Tag Archives: class of 2021

Senior Spotlight: a series on our graduating students

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In what other major can you peruse the Ramayana, the Sattipatthana Sutta, and the Scivias, at the same time? As a religion major, you will have access to the greatest works in translation. What’s more? Religion professors, you must have heard by now are the most caring, talented, and student-centered you can find on UVM campus.

– shuvan shrestha
Shuvan Shrestha is one of our 2021 Outstanding Major Award winners!

Why did you major in Religion?

In what other major can you peruse the Ramayana, the Sattipatthana Sutta, and the Scivias, at the same time? As a religion major, you will have access to the greatest works in translation. What’s more? Religion professors, you must have heard by now are the most caring, talented, and student-centered you can find on UVM campus. After taking Professor Trainor’s Comparing Religions, followed by Professor Brennan’s Religion, Sound, Space my first year, I was destined to become a religion major. Yet the question of why you majored in religion, cannot be described fully in words, you will need to sit in a religion classroom to experience for yourself.  

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

I am deeply worried about the state of K-12 education in Nepal, where I received my own K-12 education. As remnants of colonial atrocities, corporal punishment is widely used in schools today. I hope to push against institutions that value discipline over creativity, rigidity over flexibility, censorship over academic freedom, and unhealthy supervision over trust in students. This needs to change.

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

Religion, Sound, Space with Professor Brennan! This was THE class when I think back, what made my first-year UVM experience so great, this is the class. A four-credit class with six other students, a class in which CAS’ public reputation as a “small liberal arts college within a high caliber public research institution” was manifest, in this class we conducted field research, we interviewed local community members and made connections with them, while also learning about ethnomusicology and acoustemology, we recorded the soundscape of Burlington with support from Howe Library’s Multimedia Services, and then we made an entire blog post, in turn receiving compliments aplenty from the local community members. As someone who did not know much about Vermont or even the U.S., interacting with local community members back in my first-year had been a valuable experience, which made me confident to work with local communities later when I undertook the legislative internship position at the Office of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders the semester after taking this class. 

If you could write any book, what would it be?

The Epic of Gilgamesh: Nepali Translation. After receiving permission from Professor Andrew George from the SOAS and from the Penguin Press, I undertook the book translation project for Gilgamesh in my junior year. Then pandemic hit… For now, it remains a potential future project. I was interested in the project for several reasons: Professor Chiu’s excellent classes, which piqued my interest in the epic, the fact that I dearly miss reading and writing in Nepali, and the issue of language justice and accessibility. 

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

I will always remember Professor Trainor’s warm greetings the second I stepped into his office, also his efficacious smile, the invaluable advising sessions, the really comfortable sofa in his office! After meeting Professor Trainor in his first-floor office, I remember walking down the wooden stairway (that creaked!), only then to be heard by Professor Brennan inside her ground-floor office who waved cheerfully–thank you so much, it always brightened up my day.

You’re finishing up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us something about that experience—bonus points for including religion or the Religion Department as a way to think about it!

I want to thank all my professors; the pandemic has not been easy for anyone. This semester, I attended UVM remotely from Nepal. For a 2:50-4:05pm class, it was 1-3am at night in my time zone. I could have picked another class with a suitable timing, but I really wanted to be in Professor Brennan’s class (again!) for my last semester (which was at 2:05). She recorded her live lectures, and all religion professors were very supportive to meet my academic needs, thank you!

Senior Spotlight: a series on our graduating students

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Taking classes during this pandemic and comparing my experience to those of my friends has reminded me how grateful I am for this major and my professors. Being in small classes with professors who know me and care so much about their students has made all the difference. It’s still hard learning online and having the energy to focus on school with everything else going on, but this department has made it much easier.

– LAURA BISBEE-SLADE

Why did you major in Religion?

Religion was a large part of my high school experience, so entering college it seemed like a natural topic for me to study. Looking back, I don’t think I really understood what it meant to study religion, but the more I understood how religion functions in people’s lives, often in ways we don’t initially realize, and how it intersects with so many other areas of society, the more I knew I made the right choice.

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully putting a law degree to good use, but we’ll see in 10 years!

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

There are a lot of courses that I think are absolutely essential, but I’m going to say Islam and Race with Prof. Morgenstein Fuerst because it is relevant to so many other facets of life and addresses topics which are often mishandled or avoided entirely.

If you could write any book, what would it be?

I’ve always loved creative storytelling and working with kids, so I think I would probably want to write (and illustrate!) a children’s book. Maybe a religious literacy for kids book!

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

Snack days in Religion, Nation, and State with Prof. Borchert!

You’re finishing up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us something about that experience—bonus points for including religion or the Religion Department as a way to think about it!

Taking classes during this pandemic and comparing my experience to those of my friends has reminded me how grateful I am for this major and my professors. Being in small classes with professors who know me and care so much about their students has made all the difference. It’s still hard learning online and having the energy to focus on school with everything else going on, but this department has made it much easier.

Senior Spotlight: a series on our graduating students

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I am never uninterested in any aspect of religion, I have found throughout my undergraduate work that these courses have taught me what I really need to know about the world in order to understand people, place, culture, and history, and it has made me recognize that I will always keep learning.

