As the fall semester is coming to an end and the end-of-the-year festivities are commencing, the Common Ground Club at CSU Bakersfield is honoring the occasions and will host the “Feast of Gratitude” for their first event of the virtual semester. The event will be held over Zoom on Dec. 5 from 2-3 p.m. 

The “Feast of Gratitude” will encourage participants to engage in the event and welcomes curious CSUB students seeking to learn more about multiple religions and their celebrations during this time of year. 

Alejandro Oropeza, Common Ground Club president, wrote in an email to The Runner that the event will focus on a “student-based discussion.”  

Religious studies professors are promoting the event by welcoming students to bring any sort of story, passage, or art piece they wish to share. 

“We’re going to have students lead discussions, and we’re going to have students who are going to ask questions, engage in kind of a roundtable discussion type of thing where we’re getting people’s opinions, getting people’s questions, what they want to know about their religion, why they choose to follow their religion stuff like that,” Eduardo Martinez, a returning club member, said. 

Attendees can expect discussions surrounding the themes of Thanksgiving, such as gratitude and togetherness. 

“For this event, we are centering around the theme of gratitude and how religions express this,” wrote Oropeza.  

According to a document outline of the event created by Oropeza, the event will also discuss other past and upcoming holidays and celebrations from different religions. Among these are Diwali and Jewish Hanukkah.  

According to Oropeza, The Common Ground club strives to welcome friendly discussions on a variety of levels. Oropeza said that individuals are encouraged to join and familiarize themselves with the diversity of religions found within the community in an effort to become more aware of the people that make up the community and their beliefs. 

If you are interested in attending the Feast of Gratitude, click here for the Zoom link and follow Common Ground’s Instagram.