Instead of Ignorance

In the United States, everywhere you go, you will see people of different cultures, ethnicities and religions. The same goes for PEA—our school is a melting pot. There are many religions practiced here at Exeter, although that fact doesn’t come up in conversation as much as one might assume with the abundance of diversity that exists here. However, just because it isn’t talked about as much as the stress of essays and tests doesn’t mean it isn’t an important factor in many students’ lives. While events such as Evening Prayer and Shabbat dinner give the impression that each religion is treated with equal attention, the reality is that many students feel as if it’s incredibly hard to be faithful here.While I have Catholic friends in my dorm who walk to St. Michael’s Church every Sunday and don’t have to worry about practicing their religion correctly, I also have friends who have to work hard not to break any religious "rules" and stay true to their faiths. In particular, Muslim students here at the Academy have a tough time maintaining essential aspects of Islam while at school.To start off the school year, these students have to fill out extensive paperwork and fight to have the day off for a major Islamic holiday in the fall. But if we get a holiday break for Christmas, a Christian holiday, why do Muslims have to go through this tiring process in order to have the same privilege? Even when the students finally get permission not to attend classes on this day of religious importance, other students will still attend classes. Some Muslim students have decided to give up and go to classes in spite of the holiday, just because of how stressful it is to have to catch up with homework afterward. In addition, Muslims have to deal with dietary restrictions at our dining halls, where a substantial amount of items served here contain pork. Additionally, praying at specific times in the day is almost impossible. If you have H-Format, for example, you may have to miss the traditional prayer during sunset.Muslims aren’t the only people that feel aggravated about the lack of acknowledgement given to their ways of life—they are only one example. The problem is that it’s hard to account for as many groups as are represented at Exeter. If there were holidays for every religion, would we ever have school? And it’s difficult to incorporate every aspect of religion into any environment. So, while it is necessary that we consider and try to accommodate each student, it is also important to realize that some things are hard to add into a life as busy as an Exeter student’s.With all this said, the administration should be making an effort to facilitate the students’ attempts to have holidays and be excused for other religious needs. Maybe the menu in D-Hall should include more options for restricted diets as well. As a community, the minorities are what need to be thought of and spoken for most. Exeter used to be mostly Christian, but now the mix of religions is extremely varied, and our environment should reflect that instead of ignoring it.