About 50 people attended the third Campus Conversation of 2016, which focused on faith.
For people on Shoshana Blair’s residence hall floor her freshman year, she said she was probably the first Jewish person they had met.
Blair detailed how they tried to compare her faith to Catholicism and other forms of Christianity.
“I don’t know the answer, but this is what I do know,” Blair said she would tell people when they asked her questions.
Actively practicing or discussing one’s faith can be difficult for students during their college years, but Wednesday's Campus Conversation tried to break down those walls.
About 50 people attended the third Campus Conversation of 2016, which focused on faith.
“We are looking to create conversations about things that aren't normally talked about on campus,” Assistant Dean of Students Jamie Patton said.
During the first hour of the Campus Conversation, those in attendance moved from to table to table discussing different faiths. Each table represented a different religion: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim and Mormon. The groups then had the opportunity to discuss the table’s faith and ask questions.
For the second hour, there was a panel discussion where the panelists fielded questions.
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“It’s not always the cool thing to do to stand up for religion and your beliefs,” Sammi Hanson, a member of OU Catholics, said.
Hanson, a senior studying biology and pre-physical therapy, said the temptations in everyday life are the most difficult thing for her.
“I think just generally being a person of faith in college is difficult,” Mary Caroline Tilton, a sophomore studying journalism, said.
Tilton, a former Post reporter and practicing Lutheran, also touched on how not all Christians are alike.
“In a lot of the discussion that we had, I felt like I had to explain a lot because not a lot of people know about my religion,” Spencer Hirt, a third-year medical student in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, said.
Hirt, who is Mormon, said spirituality is an important part of his life and his faith helps keep him focused.
“Being religious or spiritual is not always popular,” Hirt said.
Nino Abolola, a junior studying pre-medicine, said people need to treat each other with respect.
“Just treat people nicely,” Abulola, a Muslim, said.
For Ranga Kalugampitiya, a graduate student studying in the interdisciplinary arts program, his Buddhist faith is a personal thing.
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“You can come in and ask some really good questions, questions that you might be embarrassed to ask," Patton said. "Sometimes you don’t even have to ask the question because someone else might, and you are going to gain so much knowledge."
Through Wednesday’s Campus Conversation, Patton said he learned a lot, particularly about the Buddhist religion.
“I always wish that there were 200 people in attendance, however I think it was a rich dialogue about something that isn’t discussed very often,” Patton said, noting he appreciated those who spoke about their faith.
@megankhenry
