Student Affairs
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 …
Every Friday evening, as the sun set below the horizon, my family would come together to embrace the Sabbath. This wasn’t just a change in time; it was a shift in perspective—a pause from the hustle and bustle of daily life to immerse ourselves in worship. The harmonious sound of hymns filled our home with …
Walking with pride means something unique for every single individual. I walk with pride while wearing a Sikh turban commonly referred to as a Pagri, a piece of cloth dating back centuries, representing sacrifice and honor. My decision to wear my turban every day reflects my identity but is also a tribute to my ancestors …
I first remember learning the story of Jonah and the Whale in Sunday school. Jonah’s actions were taught as a lesson in why we ought to follow God’s command. Past that point, I put it out of my mind, until I recently discovered The Mountain Goats’s song “Mobile.” “Mobile” has generated, for me, a new …
In the Sikh faith, it is customary to keep one’s head covered out of respect for the spirituality of our unshorn hair, one of the five articles of faith that Sikhs must maintain. Young boys tend to tie a patka while adolescents and older men wear a pagh or dastaar, which is often referred to …
The idea of thresholds as pivotal moments in life has long piqued my interest in regards to the study of theology and its associated components. Thresholds hold the opportunity to see what awaits in the future, what is experienced in the present, and what has occurred in the past. Religion, in itself, is a complex …
My childhood was to my life as water is to a plant; every aspect of the bolstering that I received was associated with my upbringing. Peaceful was the smell of cardamom and red chili powder that would ubiquitously waft through the air of our immigrant household. Calming was the pensive silence that would comfort my …