The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 64, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 1, 1999 Page: 5 of 10
ten pages : ill. ; page 24 x 15 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Religion
s
/9
The North Texas Daily
Page 5
Wednesday, September 1,1999
B
MSI
■
s
a
Hindus celebrate birth of god Thursday
(4u13
Celebrating Our 29th Year
, 00
48288.07
KE
1-1/2 hours each.
row
1
I
€
Vu a. 5
hung
renasa
idea vhee
totally
and
I
vva 5 . •
even
worse
I
out
of
college.
For a free article on drinking and .college life,
drinking.everystudent.com
Christ steppers dance to praise
Group mixes rhythmic hand, feet movements with chants for worship
Earn up to $100
for 4 sessions
Need Some
Extm CASH?
on
re
ve
to
te
rs
18
is
...We
speak it.
• Telephone Sales Associates
• Paid Training
• Flexible Hours
• Fun Working Environment
• Business Casual Dress Code
as
"‘s
a
m
>e
is
y-
k
is
EHASepE=eicxus
type thing.”
Although beginning to step takes
some time to learn, the movements
become natural, said stepper Keven
Cooper, Fort Worth junior. The hand
and foot movements just flow with
the rhythms, he said.
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity has
stepped for several years, but in 1995
some of the members wanted to step
By M. Dustin Schilling
Daily Reporter
Bicgcln
By Brenda Edwards
Staff Writer________________
if it’s
spoken...
3-
y
a
3,
Kerr Beach outside Kerr Hall.
The performance grew as the
members used their hands as drum-
sticks slapping their legs, knees and
arms. They covered the stage and
then ventured into a rhythm of, "I am
a soldier, and I am a soldier for
Christ.”
The group participated with four
fraternities in the annual stepping
event, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity.
A student organization, Steppers
for Christ combines stepping, dance
movements traditionally done by
African-American greek organza-
tions, with chants about the Christian
faith.
Stepping is a combination of
9,
le
Agape: Greek for unconditional
love ...
Grace: It is the gift of God ...
Trinity: Unity of the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit...
A prayer and these words of faith
BY DONATING YOU LIFE-SAVING PLASMA.
Relax and watch T.V. while you donate.
Friendly, professional staff
Clean, comfortable environment
No appointment necessary
TCIM
Same shopping
center as
Tia’s
Hwy 121
African tribal dances, said Fort
Worth junior Robert Wagner, chief
officer of Steppers for Christ. But it is
not confined to one culture or one
faith, he said.
“It is not just an African-Ameri-
can tradition,” Wagner said. “I know
some Latino fraternities that step. It
in faith, using their talents for wor-
ship, Wagner said.
“We took it to another level and
put Jesus Christ in there,” he said.
“Our main motivation is to promote
him.”
Wagner is channeling the atten-
tion stepping gets to God, he said.
“A lot of times people look to you
and see something they like, and it’s
Sera-Tec Biologicals :
(formerly Nabi Biomedical Center)
_____Nathan Hunsinger/NT Daily
Christi Williams, Denton senior, uses trash can lids in a stomp team
rehearsal at The Cup. The dance team, Reach Across, performed at
Axcess, Denton Bible Church’s college outreach, Tuesday night at
the Lyceum.
launched the performance of Step-----
pers for Christ last Saturday before rhythmic foot-stomping, hand-clap-
an audience of students that filled ping and chants that is derived from
89
IW
3)
n-e;
G222A
• .-3.
2
i 9' /i
decided to do was put the focus on
him and not on me.”
*
Dallas senior Kaylum Mosley was
one of the first members of Steppers
for Christ. He is now chief officer of
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and sup-
ports the Christian stepping group,
though he is not an active member.
Mosley said Steppers for Christ
demonstrates how much fun the
depressed
at NT will worship Krishna miles morning and putting on clean by the eighth son of Kamsa’s sister.
HI
0419
“ A lot of times people look to you and see some-
thing they like, and it's not you. It is God.” 7
—Robert Wagner
Chief officer of Steppers for Christ
03a
mv“, » •
24, 2
927
g
4
« Welcome back to School
2
h
382 4
a
.JI
©
^SCHWINN “ "“mme”
\i^CYCL^K3 AND FITNESS
Denton Bicycle Center
1700 N. Elm • (940) 387-9314
Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-6p.m..
didn’t know
I l
6
6
01202 1165 S. Stemmons Frwy. Suite 1523152
IB
■
is open to anyone. It is a universal not you. It is God,” he said. “What I
Christian faith can be.
