దేశమును ప్రేమించుమన్నా!!...

On a wing and a prayer

Part 3 in a 3-part series about international students

Leah M. Caudle

Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Katie McCollum/Herald Graduate student Prapanna Tamarapu Parthasarathy from India practices Hinduism. She prays and sings praises to her gods and goddesses daily by worshiping outside of her makeshift shrine she built in her kitchen pantry. "Out of the thousands of gods to worship, I choose the ones that give me education, who give me strength ... and it gives me a peace of mind," she said. The closest temple is in Nashville, and she is only able to visit once a semester.

Prapanna Tamarapu Parthasarathy traveled more than 8,000 miles from Andhra Pradesh, India, with her faith in her luggage.

Twelve idols of different sizes were tucked neatly among clothes and mementos from home, things the 24-year-old graduate student said she couldn't imagine leaving behind.

Tamarapu Parthasarathy is one of almost 600 international students on the Hill. These students travel great distances to receive international degrees and bring their religious practices with them.

Some international students are fortunate to find places to worship, while others find themselves adapting to the lack of temples in Bowling Green.

The most dominant religions among international students are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism, said Robin Borczon, director of international services.Places such as the Islamic Center of Bowling Green provide Muslim students with a worship place, but many Hindu students have to travel more than an hour to the Sri Ganesha Temple in Nashville.

But faith has proven to be unfaltering as students maintain their religion in any way possible.

For Tamarapu Parthasarathy, who practices Hinduism, worshipping means going home to her apartment on Adams Street. She can't make the trip to the temple in Nashville because she doesn't have a license.

But she regularly visits her shrine, or what used to be a pantry in her studio apartment. Statues of her gods line the shelves.

Each day, Tamarapu Parthasarathy kneels in prayer, hands clasped on bended knees, head lowered toward the ground. She pours oil into a cup for a lamp that she lights, along with a jasmine or sandalwood-scented incense stick.

But she misses the serenity and the atmosphere of the temple. Temples were frequent on the streets of India, a contrast to the sparse number in America, she said.

"I really miss it," Tamarapu Parthasarathy said. "The main reason I go to temple is because whenever I feel down it gives me strength. It gives me confidence."

Confidence also is what international student Zhenying Yang experiences while worshiping.

Yang, who is from southern China, said she wasn't religious when she was home, but has been attending a Christian church and Bible study every week since her arrival to the United States in August.

"I always feel stressed, but I don't feel stressed when I'm in church," Yang said. "When I worship I find peace in my heart."

The Baptist Campus Ministry tries to accommodate international students like Yang. Melissa Blankenship, international campus minister intern for BCM, said the organization works to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the students.

The International Ministry at the BCM hosts activities from conversational English classes on Wednesday nights to providing rides to local churches for international students on Sunday mornings.

"We desire to meet all of the students' needs and some of those ome through religious exchanges," Blankenship said. "We're really excited to build relationships with the students."

Religion allows students to feel well-rounded and gives them a sense of peace, Borczon said.

"As human beings, religious traditions provide comfort," Borczon said.

Borczon also said she hasn't heard any students complain about the absence of worship places because they knew before coming to the United States.

Many students have local connections with students they knew before coming to Western, Borczon said.

Tamarapu Parthasarathy said she knew a temple on every corner wouldn't be an option when she arrived at Western more than a year ago.

"Religion isn't the only thing that would stop me from coming here," she said. "I have my education to think about. Besides, I carried my idols."

For Yang, becoming closer with God is something that she looks forward to, no matter where she worships.

"I don't call myself a Christian yet because I don't know that much about Jesus and the Bible, but maybe I will become one in the future," Yang said. "But right now, I'm not qualified."

Reach Leah Caudle at features@wkuherald.com.

Click here for an audio slideshow

Quote

As much as we thirst approval, we dread condemnation.

A wicket good time

Part 2 in a 3-part series about international students

International student Sudeepth Kumar Nadimpally, right, and Vamshi Baraju, play cricket on the South Lawn with their friends from Pradesh, India.

Graduate international students Vamshi Baraju and Venkata Kishore Chegonde surrounded by Cricket team members, right, Ismail Shaik and Raghav Sambaraju pick teams for a game of Cricket on the South Lawn.

American football wasn't something Ismail Shaik was very familiar with when he started at Western as a graduate student.

"I was amazed to watch the football match," he said. "I'm very anxious to see other football matches."

Shaik is from Andhra Pradesh, India - a place where tailgaiting and throwing a pigskin aren't common activities.

The sport that attracted him on campus wasn't football or basketball. It was cricket.

Cricket and badminton are two recreational sports at Western that often go unnoticed, but their popularity around the world is similar to basketball or football in the United States.

