Campus organizations host event promoting minor in religious studies
Students and faculty do yoga outside the Liberal Arts Center on the Labyrinth Tuesday.
April 5, 2023
Various religious organizations on campus hosted World Religions Exploring Diversity Tuesday on the USI Labyrinth outside the Liberal Arts Center.
The Religious Studies Minor, College of Liberal Arts, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and Office of Religious Life displayed activities, including henna, crafts, yoga, meditation and traditional foods for students and faculty to experience religions in different cultures.
The cultural showcase was to promote and encourage students to register for a religious studies minor.
Manuel Apodaca, associate professor of Spanish, said he hopes students are encouraged to register for the minor to see what religion is like in college.
“As an area of studies, it is also very interesting because it promotes diversity, cultural awareness and also empathy with other people who have different beliefs and in faiths,” Apodaca said.
He said religion is important in people’s lives and part of our culture.
“Even though sometimes some people don’t believe in religions, or in Gods, it is there, and it is part of our life,” Apodaca said.
Aniyah Ryan, junior anthropology major, said she was informed by her Spanish professor Norma Rosas-Mayen about the event and thought it would be interesting because she likes to study other cultures.
“I’ve always loved other religions and, like, studying them,” Ryan said.
Apodaca said they have been preparing for this event since March, by bringing people from the religious community, including Judaism, Hindu, Christians and different branches of Christianity.
He said the event included music, traditional foods from the Middle East, including baklava, Jewish crafts, canvas painting and a yoga and meditation class.
Dylan Tussey, junior computer science major, is the president of the Muslim student association and was at the activity representing Islam at the religious studies event.
“It’s helping to connect students with actual members from their religious communities that practice some of the religions that some of the students would be studying in the religious minors degree,” Tussey said.
Ryan said she thinks it is important to educate others on different religions.
“I definitely think it’s necessary to educate everybody on all different types of religions and cultures just like, I think you should know about it, it makes you more well-rounded,” Ryan said.
Laith Abushalback, sophomore political science major, represented the Islam table and said he thinks it is beneficial for people to be involved.
“This is great to experience all these different religions as someone within the minor, so it’s good for anyone involved in it to be able to come to this,” Abushalback said.
Apodaca said the religious studies minor is only 18 credits.
“The idea is to promote the event among students in the USI community and invite them to register in as an option for a minor,” Apodaca said. “It’s only 18 credits.”
Abushalback said students can still experience the events even if they are not interested in the minor.
