From the stained glass windows in Admin, the beautiful St. Joseph’s chapel, and the fact that the residence halls are named after nuns long gone, it’s not hard for a visitor to tell that Seton Hill University (SHU) is a Catholic school, even if they did manage to miss the white ceramic statue of St. Elizabeth Anne Seton placed within easy view of anyone ascending the hill. But just because the University is Catholic doesn’t mean the students are too.
By Christina Celona
Contributor
From the stained glass windows in Admin, the beautiful St. Joseph’s chapel, and the fact that the residence halls are named after nuns long gone, it’s not hard for a visitor to tell that Seton Hill University (SHU) is a Catholic school, even if they did manage to miss the white ceramic statue of St. Elizabeth Anne Seton placed within easy view of anyone ascending the hill. But just because the University is Catholic doesn’t mean the students are too.
I do feel comfortable,” said Becca Sands, a Buddhist, junior student. “I came to Seton Hill knowing it was a Catholic University, so to complain about any of the religious activities they advertise or support would be pretty ignorant of me. The only time I felt both uncomfortable and offended was when I had Faith, Religion, and Society… I didn’t feel as though we learned as much about other religions as I would have liked, and I did feel as though my opinions were ignored. Other than that, I feel very comfortable on campus. My friends have never made me feel strange about my beliefs, and in fact, I feel more comfortable about myself and my religion since coming here.”
Though generally taught by members of the Theology department, LA 150, or Faith, Religion, and Society, is not a theology class, but rather a part of the liberal arts core that all SHU students must complete to graduate. Frances Leap, associate professor of religious studies and theology describes it as a “basic citizenship” course, an “introduction to very basic realities of religious traditions in society.” The histories and traditions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are briefly covered in this course, followed by the study of Catholic Social Teachings, an addition which replaced the studies of Hinduism and Buddhism when it was brought in.
SHU also has a separate theology requirement. To satisfy those three credits, there is an array of extremely in-depth classes that cover various aspects of the Abrahamic religions, mainly Christianity, to choose from.
“I’d rather take a class that focuses on Buddhism rather than Catholicism for my Theology class, but at the same time, I’m excited to learn about the beliefs of my friends,” says Sands.
Sands describes her experience in her Faith, Religion, and Society class as “negative”, purely because of the teacher.”
“I’ve heard from other students who have really enjoyed their classes, but I think there are few people in mine who enjoyed it, including Catholics,” she added.
“I came here because they gave me a scholarship,” says Sofiya Aranudova, a freshman exchange student from Bulgaria who identifies herself as Muslim. “I didn’t pay attention to the Catholic thing until I got accepted. Then I was worried that you had to be Catholic to come here, but Rebecca Lee [the Director of International Student Services] told me that it wasn’t required.”
“I don’t really notice the difference, except on Sundays, when everyone is all dressed up for church,” says Aranudova. “They’re not really pushing religion on us, so I don’t feel obligated to go to mass. Yeah, there are surely people who will jump on you and try to put their religion on you, but that’s a really small percentage.”
Aranudova is currently a student in RT 280, which is simply titled “Jesus”. She calls it “awesome,” saying, “The professor is not pushing anything on us. It’s fun to learn about different interpretations of the Bible and different points of view.”
Sands says, “I think how Seton Hill approaches their Catholic and religious roots is what made me feel so comfortable in choosing a Catholic school. They encourage diversity and for everyone to find their own happiness and comfort in religion, no matter what religion that may be. I have never felt as though I didn’t belong.”