YJA Convention 2014 07 Washington DC

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

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JAIN ACADEMIC BOWL
That with the help of which we can know the truth, control the restless mind, and purify the soul is called knowledge in the Jaina doctrine.
-Mahavir Swami Bhagwan
Our mission at YJA Conventions has always been to educate Jain youth about their heritage and the rich values of the Jain tradition, including the principles of ahimsa (non-violence), anekantavada (multiplicity of viewpoints), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). The Daytime Programming team is excited to announce that this year, we are taking the pursuit of Jain knowledge a step further by holding YJA's first ever Jain Academic Bowl!
Jain Academic Bowl (JAB) is a team competition for young Jains. This competition tests the overall knowledge of Jain philosophy, Jain history, sutras, Tirthankars, revered Jain personalities, the Jain Way of Life, and more, as well as the ability of participants to answer quickly. This competition is in a "jeopardy" type of format. Participant teams "buzz in" to answer questions.
In a modified version of the hit competitions at JAINA conventions, we invited youth from all over North America to take part in a preliminary online test. The top 16 scorers were randomly placed into teams. During Daytime sessions at the 2014 YJA Convention, there will be two semifinal competitions. The top two teams will advance to the final competition, also held during Daytime sessions.
Vitaragi Victors Ayush Jain (MD) Juhi Nahata (MI) Mahima Shah (NJ) Somik Shah (NJ)
Jain Jewels: Akhil Ajmera (MD) Parshva Vakharia (NT)
Saagar Shah (NJ) Vishwa Shah (FL)
Gandhars: Ayushi Sangoi (NJ) Charmi Vakharia (NJ) Mitesh Bhalani (GA) Varun Singhai (MD)
Breaking Paap: Anjali Shah (NJ) Kanvi Shah (VA) Romit Nagda (NJ) Shreyans Munot (MI)
A special thank-you to: JSMW for providing buzzer systems; Shweta Shah, Priti Shah, Vinit Shah, Hema Ojha, Harsh and Bhavisha Shroff, Anjali Doshi, Pravin Shah, and Megha Doshi for revising the JAB Manual; Ravi Mehta, Shachi Nagda, Kayuri Shah, and Akash Shah for serving as moderators and assistant moderators; Aanal Gandhi and Neeraj Gandhi for serving as scorekeepers; Pravin Shah and Megha Doshi for their invaluable support and creation of test papers; and Anish Doshi, Anjali Doshi, Chintav Shah, and Siddharth Shah for their hard work as the JAB Administration Team
YJA GIVES BACK
Bhagwan Mahavir once said:
Parasparopagraho Jivanam “All Souls Render Service to One Another"
Throughout the years, YJA has given back to the community, encouraged youth to be active within their communities, and maintained the core Jain principles of Ahimsa, Anekantavad and Aparigraha. This year, our convention theme is "Today's Learners, Tomorrow's Leaders." To this end, we have an on-site volunteer activity which allows attendees to apply their knowledge of these core concepts by serving those in their community.
We will be assembling almost 400 kits filled with hygiene products to help the homeless, who do not have access to essential resources and lack the ability to purchase these necessities. We want this activity to spark an interest among youth to work toward causes they believe in, and to work with charitable organizations that help those who may be less fortunate. We hope that through this opportunity, youth will not only learn to give back to the world around them, but will also develop a deep sense of appreciation for what they have been given.
We would like to send a huge thank-you to Dr. Sushil Jain for presenting this opportunity, and to both Dr. Sushil Jain and Paresh Shah for sponsoring this activity.
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2014 YJA CONVENTION WASHINGTON, D.C.