“A lot of people that aren’t Chris-
tians feel that Christians are boring,”
Mosley said. “That organization was
founded to show that you can wor-
ship God and have a great time.”
In addition to recreation, Steppers
for Christ unifies cultures and
denominations within the Christian
faith, Mosley said.
“One of the main purposes for
that organization is to promote unity
in the body of Christ,” he said. “It is
a medium to help bridge the gap.”
Stepper Robert McDonald,
Texarkana junior, started with the
organization in the spring of his
freshman year. Stepping is a way to
praise God, he said.
“We reach out to younger Chris-
tians and non-Christians by step-
ping,” McDonald said.
The group offers a family of
brothers and sisters in Christ to
Houston junior Kendra Mason, who
began stepping after she was
involved with Voices of Praise, a
Christian singing group on campus.
“It helps you be focused on God,”
Mason said.
1Hh
over,
II
I
I had no
■
111
9884
9)
u
aj
pk
,5 s
P
j
w
2222
179
P
laj
8 ,
away from the festivals in India, clothes. The family then comes To ward off the curse, Kamsa
said graduate student Shravan together and give pujas, or prayers, imprisons his sister and kills each
Following a path of devotion to Kumar Ramaram of Hyderbad, to Krishna. child bom to her.
Lord Krishna means salvation for India. “Since I’m here, I’m not able to But at the birth of her eighth son,
Hindus. His followers will celebrate Favorite Janmashtami traditions do it,’’ Billa said. “I really miss it.” the boy is exchanged with a girl in
his birth Thursday during Krishna for graduate students Milind Belhe Krishna is a passionate and the marketplace. The girl is brought
Janmashtami. and Rupesh Saihi of Mahavashtra, adored god, Ramaram said. Krishna to the prison cell. .
He is considered to be the god India, include throwing colored had 16,008 wives and drew women . When Kamsahears her cries, he
because he has done so much for his water and water balloons at people, to him by playing the flute. es 0 1 er. Theincarna ion ° a
people, said Anuradha Billa, a they said. Both are busy in their The story of Krishna begins when 8° dess, § teen a per Krishna kills
graduate student from Hyderbad, studies and have lost touch with the Lord Vishnu, the main Hindu god, Kamsa and many of his demons,
-ndia • ,, , religious festivals, they said. decides, to take the form of a human Devotion to Krishna is the way
Lord Krishna is celebrated for “We’ll probably be doing our to kill the demon king Kamsa. most Hindus try to achieve salva-
battling evil. And, although known assignments when people there are Vishnu comes as Krishna at about tion, James said.
as a child of mischief, he is credited having fun,” Belhe said. 3000 B.C. and fulfills a curse given “It’s like Christmas is for Chris-
with one of the most sacred works in Krishna’s favorite foods were to Kamsa, that he will be destroyed tians,” he said.
India, the Mahabharata, the milk and kurd, similar to yogurt,
longest work of poetry in world lit- Belhe said
erature, said Dr. George James of the pitchers of kurd are hung high,
philosophy faculty. The work con- and human pyramids are made to
tains one episode of the "Bhagavad- reach them during the festival, he
Gita,” meaning “song of god.” said
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Hindus In some parts of India, footprints
find many of their religious doc- are placed from the main door to the
trines, including the paths to salva- kitchen, Ramaram said. It is
tion. believed that Krishna will enter the
Throughout India, the day is home
marked with religious festivities and Its the same for Anuradha Billa,
worship, James said. He spent the a graduate student from Hyderbad,
summer studying in Mathura. India. Her family’s traditions on Jan-
Indian students of the Hindu faith mashtami start with a bath in the
I W’oke up
Thio isn’t
Does alcohol do what you want it to? Or does It leave you dry?
Maybe there’b something better.
what I wantea
TCM
—---S E R V I C E S-----
(972) 420-1311
76(0X0)
numn
- d
" h
cl
■
ssmesmsudssasime
e
a
f ■
os
........
4“0
vho he was.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 64, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 1, 1999, newspaper, September 1, 1999; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1422207/m1/5/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.