Image below, first from bottom - Daven Singh with Comedian Steve Harvey.
Current Events
Sikh Young Men Meet President Obama on Father's Day
PRESS RELEASE
Nine Sikh young men from the Washington Metropolitan area met with President Obama at the White House shortly after he delivered a major address on fatherhood on Monday, the day after Father's Day June 20, 2010).
President Obama, himself the father of two daughters, was playing host to the Father's Day "mentoring barbeque" on the South Lawn of the White House.
These young men, along with other students from all across America, also had the opportunity to meet and speak with a number of successful men and women during the event. They included James Gates - American theoretical physicist; Swim Cash - WNBA All-star; Ethan Thomas - NBA player; Robert Wolf - Independent Financial advisors to President Obama; Steve Harvey - American comedian.
Daven Singh, a senior at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, praised his mentor, Robert Wolf, one of 12 independent financial advisors to Obama. "The real inspiration that I found came from Wolf's story of success. Robert Wolf always strived to be a scholar athlete as a young high school student and he managed to come 4th in his graduating class in academic excellence while juggling baseball, football, and basketball in his extracurricular activities. As he went on to college he was rather close to becoming a doctor until he came upon the buying and selling of securities on wall street.
"This erased my fear of picking the wrong line in college, I found comfort that if I find something that I have more of a passion for, I can still switch careers. Surprisingly I was just as inspired, if not more, by my fellow students as the mentors. Hearing the stories of fellow students about the colleges they've gotten into, things that they have been doing over the summer, really inspired me to do something over the summer and not sit idle. I would want to tell others that one of the most important things to do over the summer is to keep yourself relatively busy and not let your brain rot from continuous exposure to video games and TV."
Sukhpreet Singh, a senior at Quince Orchard High School, plays in his school's Lacrosse and football team and wants to be an engineer. "I was given the chance to take up a once in a lifetime opportunity, to meet the President. It was an amazing experience. I got to shake hands with the first African-American President of the United States. What an honor! Not only did I meet him, but I also had the chance to have a deep, intellectual conversation with Al Houston. I thought this whole situation was extremely moving ... [Listening to these role models] motivated me to want to make a change in the world and actually get out there and make something of myself."
Guransh Singh, an 8th grader from Herbert Hoover Middle School, going on to the 9th grade at Winston Churchill high School shortly, has tabla, kirtan, books and basketball as his passions, and wants to be a lawyer.
"While I was there, I was in complete awe because I never imagined meeting Mr. Obama and other celebrities. I met a current NBA player in Ethan Thomas, a retired NBA player Allan Houston, and the secretary of Energy. I was very excited before we reached the White House because meeting celebrities is not something everyone does on a daily basis. However, after meeting them and conversing with them, I felt comfortable and realized that the only difference between us and them is the level of success.
"Meeting these people impacted my life and I left the White House a humbled person. I was inspired to keep working hard at my life. When school starts again in the fall, I will strive to do my best and study for all my tests and do all the work that is asked me. Also, I had the privilege to play on Mr. Obama's basketball court at the White House. It was an amazing experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. One song kept repeating itself in my head. It is called "My Generation" and it goes: 'My generation will make a change; this generation will make a change.' This will indeed happen if we spread what we learned and we apply it to our lives."
Gurpreet Singh, a 10th grader at Quince Orchard High School, has robotics engineering as his passion, said: "Though I didn't realize it at first, the trip to the White House actually encouraged me and inspired me. When I arrived there, I felt a little nervous, knowing that I will see the President in person and also knowing that I will meet famous people. But, as the day continued, I felt a bit more at ease, especially when I realized that these famous people were just normal regular people. I met an NBA player Allan Houston, who is now retired. He started off by asking us what we wanted to do in college and what jobs we wanted to have in the future. He asked us about whom we look up to and asked us other questions related to that .. .
"My group started to talk about life and religion and ... then about Sikhism and what we believe in. He actually had a lot of questions and seemed very interested ..."
Also attending that day were:
Rajdeep Singh, a 11th Grader from John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland
Vikram Singh, another 11th Grader from Winston Churchill High School, in Potomac, Maryland
Amarinder Singh, a 12th grader from Quince Orchard High School, Gaitherburg, Maryland
Inderbir Singh, a 11th grader from Quince Orchard High School, Maryland
Kabir Singh, 11th Grader from Quince Orchard High School, Gaitherburg, Maryland
August 6, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Rani (New York, U.S.A.), August 06, 2010, 10:41 AM.
