November 7, 2014
Last Wednesday, October 29, over 100 students, faculty, and staff refrained from eating for the Muslim Student Association’s annual fast-o-thon. Bon Appétit collaborated with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) for the event, agreeing to donate five dollars for every fast-o-thon participant who did not swipe into the dining halls during breakfast or lunch.
MSA has sponsored the fast-o-thon since 2008. Ishaq Pathan ’16, the current president of MSA, explained that “the fast-a-thon is a common event among MSAs around the country.” For Hamilton’s MSA chapter, the fast-o-thon is the organization’s main event every year.
The fast-o-thon was open to anyone, and MSA sent an email to participants the night before the fast began detailing tips for fasting. Participants were instructed to drink a lot of water and eat a large meal the night before starting their fast, but MSA also made it clear that should participants feel dizzy or disoriented at any point during the day, they should drink water or break their fast. The fast technically started at 5:57 in the morning and lasted until 5:58 in the evening. At the end of the fast, participants were invited to a dinner in the Annex, where everyone could celebrate breaking their fast and enjoy food together.
Not only was the fast-o-thon a fundraiser, but it was also a way for MSA to make people mindful of the Muslim month of Ramadan. “We hope that this event helps spread awareness about Ramadan while contributing to a good cause,” Pathan said. During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast each day from dawn until dusk.
“The best way students can learn about this is perhaps by experiencing what it feels like,” Pathan explained. “Fasting is meant to promote self-restraint. The idea is that if you can control your body from eating, drinking and having sex, then you can control other parts of yourself that may incline towards the Islamic notion of sin.”
MSA members explained the significance of fasting and Ramadan to fast-o-thon participants during their dinner. The Ramadan fast holds spiritual and religious significance for Muslims, as fasting during this month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Pathan pointed out that fasting gives people a different perspective too. “Fasting also allows people to experience to a small degree what impoverished people around the world go through,” he said.
The money raised from this year’s fast-o-thon will go to a scholarship that MSA has set up for high school students in Utica who are descendants of refugees and planning to attend a two- or four-year college. MSA will give one half of this scholarship to students at the Refugee Center and the other half to the Utica School district. In the future, MSA hopes to set up a permanent scholarship with the Utica School district through their fast-o-thon event.
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