University students smashed away their hate and intolerance during “Days Without Hate” week, sponsored by Rutgers Hillel.
Since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 14 years ago, students continue to honor his memory through “Days Without Hate,” an annual event focused on giving back to the University and the greater community since its inception 12 years ago.
Coordinated by Rutgers College seniors Sarah Schanfield and Sharon Ahdout, “Days Without Hate” featured a “Car Smash” on Morrell Street Wednesday and a blood and bone marrow drive.
“The purpose [of the “Car Smash”] was to take anger and aggression from hate out on a junkyard car. “Days Without Hate” brings everyone, not only Jews, together for a common cause,” said Co-President of the on-campus Reformed Jewish community Mitchell Leff, a School of Arts and Sciences junior.
But he was disappointed the “Car Smash” had to end earlier than planned.
“Originally when we got the car, the deal was to drain the fluids and take out all the windows, but the company that was in charge did not drain all the fluid, and after two hours it started leaking and Public Safety came to shut it down,” Leff said.
Organized by members of Hillel and the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, the “Car Smash” was staged again this year because it was one of the most popular events at last year’s “Days Without Hate.”
Cook College senior Paul Woodman worked for six weeks to help plan the “Car Smash” this year.
“It is a fun way for students to participate instead of just giving their money away and receiving some info,” Woodman said.
Woodman said they doubled the money raised from last year, but the message they were trying to put out was more significant. He hopes to make the “Car Smash” an annual tradition at the University.
Another part of “Days Without Hate” was a bone marrow drive and blood donations.
Rutgers College senior Emily Kaufman coordinated the bone marrow drive for the past three years and was pleased with the 90 students who turned out to register this year, more than double the number of students who participated last year.
“Helping with the bone marrow drive was especially important to me because my dad had leukemia 18 years ago and survived because of a bone marrow transplant,” Kaufman said. “This is just my way of giving back.”
Many students are confused by what a bone marrow drive actually is, Kaufman said. They think it would potentially involve the procedure that is undergone when one gives bone marrow in a hospital.
She said registering to be a potential donor is different. It involves a simple cheek swab to catalogue someone’s DNA in the event that he or she could be a potential match for someone in need of a transplant. The chance of being a match is 1 in 1,000.
Kaufman said the bone marrow drive was run in conjunction with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, an organization based in Boca Raton, F.L. Donations are welcome from everyone, but they have a special mission to reach out to potential Jewish donors.
“Tissue is inherited, so a patient’s best chance for finding a genetic match lies with donors of similar ethnicity,” she said. “The Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation is an organization that strives to increase the representation of Jewish donors in the registry since the Holocaust severed bloodlines.”
Other part of “Days Without Hate” included the New Jersey Blood Services van parked outside Hillel on Tuesday for the blood drive. Along with students from Hillel, members of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Sigma Kappa sorority were outside the van, helping students who wanted to donate with the paperwork.
The week’s activities concluded Wednesday night with a concert at the Student Activities Center in the Raritan River Lounge on the College Avenue campus, featuring Ari Teman, 100% Cotton, Shockwave, Ben Biers, The
'Days Without Hate' promote love on campus
Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009
1 comments
B. Holder
Why wouldn't you have people smashing cars on a day without hate. I mean, what image better captures "the promotion of love" than people utterly unable to control their rage? We are well on our way to becoming a satellite of Middlesex CC.