I have asked this before, relating to the memorial event in Europe, and I will ask it again relating to this story: where are the girls and women? It is pure negligence on our part to take only men to such events. And, I'm sorry to say, it is doing more damage than good, even though your efforts are intrinsically praiseworthy. There should be absolutely no Sikh events where at least 50% of the attendees are not women. I would appreciate a response from the organizers of this particular event ... and a public commitment, please!
2: N. Singh (Canada), August 06, 2010, 12:24 PM.
Rani: I believe the 'suffragettes' of the early 1900's did not wait to be 'invited' to vote when they chained themselves against iron railings outside the Houses of Parliament in the U.K., and courted arrest on numerous occasions. I believe there was a parallel movement in North America as well. Often these were upper/ middle class women who risked loss of reputation and marriage prospects to fight for their rights. It is to them that we owe much of the freedom we enjoy in the West today. However, true liberation for women came during and after the WWII when they had to work in factories, on farms and other industries to keep the country running whilst the men were at war. After the war, the women refused to go back into the 'kitchen' to become house slaves once more. With the massive loss of male life during and after 1984, I would question what Sikh women have done to better their situation? Most have taken to Hindu rituals like karva chauth, teej, and female infancide ... the middle class ones are too busy emulating bollywood actresses and waiting to marry a man who will 'save' them and carry them off into the sunset. Then and now is the opportunity for Sikh women to come into their own, as space has been cleared besides the men. No one is going to give you your rights ... rights and freedom come at a cost and each woman has to be willing to pay the price for the benefit of future generations ... otherwise, as they say in the U.K., 'shut up and put up'!
3: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), August 06, 2010, 12:29 PM.
Hey guys, get ready to go with your President to India and Punjab in November this year. He will need to be exposed to the truth about Punjab and Sikhs.
4: Rajwant Singh (Washington, D.C., U.S.A.), August 06, 2010, 1:57 PM.
I appreciate Rani's comment about including Sikh women in every endeavor. We always have had an overwhelming participation of Sikh women and girls in all aspects of the events that we organize whether it is at SCORE (www.sikhcouncilusa.org) or at Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (www.ggsfusa.com). We have had Sikh women in the leadership role in the organization also. It was the White House which had requested 10 young Sikh men only since they already had a major female representation from all other communities at this Father's Day event at the White House. But the point is well taken about female inclusion and we must always strive to put women in the front in the spirit of what Guru Nanak has taught us.
5: Sukh (San Francisco, California, U.S.A.), August 06, 2010, 2:42 PM.
Women who 'try' often get beaten back, hard. No better place to look than Darbar Sahib.
6: Benanti (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), August 06, 2010, 2:53 PM.
I disagree with you, Sukh. I don't think Sikh women tried hard enough on the Darbar Sahib issue, or on any other current women's issue. For heaven's sake - we are 50% of the population and we are mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, lovers, caretakers .. we have more power than men, except we have yet to wield it properly. If we are bent on changing any wrong, nothing in the world could stop us. But we just haven't tried - hard enough and seriously enough! Pity! I just don't know what we're waiting for. And regarding S. Rajwant Singh's ji response - I'm sorry but I do not buy it. It is weak-kneed and spineless. If the White House asked for only men, the response should've been: we will bring young men and women! Surely, our daughters celebrate Father's Day too! I cannot imagine the White House having objected to such a position. I think we dropped the ball, Rajwant Singh ji. Both Rani and I would be thrilled if you wrote back with a COMMITMENT that you will ensure this faux pas will not be allowed in the future. I found your response rather inadequate!
7: Rani (New York, U.S.A.), August 06, 2010, 3:05 PM.
Re Rajwant Singh ji's response: I second Benanti's post. I couldn't have said it better. You work in the community and have the ability to do enormous good - or bad. This is a fundamental and critical issue which makes or breaks every good you do. Again, will you please give us a public commitment that you'll try and address this point in all your future seva?
8: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), August 06, 2010, 8:28 PM.
Well done, Rani. We need Mai Bhago all over again, in this case to drill some sense to the chauvinist pig-headed ones and tell them to go to the bani of great Guru Nanak that was ahead merely by five centuries.