Students Choose to View Election, Not Jewish Film

By CHELSEA FULLER

Tuesday, Nov. 6, launched the beginning of the Jewish Cultural Celebration week at the University of Mary Washington, although the election was what seemed to be on every student’s mind.
Mary Washington’s Jewish Student Association kicked off the second night of their awareness week with a screening of “School Ties,” a short film released in the early 1990s that tells the story of young David Green, played by Brendan Fraser, as he embarks on his one-year journey to the finest boarding school in the U.S.
Theresa Davidson, senior, English major and vice president of JSA, was confident about the quality of the film.
“[JSA] picked this movie because [we] felt that students could find relatability with [Green’s] story,” Davidson said.
The story of David’s struggle to balance both true identity and popularity is something students often find themselves wrestling with, whether it be a religious identity or not.
“We also wanted the students to find comfort in the youthful aspect of the film,” Davidson said.
The weeklong celebration takes place every November, lasting no longer than a week and a half, and ends with a Shabbat dinner. JSA holds their celebrations and events in hopes of bringing awareness of the Jewish presence and community to campus.
Even with the lure of free pizza and cookies, what really seemed to be grabbing all of UMW students’ attention was the presidential election, leading to an eight-person turnout for the JSA event.
“We’re expecting a smallish turn out, maybe around 20 people,” Davidson said.
When asked about upcoming events, Davidson spoke about a Passover Seder in March and a Hanukkah party right around the corner in December.
Although most students had their eyes on the election, there are still opportunities to get involved in the tight-knit, but welcoming, Jewish Student Association at UMW.