Hilary Hauber, Overland Park graduate student, right, presents research on vampire religion to the KU Cauldron Club Monday night in the Kansas Union. This was the first of three Halloween-themed events to be held this week by the club.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
While most students are dressing in their most clever, sexy or hilarious costumes Saturday night, Sean Manning will spend a somber evening remembering the loved ones he has lost.
Rather than traditional Halloween festivities, Manning, Overland Park graduate student, will join friends and other students to spend the night celebrating the pagan holiday of Samhain.
“The tradition says that the veil between the world we’re living in and the world of the dead are thinnest on that day,” Manning said. “It has a lot to do with looking back on the past and remembering people who have moved on.”
Witchcraft Lecture
Who: KU Cauldron
What: “Wicca: The Religion of Witchcraft”
When: 7 p.m.
Where: English Room in the Kansas Union
The Samhain ritual will be the finale to a week’s worth of Halloween-related events hosted by members of the student pagan organization, KU Cauldron. The organization hosted a discussion on vampires last night and will lead a lecture on witchcraft in the Kansas Union tonight. The events are meant to spread awareness and appreciation for pagan beliefs, in addition to providing an outlet for student followers of the religions.
The club kicked off the week last night with guest speaker Hilary Hauber. Hauber, Overland Park graduate student and religious studies major, taught the club about her research on vampire religion. The group learned about the different types of vampirism ranging from vampires who draw on people’s energy by simply being near them, to vampires who feed on real blood obtained from willing donors.
Hauber said although she did not know any local vampires, she had read about vampires in the Kansas City area.
“I know that there are vampires in Kansas City,” Hauber said. “I don’t know the extent of their involvement, but I know that they are here.”
Tonight, the club will host its second annual witchcraft lecture. The event, “Wicca: The Religion of Witchcraft,” will begin at 7 p.m. in the English Room of the Kansas Union. Jeremy Adkison, Leavenworth sophomore and president of KU Cauldron, will lead the presentation. He said the event attracted about 25 people last semester.
Adkison said although the focus would be on the fundamentals of Wicca, the lecture would be a fun event for students with Halloween coming up.
“It’s an opportunity for students to go to something spooky,” Adkison said. “It’s also a way for us to reach out to students who are interested in or practicing this stuff and don’t know that there is a student group for it.”
Manning said the week would conclude with the Samhain ritual, called a dumb supper, at his house on Saturday evening. The group will prepare a meal of pumpkin stew and a portion of each person’s meal will be left aside as an overnight offering for lost loved ones. Manning said the group would eat its meals in silence and reflection, followed by a discussion of each person’s stories about his or her loved ones.
Manning said he would be remembering his uncle and his 8-year-old cat, who both passed away this year.
“My uncle was in the Korean War and had some really fun stories that I plan to share with everyone,” Manning said.
— Edited by Megan Morriss
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Pagan group to observe Samhain
don't know if my first comment came through - but good article, daniel. Your content is well researched and your style is succinct and flows well. love, mom
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