A group of students gathered around a table set up outside of the IUS Bookstore to the sounds of Christian and country music playing from a laptop located at a table.

The students were gathering to have the photo of their palm taken by the Christian Student Fellowship group of IU Southeast.

The students were asked to draw what they felt was the most important thing in their lives and the photo was then posted on a bulletin board located behind the table.

The bulletin board showed a variety of different responses from students such as: faith, family, friends and studying.

IUS campus minister Josh Boswell helped the CSF members come up with the concept of asking students what they felt was the most important thing in their lives for the event on March 9.

Boswell came up with the idea for the event after visiting a Web site dedicated to stopping human trafficking and ending human slavery.

“Their group drew keys on the palm of their hand that showed they were standing up for a cause and trying to stop human slavery,” Boswell said. “Other campuses are using the idea and hosting an event like ours.”

The CSF was given permission by Campus Life to leave the photos that were taken at the event on the bulletin board outside of the campus bookstore for a week.

Boswell said the main goal of the event was to give the students and members of the CSF a chance to connect with each other and to get people talking on campus about what is the most important thing in student’s lives.

“With the event we hope to connect students with Christ, with the Christian community on campus and the local churches,” Boswell said. “We want to help students with ideas and resources.”

Elesha Corbett, psychology junior and member of the CSF for three years, was in charge of taking the photos for students who drew what the most important thing to them was on their palm.

“We are just trying to see what the most important thing to students is,” Corbett said. “What is important to students? What the most thing in their life? Hopefully, we can share with them what is the most important thing to the group is.”

The CSF launched a Web site at www.connectius.org, which is dedicated to what the group believes in and what they are offering for students on campus.

“We hope students will visit the Web site to see what is the most important to the group,” Corbett said.

Boswell said the photos taken of students during the event will not be posted on the Web site but some of the group members will have their photos posted on the Web site along with a story that explains why they picked what the most important thing to them in their life is.

Mary Whitlock, education freshman, said she found out about the event from a former co-worker at the coffee shop who is a member of the CSF.

Whitlock said she is not a member of the group but had been to some of their events in the past and has been in other groups on campus.

“I really like the idea, I probably would have not thought of it,” Whitlock said. “It’s inventive and tells people on campus what students truly believe in.”

Boswell said he was pleased with the turnout.

“We just want to get students thinking about the topic and engage them in what the group believes to be the most important in their lives,” Boswell said.