Religious Life Awareness Week revives interest

Author: Brett Cluff

Religious Life Awareness Week, a 10-day celebration of the richness and diversity of the College's religious groups, came to an end Sunday. Over the course of the week, an impressive array of speakers, services and events attested to the vibrancy of religious communities on campus.

The week got off to a rousing start on Friday, April 1, when the Islamic Society broadcast its weekly "adhan," or call to prayer, from loudspeakers set up outside Mead Chapel. Over the next 10 days, campus groups from ALPHA to Prayz held open meetings that encouraged the attendance of "visitors, observers, questioners and the curious," as advertised by the Chaplain's office. Meetings ranged from an intimate discussion of "Who is the Christian God?" in the Mitchell Green Lounge to a packed house at Hillel's Shabbat "Service for the Curious" on April 8.

Besides open meetings led by the religious organizations, several special events added flavor to the celebration. Friar Mark Sherman came to campus at the behest of the Christian Orthodox association to give vespers on April 5. On the following day, Associate Chaplain Rabbi Ira Schiffer hosted a talk designed for gentiles but open to all, entitled "Judaism 101." On Wednesday, a panel of religious believers discussed the joys and biases encountered by active practitioners on Middlebury's campus.

The highlight of the week may well have been the Bluegrass Gospel Project's concert at Mead Chapel on the night of April 9. The band's self-proclaimed "bluegrass music infused with gospel lyrics" had the impressively large crowd energized all night. Proceeds from the concert benefited Heifer International, an organization that provides breeding pairs of animals to poor families in developing regions of the world.

The concept for Religious Life Awareness Week came jointly from the Chaplain's Office and the Religious Life Council (RLC). College Chaplain Laurel Jordan encouraged the RLC, which is composed of leaders of the various campus religious organizations, to get out and publicize its activities to the wider campus. Though there are more than 10 religious organizations operating at the college, the average student may not always be aware of their activities. To provide a greater measure of visibility, the RLC decided to hold an event to highlight its actions. Religious Life Awareness Week was born out of this desire to advertise the inclusiveness and sense of community fostered by student associations.

By all accounts, the week was a success. More than 300 people attended the various meetings of student religious groups, fulfilling the RLC's goal of raising the community's awareness of spirituality on campus. Whether the increased attendance will translate to higher membership remains to be seen. Sumaya Huqye '06, president of the Islamic Society, has already received e-mails from students who enjoyed the organization's weekly Khutba service.

Current members of religious organizations were equally enriched. As Huqye noted, the pressures of schoolwork often relegate religion to the back burner of college life. By encouraging believers to interact with those of different faiths, she said that the week "revived interest among current members" as well.

Though there are no concrete plans for future events, everyone associated with Religious Life Awareness Week was in favor of making it an annual event. Jordan already has a few ideas for next year. As she saw it, the most important lesson of the week was the emphasis on reflecting on what is really important in life.

"At Middlebury, you're always going and going and going," Jordan noted. "Religion allows you to stop and catch your breath." As many students turn to their faith for inspiration as exams and other end-of-the-year commitments pile up, her words ring especially true.