Chapman University President Daniele C. Struppa (left), Gurvendra Suri, and Bicky Singh (right), with guests celebrate the dedication of the Sikhs and Sikhism in America Group Study Room
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Sikhs and Sikhism in America Group Study Room
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A collaborative partnership between the Leatherby Libraries and Sikhlens founder Bicky Singh, Board of Governors member, was established in 2012 to promote a variety of Sikh initiatives across campus. This partnership has provided an avenue to increase the understanding of Sikh values in order to raise awareness of the impact on Sikh culture both on campus and around the world. The Sikh initiatives on campus have focused on telling the story of Sikh religion and culture through exhibits, lectures and interfaith programs.
As a result of the overwhelming success of these library initiatives, Sikhlens has expanded their collaborative efforts and have worked with Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts to create a program that enables film students to travel abroad to immerse themselves in the Sikh culture. Sikhlens has also partnered with the university to curate various events and experiences to enrich the lives of both students and the local/regional community. Opportunities include the creation of a travel course to India to learn about the culture and heritage, a series of Sikh music and dance performances at the new Musco Center for the Arts, an annual dinner for the 200+ international students who attend Chapman University, a yearly Vaisakhi (Sikh New Year) celebration at the Fish Interfaith Center, and a Sikh art exhibit displayed at Chapman’s Leatherby Libraries. This collaborative partnership provides a way for the university to continue its commitment to enriching diversity and inclusion and supports its mission of nurturing students to become global citizens.
In November 2016, the Leatherby Libraries celebrated part of that partnership, through the generous help of donor Gurvendra Suri, with the opening of the Sikhs and Sikhism in America Group Study Room, located on the second floor of the Leatherby Libraries in Room 208.
Curated by Leatherby Libraries former Dean Charlene Baldwin, Development Coordinator and Assistant Librarian Essraa Nawar, and Curator Keerat Bajaj, the room contains a wealth of information and objects that teach students about the Sikh faith and community. Included in this story room are portraits on the wall of famous and notable Sikh Americans, maps and data about Sikh temples, or gurdwaras, in the US and Orange County (including the temple closest to campus), turbans, and a stunning model of the Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, of Amritsar, Punjab, India. In addition, the walls of the room bear sayings from the Sikh faith, written in Punjabi script, transliterated Latin alphabet, and a translation into English. The Sikhs and Sikhism in America Group Study Room offers Chapman University students a place where they can surround themselves with key images, objects, and text from a culture they might not otherwise be exposed to.
