Student Affairs
When people hear the word “interfaith” they do not typically think about the secular population. A common misconception is that the secular community, especially atheists, do not care about interfaith issues. This stems from a misunderstanding that all atheists are immoral or anti-theist (against belief in a higher power). The word “atheist” is stigmatized. One …
“Where are you from?” she asks me as I pay for my Gatorade. “Wisconsin,” I respond automatically, wondering if I should make a joke about not finding a bubbler here in Florida. She glances at me, taking in my headscarf and my darker complexion. She laughs at a joke I don’t comprehend. “No honey, where …
Before I came home for Winter Break, my mom texted me a picture of our “Hanukkah bush.” I would argue that this is a full-blown tree. I keep laughing at the ridiculousness of it all — we’re Jewish and we have a real tree, skirt and all, in our living room. It even has ornaments …
“Round and round we dance, we hold each other’s hands and weave our lives in a circle, our love is strong; the dance goes on” I had the great pleasure of honoring Dr. King’s legacy alongside the members of First Congregational UCC, Beth Israel Center, Madinah Academy of Madison, and Madison Christian Community for a …
Being with the Center for Religion and Global Citizenry this semester has been informative and enlightening, not only in my understanding of different faith and non-faith traditions, but also in listening. Talking about such a socially sensitive like religion can be difficult, but listening—really listening—can be even more of a challenge. What does it mean …
My religious identity is ambiguous. As my last blog post discussed, it’s been informed mostly by my own upbringing as a Presbyterian and influenced by small glimpses of Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam. I have to admit: as the year began, I was eager to learn as much as I could about other religious and spiritual …
Imagine that you are walking down a road with a friend from the same ethnicity and background as yourself. On the other side of the street, you see someone who looks completely different from you, in terms of their ethnicity, skin colour or background. You unconsciously and automatically group the person across the street as …
For one of our meetings, we prepared to spend the hour discussing different religious and faith-based stereotypes that impact us. It began with people sharing stereotypes that people have directly communicated with them, or stereotypes that are shared throughout general society. It was interesting to be able to hear people’s perspectives on how narratives, either …
Last June, the incoming fellows for the Center for Religion and Global Citizenry were offered the opportunity to go the Interfaith Leadership Institute (ILI) in Chicago. The ILI is a conference hosted by the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a non-profit with the goal of “making interfaith cooperation a social norm.” Students, educators, and IFYC staff …
This summer I had the opportunity to take my nursing assistant course clinicals at a hospice center in the suburban area outside of Madison. The whole week was spent allowing me and the seven other students to practice the skills we had learned in our lab by being assigned to a patient and acting as …