Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Noon was a solemn time Monday for members of the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq to reflect on the ongoing war.
Tim Stauffer, Iola senior, worked with the Student Leadership team and the Ecumenical Christian Ministries to reserve the Danforth Chapel every Monday at noon in April for quiet vigils.
“We’ve all been frustrated by the complicity shown by the Christian community regarding the war,” he said.
pullquote
We’ve all been frustrated by the complicity shown by the Christian community regarding the war.
-Tim Stauffer
Though sponsored by a Christian organization, Stauffer said the vigil was open to people of all faiths or no faith to honor those who have died in the Iraq War.
Inside the chapel, a small stereo played worship music and a nylon net was strung up at the front of the chapel. Stauffer said people were invited to tie black cloth ribbons on the net as a tribute to the dead.
“It’s a tangible way of marking a memory of a person,” he said.
As people came and went from the chapel, they were also invited to sign a 16-foot banner in front of the chapel that read, “NO WAR IN IRAQ: NOT IN OUR NAMES.”
Stauffer said the banner was created four years ago at the start of the Iraq War. He said more than 40 people signed the banner Monday and it already contained a couple hundred signatures from past events.
Chris Cardwell, Lincoln, Kan., senior, signed his name to the banner yesterday on his way to French class.
“I’m so sick of the war and I was opposed to it when it first started,” he said. “People have become numb to it.”
He said seeing the numbers of those dead and injured in Iraq was a good way promote anti-war sentiments.
“People made passing jokes when this war first started about it being our generation’s Vietnam,” Cardwell said. “Four years from now the joke won’t be funny anymore.”
Elise Higgins, Topeka freshman and member of the Student Leadership team, helped organize the peace vigil and spent about five minutes in the chapel thinking about how her faith coincided with her need for political action.
“It was reflection on how important it is for us to be involved even in a small way,” she said. “I think this atmosphere isn’t coercive and it’s inviting.”
Beth Ruhl, Lawrence senior, also helped plan the vigil. She said she was motivated to help with the vigil after she protested in the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq in Washington, D.C., on March 16.
“Even if people disagree with us, we’d like to talk with them because dialogue is important to us,” she said.
Stauffer said the group didn’t have an agenda.
“We just ask people to reexamine what they believe and why,” he said.
Kansan staff writer Tyler Harbert can be contacted at tharbert@kansan.com.
— Edited by Joe Caponio
Witnessing Peace
Christian students reach across the pew to find a unified voice against ...
Student arrested for peaceful protest
Jon Dennis' spring break resulted in being arrested, but it was for ...
Activists protest downtown
Protesters came together to hold a vigil against the war in Iraq ...
Students memorialize 3,351
Members of Young Democrats and Delta Force, representatives from the Ecumenical Christian ...
Couples tie knot in campus chapel
Many couples get married around the place they met. Couples who fell ...
Protestor still stands for beliefs
After being expelled from the University of Kansas, Caroljean Brune now works ...
KU group protests war with soldiers’ memorial
Flags on the Stauffer-Flint lawn Thursday were a memorial to fallen soldiers ...
Films challenge traditional viewpoints
Group organizes festival to raise awareness and circumvent 'mindless patriotism'
Film explores theories on Sept. 11, Iraq
A Lawrence nonprofit group is showing the film at 7 tonight in ...
Remembering the fallen
A candlelight vigil was held in rememberance of those lost Tuesday night ...
Woman's protest hijacked by interest groups
Student activists seek open talks of government ...
KU Watch, a student activism organization, wants to increase awareness about the ...
Editorial: Bush’s ‘blind faith’ problematic
Bush’s veto of latest Democratic bill highlights the problems of the administration ...
Thompson: What war means for the rest ...
Doctoral student shares experiences in Iraq
Major Andrew Harvey spent the duration of 2006 in Iraq working to ...
Associate professor helps trauma victims through hypnotism
Tanya Hartman, associate professor of art, volunteers time and talent at the ...
Couples' lip locks kick off pride week
Queers and Allies organize public displays of affection on Wescoe Beach to ...
Lawrence community remembers Tiller
People gathered in South Park to remember George Tiller, who was shot ...
Donors spruce up Danforth Chapel
The Linda Stewart family helped put together renovations to provide a brides ...
Forum series offer student insight on war ...
The Dole Institute of Politics invites experts on the Irag war to ...
General address Bush, terrorism in speech
Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke about terrorism and his relationship with President ...
Daily events kick off Homecoming Week
SUA events encourage students and alumni to show their Jayhawk pride.
Name of the game shows principle
‘The Border War’ became ‘The Border Showdown’ after the start of the ...
Exhibit to open at Nunemaker Center
Atomic bomb survivor to speak at reception for Hiroshima Peace Memorial Exhibit.
Women in armed forces fill non-traditional roles
Self-described 'girly girl' Katherine Robinson reflects on her service in the Army.
Student vets serve as minority
The lack of resources for veterans prompted the creation of the Collegiate ...
Documentary shows soldiers’ experiences
A documentary about Iraq veterans that was shown Wedenesday at the Kansas ...
The Iraq War
The two candidates offer different views on the Iraq War.
‘Conspiracy theories’ still at large
Audiences for conspiracy theory films at Liberty Hall are cooling off.
A look at KU's changing face of ...
University's turbulent past has evolved into a somewhat tranquil state of activism.
The realities of the military
A lack of exposure to the military creates dissonance between the perceptions ...
Letter: War turned me into a Democrat
Atheists lead a discussion to educate public
People have the chance to ask questions of a belief system they ...
Obama speaks to El Dorado, KC to ...
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius openly supported Obama for the first time yesterday.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Exhibit opens
The exhibit will focus on nuclear proliferation and personal human tragedy.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner discusses student activism
Jody Williams, who won a Peace Prize for work on banning landmines, ...
Filmmaker remembers historic raid
Nearly 150 years ago, William C. Quantrill led an attack on Lawrence ...
Letter: Obama the best choice for the ...
Sen. Barack Obama demonstrates the leadership and optimism needed in the next ...
SUA shows Iraqi documentary, hosts panel
Students can see film about Fallujah and discuss with veterans and experts.
Darwin debate remains amid celebrations
The University has arraged multiple events recognizing Darwin’s scientific impact in conjunction ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID