Five students discussed the ways in which they came to redefine and rely on their faith in light of hardship during Dartmouth Voices of Faith, an event hosted by the Dartmouth Multi-Faith Council on Tuesday in Collis Common Ground. The event featured a "brave group of young people" who stepped forward to "offer a little important bit of themselves" as they tackled a traditionally difficult topic, Assistant Chaplain Kurt Nelson said while introducing the panel discussion.
The panelists spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the personal nature of the subject matter.
Siddharth '14, a member of the Dartmouth Hindu group Shanti and a believer in the Arya Samaj sect of Hinduism, said he came from a deeply religious family but did not have much individual religion. His religious life consisted of celebrating major festivals or indulging his parents, and he felt no responsibility to his religion, he said.
Siddharth said that prayer is an indirect way to commit to his parents and "perform my duty by them." Hinduism has helped Siddharth understand others' views without losing sight of his own faith, and prayer has helped him find his place at Dartmouth, he said.
"Singing the devotional prayer for the first time told me I was at home here at Dartmouth and made religion a source of strength for me," he said.
Chris '13, a leader of two Tucker Foundation Faith in Action trips, said he was raised as a devout Catholic but questioned his faith after his mother dealt with numerous ailments and as he learned more about the conduct of the Catholic Church during high school. He now identifies as "non-religious," he said.
"As high school came, we learned a lot about the history of these religions," Chris said. "My eyes were opened to the fact that my religion had been spread to the Western world by the rape, conquest and murder of indigenous people."
Chris was bothered by Catholicism's dark past, and he questioned why his mother had to deal with sickness if Jesus was protecting his family.
Chris said he felt suffocated when he arrived at Dartmouth because he could not escape discussion of religion and faith even though he did not want to participate in such dialogue. To deal with his confusion, he signed up for a Faith in Action trip, during which he spoke with others who were more comfortable with their faith. From that experience, he came to define his faith less as an organized religion and more in terms of a connection to his family, friends and self, he said.
Sage '12, a member of the Latter-day Saint Student Association, learned to appreciate her faith after battling an eating disorder in her sophomore year of high school, she said.
Sage said she gradually broke away from her church because her parents were not observant, but she arrived at Dartmouth with a desire to discover what Mormonism really meant to her.
"I have had lots of questions and have reasoned through them with God," she said. "I am thankful for the gospel because it has filled me with joy so great that I can't hold it all in."
Grappling with eating issues while at Dartmouth has inspired her to renew her faith once again, she said.
"Being a daughter of Dartmouth has helped me come to know the beautiful reality of being a daughter of God," she said.
Maggie '14, a member of the Multi-Faith Council and worshiper of the Baha'i faith, grew up in a family "that was always spiritual but not religious," she said. Although her extended family was fundamentally Christian, Maggie grew up believing in a God but "not entirely sure how to do it," she said.
During her first few weeks on campus, Maggie discovered that she had an "amazingly religiously diverse floor," she said. She and her floormates went to the Aquinas House on Mondays, Hillel on Fridays, and Multi-Faith Council on Tuesdays. She said she found herself surrounded by people who loved learning about philosophy, faith, science and how the three intertwined.
"I have been astounded at the warmth of understanding here at Dartmouth," she said. "I always feel like I have a voice even as a tiny religious minority. Everyone here has a voice and it will find a home here at Dartmouth no matter what it has to say."
Amir '14, a member of Al-Nur, the Muslim Student Association, has also found Dartmouth to be more accepting of his faith than the Presbyterian Day School he attended in Tennessee.
"I was the only non-white child in the classroom and my classmates welcomed me warmly until 9/11 happened," he said. "I remember when the attackers were revealed, my parents feared the implications the attack would have on our daily lives. I was puzzled by their concerns because I didn't associated with the Muslim terrorists. Soon I was bombarded with crazy questions like, Do Muslims like America? Do you like America? Are you related to Osama?'"
Amir said that one of his teachers showed a video on Islam that portrayed an extremely negative image of Muslims as terrorists. Soon afterwards he was chosen to give a speech to his school "on the bravery of America after 9/11," he said.
"I know enough now to know that I was chosen as a Muslim-American poster boy for Islam," he said.
Even at Dartmouth, Amir continues to feel objectified and judged by those who do not have a true knowledge of his religion.
"While I am a Muslim, I do not feel the need to explain every bad seed in the world," he said. "Should you feel the need to explain those who do not fully represent your faith?"
After the panel, students sat in small discussion groups to reflect on the panelists' speeches and their own sense of faith.
