Following several racist and anti-Semitic incidents in Ithaca, local faith leaders are doubling down on ongoing anti-racist programming. While their approaches vary, they have a common message: Hate has no home in Ithaca.
Several organizations that form a part of Cornell’s religious community have dedicated themselves to providing support for the stress of the 2020 Election. Of these groups include Cornell Health, Cornell United Religious Work, the Office of the Dean of Students and Cornell Votes.
Muslim students are celebrating one of the biggest holidays of the year isolated — but are still finding ways to connect with their communities and families.
In a world afflicted by plagues and devoid of autonomy, the ancient Israelites enslaved in Egypt longed for little more than fundamental safety and freedom from suffering. Today, whether you have lost your job, feel unsafe in your home or are eating Matzah of your own volition, your pain is also valid. What makes this Passover different from all other Passovers? For one, many seders have saved a seat for a special new guest (and no, I’m not talking about Elijah). This year, Zoom joined the party, enabling extended families to safely come together from across the street or across the globe.
As large gatherings are banned or discouraged with the spread of COVID-19, local places of worship turn to technology to offer religious services and support.
Currently, HSC is one of the only student religious organizations that shoulders the dual role of serving as both an entirely student-run organization and a provider of spiritual and religious care to Cornellians and Ithacans alike, according to Piragash Swargaloganathan ’19, who has helped spearhead HSC’s efforts to establish a chaplaincy.
Here’s the lowdown: I’m a Christian, and I think Cornell should be more open to religion — specifically Christianity. Although I’d grown up going to church (sort of — because my dad was never interested), it wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I began to develop my personal faith. In the midst of college applications and a long list of rejections, I felt a deep-seated inadequacy that I couldn’t solve by myself. Through a series of conversations with Christian friends that I’d had since elementary school and a long period of soul-searching and Bible-reading, I realized that my faith was something that was incredibly important to me. More importantly, I realized I wanted to remain a Christian in college.