join us for delicious pancakes at the Pancake Potluck on Sunday, October 26th from 7pm!!!! Bring a treat to share and your friends!!!!

There is so much that you can do to help us fundraise for the Alternative Break Trips!!!!

If you are interested in joining us for any of the Alternative Break trips please either email [email protected], [email protected], come into the chapel office, or get our attention if you see us around campus.

For more information on the different service sites visit:

Fall Break
• Earl's Place: http://www.unitedministries-earlsplace.org/

• Franciscan Earth Corps: https://franciscanaction.org/earthcorps

J Term
• See what Coral Gabels, FL looks like: http://www.citybeautiful.net/

Spring Break
• Franklinton Center at Bricks: http://www.ucc.org/franklinton-center/

• SERRV : https://www.serrv.org/

• Frederick Community Action Agency: http://www.cityoffrederick.com/index.aspx?nid=183

• Brethren Service Center: http://www.brethren.org/brethrenservicecenter/

• 4H Therapeutic Riding Program: http://www.fc4htrp.org/

Seekers' Retreat - Sisters of Bon Secours - November 2014 | Charis Ministries

Hood Alumni, Dana Davenport, will be speaking at this event! Please read, register, and share this post! Do you know of any young adults at Hood (or wherever you are) who are looking for retreat opportunities? If so, pass this information on: "Young Adult Seekers’ Retreat When: Nov. 8-9, 2014 Where: Retreat and Conference Center at Bon Secours, Marriottsville, MD Who: Anyone in their 20’s or 30’s Cost: $125 (includes lodging and meals) Registration: http://charisministries.org/Seekers_BonSecours_Nov2014 or 410-442-3120 The Sisters of Bon Secours Young Adult Ministry, in partnership with Charis Ministries, is inviting you to a Young Adult Seekers’ Retreat. Beginning Saturday, November 9 at 9am and concluding Sunday, November 9 at 4pm, this retreat is an opportunity for those of you in your 20’s and 30’s to deepen your spirituality and faith. Single or married, Catholic or not, no faith or deep faith, you are invited to come and be encouraged on the journey by other young adults who are also seeking to find how God is working in their lives. For more information, please contact Nick Stein, Young Adult Ministry Leader for the Sisters of Bon Secours, at 410-442-3148 or email him at [email protected]."

charisministries.org In the craziness of life, it doesn’t hurt to pause and take a look at the big picture: What’s important in my life? What am I looking for? Where does God fit in?

"Faith in Revival" September 14th Hood College Office of the Dean of the Chapel 3pm Worship with the Rev. Dr. Greg Carey 4pm FREE Progressive Christian Concert featuring 3 Shades of Blue!!!!!!! Everyone is invited! Come out and enjoy the festivities!

A candle has been lit in the Chapel today for those affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy. All are welcome to use the Chapel sanctuary as a quiet place for prayer or reflection.

Hood College Office of the Dean of the Chapel

The "Peeple" have voted! Here are the winners of the 2013 Peeps Contest!

The Peeps Have It | The Hood Blog

Don't forget to check out the Peeps display outside of Whitaker 220!

blog.hood.edu Once again, the Hood community entered the Peeps Contest with enthusiasm and finesse. The competition challenged individuals or groups to create a diorama that illustrated an expression or saying, a movie or play, a book or any other topic of choice by using marshmallow peeps. Clearly, Hood students...

This year, your vote will decide the winner of the Peeps Show Contest! Stop by Whitaker Atrium between 11 am and 3 pm today to cast your vote!

2013 Alternative Spring Break - hoodcollege

Pictures from the 2013 Alternative Spring Break trips in Tuscaloosa, AL and Frederick, MD are up on SmugMug!

http://hoodcollege.smugmug.com/Other/Tuscaloosa-Alternative-Spring/28613156_mLSskK #!i=2426769152&k=3Wnn8mC

hoodcollege.smugmug.com Hood College prepares students to excel in meeting the personal, professional and global challenges of the future. Hood is committed to the integration of the liberal arts, the professions and technology, to the exploration of values, a sense of community and to the preparation of students for lives...

The Hood College Office of the Dean of the Chapel is rolling out the red carpet for its annual Peeps Contest. This year's theme is "Peeps at the Movies!" The deadline to submit your diorama is Monday, April 1.

A big thanks to Ilene Liszka and the Hood College marketing and communications department for this picture from our Alternative Break chocolate sale!
Stop by our table in Whitaker Atrium on Thursday, February 7 to treat yourself to some "Divine" chocolate and to support a great cause!

Treat yourself to a Valentine's Day goodie: chocolate for sale in Whitaker Atrium. Proceeds support Alternative Spring Break trips.

Thursday, February 7 is the last day to support the Alternative Break fair-trade chocolate sale! Pick up the perfect gift for Valentine's Day (only one week away!)

15% OFF!
Don't miss out on these great deals for great trips!
Sign up for an Alternative Spring Break trip today!

How will you make a difference during break?
Sign up for an Alternative Spring Break trip today!

Hood College

Need an internship or want to volunteer in the community? Come to the Community Service Fair today at 11:30 a.m. in Whitaker.

The Chapel will be open at 7pm on Wednesday, January 30 for a circle of caring in support of Erin Ordway, Class of 2011. You are welcome to come pray, talk, or simply be in the company of others who are thinking about Erin and her family during this difficult time.

Tonight: "Wild Women and Bad Boys of the Bible"

Come to the January Pancake Potluck, and celebrate your first week back at Hood!

Need a break from studying? Come soothe your spirit by singing your favorite Christmas carols at Chapel service, which will be held today (Wednesday, December 5) from 12:20pm - 12:50pm in the Chapel Sanctuary.

http://www.freedomsfeast.us/do-something/

Freedom’s Feast, a civics education resource, has creative ways to make the Thanksgiving holiday more meaningful for all ages. www.freedomsfeast.us/do-something/
Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!

freedomsfeast.us