steps to provide greater support for student religious groups, primarily through the programs and resources of Phillips Church, but it’s the initiative of the students themselves, more than anything else, that has made Exeter fertile ground for religious expression and exploration. The Hindu Society, Muslim Student Association and Catholic Exonians, along with the groups already mentioned, are all student-led.The vitality of these groups, and the opportunities they offer students to express their faith, depend on student leadership. Students choose to join religious clubs for a variety of reasons. Some are interested in trying a new practice or learning about another faith. Others want to continue with a religious practice that is part of their life at home. Max Freedman ’13, who serves as co-head of the EJC, falls into the second category, but many of those who regularly attend the Shabbat dinner do not. He estimates that only about half of the 25 students who usually attend are Jewish.The rest, he readily admits, come for the food. “We call them ‘kitchen members’ of the club,” Freedman says of the non-Jewish attendees. “The home-cooked meal is a big draw. But every religious group on campus puts ‘all are welcome’ on notices about their meetings. Even if they’re only one-time members or ‘kitchen members,’ they’re welcome to come and learn about our religious practices.” Tina Safford ’14, co-head of the Buddhist Meditation Society, attends meditation on Friday nights, but she has also, on occasion, participated in the Jewish Shabbat and the Sunday afternoon Protestant Worship Service at Phillips Church. “There’s a very open environment here,” she says. “It allows you to get another perspective. A lot of students who attend meditation are not Buddhists.We have some Catholic and Jewish students who attend. They are rooted in their own practice, but they’re interested in what Buddhism offers.” A day student from Exeter, Safford had never meditated before she came to the Academy, and went to the Friday night gathering out of simple curiosity. For the first time in her life, she sat still for 40 minutes and was entirely centered in herself, an experience she found revelatory. “Buddhism is individualized and more self-exploratory,” she says. “It’s about how to be present where you are. I now identify with Buddhism more than any other religion. It will take me anywhere I need to go.”
“Exeter forces you to think critically.You can’t hold nebulous beliefs here.”
Meaningful Respites For students who arrive at Exeter with a confirmed faith, their religious experience at the Academy may be just as revelatory. Milton Syed ’14 attended an inner-city public school in the Bronx before coming to Exeter and is head of the Muslim Student Association. Being away from home and following Muslim practice at Exeter has made him examine his faith in new ways. “In my community at home, Muslim practice is very rule-based,” he explains. “There isn’t time to think about the religion much. At Exeter, my religion has become more of an intellectual exercise than a duty. Harkness encourages you to question things more critically. Now my religion is my choice. I am practicing because I want to.” Syed follows the Muslim ritual of praying five times a day. The late-afternoon prayers are the hardest to fit in, but he can usually find 10 minutes to stop at the prayer room in Phillips Church if he is on that side of campus or to pray in his dorm room. He expected that practicing his faith might be difficult at Exeter, but has found the school accommodating.The first surprise was the discovery that the Muslim students have a dedicated space for prayer on the lower level of Phillips Church in the Salah Room, which they refer to as their mosque. This, he says, is something that makes Exeter different. His Muslim friends at other boarding schools do not have a place to pray. Patrick Ahern, a senior from Lake Forest, IL, and co-head of Catholic Exonians, helped to revive the club and became one of its co-heads in his prep year. His experience has been similar to Syed’s. “Exeter forces you to think critically,” he notes. “You can’t hold nebulous beliefs here. This is positive because it makes Catholic students think more critically about their faith. It’s not just in the air around them. They have to make an effort to hold on to their faith.” Sumun Khetpal ’13, co-head of the Hindu Society, believes that the experience of being away from home has strengthened her faith. At Exeter, she has to make a more conscious effort 30
The Exeter Bulletin
S PRING 2013