Kendra Keene

State Hornet

This Sunday, students can experience the way of Sufi at theAwakening Hearts celebration. The event will feature Sufi poetry,music, gourmet refreshments and the chanting of the Sufi Zikr.

Awakening Hearts will be open to anyone who wants to learn aboutthe Sufism and have a great time discovering an ancient wisdom,inner serenity and the messenger within.

“There will be a lot of young people involved in theprogram,” Lynn Wilcox, Sacramento State professor andspokeswoman for the Sufi Celebration, says. She has written severalbooks on the way of Sufism, which dates back 1,400 years.

“It is very important to help people become aware of Sufi.Most people have an already placed a picture of it from CNN, and itis usually always seen in a negative light from thoseimages,” Wilcox explains. “This event is a positivelight that you can use to benefit yourself.”

The event coordinators seek to show people the “powerful,loving and caring aspect of Sufism.” Wilcox continues.

The Multicultural Center is sponsoring the Awakening Heartsevent. They expect around 500 people to attend. The celebrationwill include a slide show of arts, crafts and architecture, allrelated in some way to Sufism.

The “rhythms of mystical music” for the event willbe sung in many different languages. There will also be handmadetraditional Parisian sweets available that “you can’tget at a bakery,” Wilcox says.

The event will continue with the chanting of the Sufi, which isa meditation that “focuses on centering the heart and isdifferent from traditional meditation,” Wilcox says.

Awakening Hearts will be a memorable event. Wilcox has noticedthat in previous years of Sufi celebrations, “people willcome away happy. It seems to touch people’s hearts and Ithink that’s important.”

The event will be in the University Ballroom at Sac State and itstarts at 7:30 p.m. Ticket costs will be $14 for general admissionand $7 for students, with a student ID. No admittance after 8 p.m.and no children under the age of 12 allowed.