These recreational teams at Western are composed of mostly Asian students, with cricket being the most popular with Indian students and the badminton team representing students from at least eight other countries, including some players from the United States.

Many of the athletes are working on their master's degrees and participating in these sports is a way for them to take a break from the books, stay in shape and become involved with the Western community.

Priyanka Patel, a graduate student from Nagpur, India, is president of the badminton team and has played for about five years.

"I wanted to start with something comfortable, something I knew," Patel said. "I noticed many international students weren't using Preston as much, so I thought (badminton) was good for those students."

Western's badminton and cricket teams have only been around for a few semesters. They were started through word-of-mouth among international students who showed interest in bringing their favorite pastimes to Western.

Yugandhar Kandimalla, a graduate student from Bangalore, India, started the badminton team three semesters ago when he saw that the Preston Center had badminton courts and equipment that weren't being used.

"I wanted to do this because it brings down the communication barrier between students of different countries - it acts as a medium between people," he said.

A version of badminton was first introduced in India by British Army officers in the 1860s, according to a BBC article.

The sport continues to be a popular recreational activity there. The game is like a combination of tennis and volleyball and is played indoors with a shuttlecock (birdie) and racquets.

On Sunday afternoons, it's common to see several Indian students scattered across DUC South Lawn playing cricket.

Cricket originated in Britain and gained international popularity when the Imperial Cricket Conference was formed in 1909, according to the International Cricket Council.

Cricket is a team sport similar to baseball in which each team tries to score the most runs to win. It is played on a field, and players use flat, paddle-like bats.

Although many of Western's cricket players have had several years of experience with the game, finding the equipment was the biggest challenge.

Shaik said the equipment the team uses for cricket has to be brought from India.

"I was really surprised to see that after going to Nashville and Lousiville, I didn't find anything," he said.

Some of the students said that Preston should provide some of the equipment.

Despite those obstacles, the students make time to play these sports not only for the social benefits, but the health benefits as well.

Since some of the students are earning their master's degree in public health, Patel said that as a physician, she sees it as her responsibility to promote the health aspects.

While cricket involves running, throwing and pitching, the exercise from badminton often goes unnoticed.

"(Playing badminton) for an hour and a half - twisting, turning, bending your back - is equivalent to doing about 25 minutes of aerobic exercise," Kandimalla said. "You'd be amazed at how many times you have to bend down to pick the shuttle up."

As both sports start to gain popularity on the Hill, the teams welcome all students to join them.

Syam Prasad Mallampalli, a graduate student from Hyderabad, India, kept score at a cricket match on Sunday. He said having these teams could possibly help Western if more international students in other countries knew they were offered.

"If Western advertised that badminton was played here, it would prompt more (international) students to come."

Kandimalla agreed.

"It's all about marketing and advertising. We need to get the word out," he said. "You can never have too many sports."

Reach Jessica Smith at features@wkuherald.com.

Parineeta..!!

Parineeta - Piyu Bole
Uploaded by sabinacreations

Piyu Bole is a fabulous duet between Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam. When you have two of the most talented singers in Bollywood together, singing Swanand Kirkire’s soulful potrey put to Moitra’s melodious tunes, you get pure magic. Piyu Bole tells you the entire soundtrack to Parineeta will be a treat. The English at the beginning is awkward and unnecessary, but can easily be overlooked. Nonetheless, this song is spectacular."

-- Bollywood Review

Copyright © 1995-2005 INDOlink.com All Rights Reserved

Parineeta: Soona Man Ka Aangan
Uploaded by clockwatcher2

Soona Mann Ka Aangan is more of the magic from Piyu Bole. The song is soft in composition, using many traditional Indian and Western string instruments, which blend exquisitely. Sonu Nigam brings forth raw emotion in his performance. The resonance in Shreya Ghoshal’s voice is beautiful. Lyrics, again, are top notch. To elaborate on Soona Mann Ka Aangan would mean the addition of more superlatives.

-- Bollywood Review

Copyright © 1995-2005 INDOlink.com All Rights Reserved

Parineeta: Kasto Mazza
Uploaded by clockwatcher2

Sonu Nigam is in his trademark element in Kasto Maza. The song is definitely sung on a train, and the sound of a train on its tracks in maintained throughout the whole song-good for you Mr. Moitra. The chorus of children is actually entertaining and almost appropriate for a train song. You’ll hear Shreya Ghoshal make a one-line appearance close to the end of the song. This tactic usually gives Hindi songs a quality of randomness, thus adding realism to the song’s situation.

-- Bollywood Review

Copyright © 1995-2005 INDOlink.com All Rights Reserved