Gaining religious perspective

By Bonnie Leung

It’s not Mulder and Scully, but it could still be an unearthly experience.

The University of Calgary is holding "The Truth is out there," a spiritual perspectives week, from Jan. 24-29, 2000.

According to Students’ Union Operations and Finance Commissioner Kirstyn Nay, Spiritual Awareness Week offers students something more than academic or health related events.

"We have millions of awareness weeks all the time and there are a million different things that a lot of them are, but one of the equally important things of being a student is the learning experience that is spiritual," she said.

Latter-day Saints’ Student Association secretary Serena Maitland agrees.

"I think it’s important to be able to get all these religions groups together and let students know what is out there, not only in a spiritual sense but being able to know what other students on campus believe," she said.

Maitland hopes this spiritual week will encourage participating students to learn more about spiritual values.

"All of [these clubs] do have something wonderful to offer," she said. "And if they can take some of what’s there and implement that into their lives, I think they would find some great benefit."

Several events are running next week, including the 30 hour famine kickoff, a sandwich-making service project and several speakers.

On Tues., Jan. 25, there will be a Muslim/Christian/Mormon dialogue.

"That’s with the Muslim Students’ Association, Intervarsity Christian’s Fellowship and the Latter-day Saints Association," said Nay. "Each of the three clubs prepares three questions for each of the other clubs and they pick three from the six to answer. They just have a little five to seven minute presentation in answering each of the questions that’s developed."

Nay feels this event will be a highlight of the club interactions.

"This is really an integration of the three clubs and the three different faiths as well," she said. "It’s not a debate either. It’s a really friendly dialogue."

Muslim Students’ Association member Nasia Qureshi feels the response is usually successful but wouldn’t mind more participants.

"It would be nice to have more non-Muslim people come to Islamic week," she said.

Not every student on campus is interested in spirituality.

"Why a whole week?" said Atheist Students’ Club President Tyler Shandro. "At the end of the week, does everyone just go dead inside?"