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Coverage of the Bahá’í Faith in the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest University

From Bahaipedia

Wake Forest University, located in Winston-Salem, was founded in 1834.[1] Its student newspaper,[2] the Old Gold and Black, has editions back to 1916 digitized online,[3] and it has mentions of the Bahá'í Faith.

1973[edit]

Darian L. Smith has a letter to the editor promoting the religion.[4]

1990s[edit]

Following just shy of 20 years of no mention of the religion there is a notice of an event on racism being held by Bahá'ís was noted in October,[5] was followed by an article reviewing the series held on campus, mentioning Gretchen Barnes was facilitator, in November.[6] This was followed a week later by another article on the series noting this time Richard Beane and Greg Samsa.[7] This was followed three years later when two Bahá'ís, Cammi Bumgarner and Sandra Miles, lead the first speaker series sponsored by the Alliance for Racial and Cultural Harmony (ARCH) in March, 1995.[8]

2000s[edit]

A Wake Forest University Bahá'í Club was active in the early 2000s.

The first to appear in the news was then Junior Rosita Najmi was noted in November 2002 who was one of three speakers to address a festive lighting ceremony invited by a group a associations on campus.[9] In February, 2003, Layli Miller-Muro, attorney and founder of the Tahirih Justice Center was profiled on the front page.[10] Other Bahá'ís noted in the article continued on page A4 were Rosita Najmi, who was a summer intern at the Center, and Christen Sewell and they held a fundraiser of just over $10K.

Bahá'í Kara Johnson was noted in an article on student service in October, 2003.[11] The article noted she had applied for a year of service at the Bahá'í World Center as well as two international schools of the religion - one in India and one in Zambia.

An editorial noted Bahá'ís participating in the lighting of the Quad in December 2003.[12] But more importantly Rosita Najmi was named Senior of the year in December 2003.[13] She was profiled in an article noting the tradition back to 1975 of naming outstanding students. Najmi had founded Project Bokonon and was noted a Top Ten Glamor woman of the year, that she was of Indian and Iranian Bahá'í parents and their family escaped Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution, and noting the restrictions and persecution Bahá'ís face there. She and other Bahá'ís on campus held weekly devotionals, and hoping to work for the World Bank on a Bahá'í year of service. She was named to an all-USA academic team her senior year.[14] She went on to continue visible work in the world.[15]

A profile of the religion was done on page 2 of the March 2004 edition.[16] It noted the Bahá'í Club was formed and celebrated Naw Ruz with the One Human Family Workshop gospel Choir from Durham, Fort Tabarsi from New York, and the local Sisterhood of Universal Love and holding an international buffet. The article also noted the four members of the club were the largest number of Bahá'ís at one time on campus and that there were some 80 Bahá'ís in the greater Winston-Salem community. Names mentioned include Kara Johnson as president of the club, who was pursuing a religion major, and Anis Ragland. The group also hosted an interfaith devotional as well as a Ruhi book study circle. Names mentioned by 2004 in the Wake Forest News include Rosita Najmi, Kara Johnson, Anis Ragland and Alex Reyes. [17] There was also a separate photo review noted the fasting period of the Bahá'ís and their Naw Ruz event on campus.[18]Unnamed Bahá'ís of the Stanly family are visible. Another review of Naw Ruz hosted by the Bahá'í club was noted in 2005.[19] It took the form of an international buffet and performances from the university's Gospel Choir and the LA Bahá'í group Justice Leeg, and named Anis Ragland one of three members. It also noted that the event in 2004 attracted 3-400 people. Followup coverage included a photo and brief mention of the performance and an attendance of about/over 250 people attended.[20] The club's own webpage, last updated February 2006 but online into 2008, noted a 2005 Naw Ruz observance as well with the return of Justice Leeg.[21] It noted Alex Reyes and Carmel Smits.

An article from September 2005 briefly noted Bahá'í readings as part of a 9/11 commemoration on campus.[22]

However there seems to be no mention of the Faith on campus since then in the student newspaper.

See also[edit]


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Wake Forest University, Wikipedia, December, 2016
  2. ↑ Old Gold & Black, Wikipedia, December, 2016
  3. ↑ Browse old editions, Old Gold and Black, Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
  4. ↑ Letters, continued; Baha'i advocated again, by Darian L. Smith, Old Gold and Black, November 16, 1973, p. 5
  5. ↑ Racism colloquium to be held, Old Gold and Black, October 15, 1992, p. 2
  6. ↑ Bahai forum addresses 'unaware' racism, by Stacey Rewinkel, Old Gold and Black, November 5, 1992, p. 3
  7. ↑ Speakers discuss racism in series, by Tiffany Reece, Old Gold and Black, November 12, 1992, p. 3
  8. ↑ ARCH sponsors discussion on racial relations, by Michael R. Burns, Old Gold and Black, March 23, 1995, p. 2
  9. ↑ Holidays to light up Quad, by Stephanie Bennett, Old Gold and Black, November 21, 2002, p. A2
  10. ↑ Equality advocate speaks; Founder of Tahirih Justice Center addresses global ethics, service, by Alex Reyes, Old Gold and Black, February 27, 2003, p. 1
  11. ↑ University graduates find value in service, Sarah Oettinger, Old Gold and Black, October 30, 2003, p. A4
  12. ↑ Lighting of Quad warms community, Old Gold and Black, December 4, 2003, p. A4
  13. ↑ Rosita Najmi, Senior of the year, by Elizabeth Bland, Old Gold and Black, December 4, 2003, p. C7
  14. ↑ WFU student named to 2004 All-USA College Academic Team, by Cheryl Walker, Wake Forest News, February 12, 2004
  15. ↑ * Was profiled in the Washington Post in 2007 Taking the Strain Out of Pursuing Higher Education, by Amy Orndorff, Washington Post, August 30, 2007
    • Noted working on an MBA in 2009 from Harvard PERSPECTIVES by Rosita Najmi, Harvard University, 2009
    • An essay of hers for the MBA is profiled online. Lauren Sullivan; The Staff of The Harbus (4 August 2009). 65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays, Second Edition: With Analysis by the Staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School Newspaper. Macmillan. pp. 46–8. ISBN 978-1-4299-3552-4.
    • She gave a video presentation on Youtube in 2011 Rosita Najmi on the Financial Acces @ Birth initiative, 2011 SEEP Conference, Nov 9, 2011
    • She gave talks at a Social Enterprise Conference in 2014 Rosita Najmi, The Social Enterprise Conference, March, 2014
    • Joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as program officer in 2015. Rosita Najmi Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2015
    • She contributed an article Why women’s financial inclusion makes good business sense, by Rosita Najmi, Development Finance, 27 March 2016
  16. ↑ Baha'is bring New Year celebration, feast to campus, by Justin Stevens, Old Gold and Black, March 18, 2004, p. A2
  17. ↑ WFU Baha’i student group to hold new year celebration, by Sarah Mansell, Wake Forest News, March 11, 2004
  18. ↑ Ringing in the new year, Old Gold and Black, March 25, 2004, page A3
  19. ↑ Baha'is set to host Naw Ruz celebration, by Nancy Rapp, Old Gold and Black, March 17, 2005, p. A3
  20. ↑ Baha'i Bash, by Sarah Bivin, Old Gold and Black, March 24, 2005, p. A2
  21. ↑ Wake Forest Baha'i Association, © Wake Forest Baha'i Association, February, 2, 2006
  22. ↑ Not forgotten, by Maya Yette, Old Gold and Black, September 15, 2005, p. 1
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