Student Affairs
UW’s Campus and Visitor Relations (CaVR) unit, headed by Dr. Kirstin DeMartino, trains a student staff of over 150 to lead tours of campus each year. For the first time this year, that training included a breakout session for student tour guides who want to learn about religious and spiritual life around campus, entitled “Faith …
On Friday, August 15, Program Coordinator Talia Ivry received word from Augsburg University that the Center for Interfaith Dialogue staff and student leaders were selected as a recipient of Augsburg’s Emerging Muslim Bridgebuilding Leaders Engaging the Midwest (EMBLEM) Grant to underwrite an interfaith bioethics conference in spring of 2026. The conference, set for February, will …
I was first taught how to make chai from a friend’s mother growing up; originally from New Delhi, India, their family had immigrated the year prior and lived two doors down from my childhood home. Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time at their home and it was a full two years …
“Order for Teeg?” “Tigbar, right?” “ohh beer…like the drink?” These are just a few of the common mispronunciations or misconceptions that I have heard about my name when placing an order or introducing myself to someone. Whether it’s due to the length or the appearance of sounds and letter combinations typically not found in English, …
Over this last year, I’ve made some pretty big decisions in my life: medical school timeline, job prospects, my role in my communities, and much more. Yet through this, I’ve been given some constant reminders throughout the last few months, and I wanted to write them down (note, these are some of my interpretations, so …
In September of 2016 my biggest fear came true, and my life changed forever. After a lifelong battle with cancer, my dad passed away, leaving my entire family devastated. The loss was unimaginable. I cannot accurately articulate the pain and grief we experienced in the days, months, and years following; any description I can manage …
I grew up looking at a framed image of Dorothy Day which said, “We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know Him in the breaking of bread, and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone anymore.” The …
As I reflect on this semester with the Interfaith Fellows Program, I realize how much it has shaped my understanding of religion and my relationship with my faith within a community and world context. Entering the program, I came with a curiosity about other faiths and a desire to find commonality between different perspectives. I …
I started wearing the hijab in third grade, long before I fully understood its meaning. It was simply a norm in my community, and I liked how it felt when I put it on. It gave me a sense of identity, even if I couldn’t articulate that at the time. As I grew older and …
Growing up in the far western region of Nepal, I was raised in a household where my parents did not engage in everyday religious practices; instead, we celebrated only major festivals. Despite this, religion was a notable part of my family and life. Yet, unlike my extended family and cousins – who prioritized religion and …