Rina Thomas | Fasting for New Orleans

Every day we dodge and weave past the flyer-laden students on Locust Walk. We turn down offers of cookies, parties, executive-board positions and concerts by unknown artists. Sympathy for the Locust loiterers might impel us to grab a few leaflets before dropping them into the next trash can along the way.

Last week, a particularly eager student exhorted me to "Get Hungry for Change." I scoffed. What kind of tagline is that? It turned out to be a call to fast, but it could easily have been mistaken for a call to Pottruck.

When I first heard about the Muslim Students Association's Fast-a-Thon, I thought it was a bizarre attempt to be original. But it's actually an effective way to combine fundraising with experiential learning. By fasting with the MSA last weekend, I learned more about their practices than I could have by listening to a speaker. The Fast-a-Thon should serve as a model for other campus groups seeking to educate the Penn community.

I've always taken issue with marathons, date auctions and dance-offs as fundraisers. Why ask people to donate money to activities with primarily entertainment value? I'd prefer sponsoring volunteers to pick up trash in a park or to paint run-down houses or to do some other civic deed. The charity event would then raise funds and volunteers.

If you raced down the Walk without sparing a real glance at the MSA table, the Fast-a-Thon may have also seemed pointless. Or like a misguided attempt at proselytization. Why ask non-Muslims to fast during Ramadan?

According to College senior and Fast-a-Thon co-organizer Naveed Rashid, fasting is a "common link that most people aren't aware of." Catholics do it during Lent, Jews on Yom Kippur, Jains during Paryushan. Rashid believes even non-religious or non-spiritual students are drawn to the event's charitable aspect. That assumption may be questionable, but the bulk of Fast-a-Thon attendees this year were non-Muslims.

The bellows of "Save New Orleans!" on the Walk were what originally piqued my interest. The funds raised from this year's Fast-a-Thon are funneled through the nonprofit Islamic Relief to a health clinic in Biloxi, Miss. I'm a sucker for any Gulf Coast cause so I signed the online pledge to fast from sunrise to sunset last Saturday.

It started with rolling out of bed at 4 a.m. in order to trudge over to Philly Diner for the Suhoor. I had never fasted before so my non-Muslim buddy and I strategized ways to maximize the effectiveness of our pre-dawn breakfast. A protein and carb mix was clearly essential so we ordered eggs and hash browns.

An MSA member laughed at our charming ignorance. Apparently, only the non-Muslims act like they're preparing for battle. The regular fasters at my table consumed pancakes, fried mushrooms, hot chocolate, whatever they wanted.

At 5:32, everyone stopped eating and went home to their beds. I fell like a ton of bricks and only woke up around eleven. Feeling slightly guilty about sleeping late and therefore cheating on the fast, I went about my day as usual.

It wasn't so bad at first - ignoring a growling stomach and dry mouth are easier than you'd think. But around four, I realized my energetic trot around campus had devolved into what can only be described as a lumbering crawl. I dragged myself back to my den and watched TV until reemerging for the Iftar at the Hall of Flags.

The date with which I broke fast at 6:36 p.m. was like ambrosia from the gods. Ridiculously delicious.

I stuffed myself happily with Indian food brought in from Jersey. An estimated 400 banquet attendees, of whom about 300 had officially committed to fast, did the same thing. From the fasting pledges, raffles and T-shirt sales, the MSA raised more than $1,000. I'd say Penn's seventh annual Fast-a-Thon was a success.

In financial terms, it's hard to gauge the efficacy of this fundraiser. According to associate director Alison LaLond, Civic House does not keep hard data on student fundraising efforts.

Nevertheless, the Fast-a-Thon achieves a double purpose. It raises funds while educating participants about a commonly misunderstood religious practice. Simply put, it is hands-on learning - something toward which every campus group should strive.

So next time you're trying to raise money and awareness for your favorite cause, think twice before you ask me to bid to see your friend tap dance on stage.

Rina Thomas is a Wharton and College senior from New Orleans. Her e-mail address is thomas@dailypennsylvanian.com. The Gospel According to Thomas appears on Thursdays.

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