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The Miami
Vol. 93, Issue 42 | March 26 - March 29, 2015
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HURRICANE
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STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI IN CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, SINCE 1929
Religious garbs strengthen spirituality GIANCARLO FALCONI // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The main thing I want to avoid is any sort of stereotypes or misconceptions coming up and interfering with my interaction with students. Junior Ishtpreet Singh, a practicing Sikh
Coverings represent variety of faiths BY EMILY DABAU ONLINE NEWS EDITOR
Freshman Rowanne Ali began wearing the hijab, a veil worn by Muslim women, her sophomore year of high school. Raised Muslim by Egyptian parents, she made the decision to wear the hijab when she was 13, after growing up seeing her mother wear it. “My parents always told me what it was about, and that when I was ready, that I could start wearing it,” she said. “They always told me, ‘Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s about the clothes you wear, but once you start wearing it, you also have to portray your religion in the right light.’” In the Miami weather, wearing a head covering around the University of Miami campus can get warm, but Ali
said it doesn’t cause too much discomfort. “It definitely gets hot, but I don’t think it’s substantially hotter for me than it would be if I didn’t have it on,” Ali said about her hijab. “It’s something I get used to. … If anything, it protects me from the sun. … It’s not something that bothers me, it never gets too hot.” Warm weather aside, three UM students from separate religious backgrounds say their religious head coverings not only serve a spiritual purpose for them, but also give them the opportunity to help others around them become more religiously aware. A study found that most college students identify themselves as religious or spiritual. According to the 2013 National College Student Survey, 31.8 percent of students identified their worldview as religious, 32.4 percent identified themselves as spiritual and 28.2 percent as secular.
The survey included a sample of more than 1,800 students from 38 fouryear colleges and universities in the United States. Moreover, religious knowledge is most closely linked with years of schooling, according to a U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey by the Pew Research Center. Amanullah De Sondy, assistant professor of Islamic Studies at UM, considers cultural and religious awareness a key factor in the college experience. He says it provides an opportunity for students to learn about those around them who have different beliefs and practices. “It is important in order to interrogate critical questions in the academic study, which then leads to a better understanding in building bridges between faith communities and understanding those who are different from you,” he said.
SEE RELIGIOUS GARBS, PAGE 4
PARKING SAFETY COMMUTERS DEAL WITH VEHICULAR VANDALS PAGE 3
ULTRA WEEKEND FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH NEW REGULATIONS PAGE 7
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM ADVANCES TO FINAL FOUR IN NIT, TO PLAY IN NYC PAGE 9