– amelia coates

Why did you major in Religion?

I came to the University of Vermont looking for a passion. I have always been drawn to the humanities and to furthering my education more broadly (AKA I am a total nerd), and I found that passion for religious studies. During my freshman year I took Comparing Religions with Professor Andrus, and from there I took as many religion courses as I could before eventually transferring into the Religion department as a major. I am never uninterested in any aspect of religion, I have found throughout my undergraduate work that these courses have taught me what I really need to know about the world in order to understand people, place, culture, and history, and it has made me recognize that I will always keep learning.

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

In ten years I’m sure I’ll have more degrees (the number remains yet to be seen), but in all sincerity I hope that in 10 years I am able to study what I love with other people who share my passion. If I were to set goals right this second I see myself as the head curator at the British Museum, dismantling the structures that allow for its proliferation of colonialism, or working with migrant and indigenous populations in the United States to understand land rights, reparations, politics, and community healing. I always like to set lofty goals. 

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

I would say that Mysticism, Shamanism and Possession with Professor Brennan was one of my all-time favorite religion courses and should not be missed by any students. I also would recommend Islam and Race with Professor Morgenstein Fuerst, I have taken many D1 courses and it was hands-down the best one.    

If you could write any book, what would it be?

My answer to this question changes every day, but right now if I could write any book I would write something about the framework through which we understand systemic oppression, the necropolitics surrounding marginalized bodies and experiences, and how religious practice informs community mourning and change. 

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

I will always cherish every moment at 481 Main. I loved advising office hours with Professor Brennan every semester, I loved every class in the seminar room, and I will never forget my reception of the Religion department mug, which I happily use every morning.  

You’re finishing up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us something about that experience—bonus points for including religion or the Religion Department as a way to think about it!

I think that the Covid semesters have taught me about patience, especially patience with myself and my peers. I also have had the privilege of taking Religion, Health, and Healing with Professor Brennan during this Covid semester and I found the connections between the course materials and our collective life right now to be extremely interesting and inspiring in terms of how we learn to heal from this kind of experience that is so nuanced with history and politics. I have learned that care is about upholding individual experience, and not bogging ourselves down with collective exhaustion. 

Senior Spotlight: a series on our graduating students

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I remember the religion classes I took sophomore year so vividly and having “Ah-Ha” moments almost every day. I felt almost like I had to become a religion major because studying religion makes me excited and engaged in ways no other subject can. 

– eli van buren ’21
Eli Van Buren ’21

Why did you major in Religion?

There’s nothing else I would want to struggle to understand more than the questions asked in the Rel department. I remember the religion classes I took sophomore year so vividly and having “Ah-Ha” moments almost every day. I felt almost like I had to become a religion major because studying religion makes me excited and engaged in ways no other subject can. 

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

Oh yikes, my imagination is endless! In 10 years, I think I’ll be taking it easy – swimming and laughing somewhere nice. I’ll be fluent in Portuguese by then (of course!) and collaborating with other artists in meaningful ways.

I also hope to be much more articulate/confident and to be continuing to think critically no matter what I’m doing. 

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

Religion Health and Healing! It completely changed the ways I understand the body, ritual, and socialization. Easily one of my favorite classes at UVM.

If you could write any book, what would it be?

It would be an interstellar pirate western full of space outlaws, political intrigue, and personal connection. I mean, it would be an allegory for something, but I haven’t worked that bit out yet – the absurdity of life, maybe. I love a healthy portion of humor in a narrative, but I would savor the serious moments so they could really hit home. It would the kind of book that fully immerses readers into the world it creates – with characters you hate to love and love to hate. I dunno, that’s the kind of book I would want to read!

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

When I took Religion in Japan, Professor Borchert had optional movie showings on a few weekends over the semester – I remember being the only student to show up to watch Okuribito with him and it was just really chill and nice to hang out and eat popcorn while watching this movie on a cloudy afternoon.

And a million of my favorite conversations with Professor Brennan in her office.

And being surrounded by coffee and donuts on finals weeks.

You’re finishing up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us something about that experience—bonus points for including religion or the Religion Department as a way to think about it!

It was absolutely terrible!

Senior Spotlight: a series on our graduating students

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Every class that I have taken in the department has taught me so much about how people relate to one another across time and space and the social mechanisms tied to colonial projects and white supremacy that permeate every facet of society, including through how we perceive religious people.

– becca turley ’21
Becca Turley ’21

Why did you major in Religion?

I chose to be a Religion major because I took Comparing Religions and absolutely fell in love with the subject and the department. I was drawn to the ways that the major combined so many different academic disciplines like gender studies, sociology, political science, anthropology, etc. through the lens of religion, which itself is a highly misunderstood topic. Every class that I have taken in the department has taught me so much about how people relate to one another across time and space and the social mechanisms tied to colonial projects and white supremacy that permeate every facet of society, including through how we perceive religious people. 

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I hope to be engaging in work that contributes the world in a positive matter; a dream job that I would hope to have in 10 years (or more!) is an ambassador to India or some type of political advisor on a foreign region where I can use the invaluable knowledge I have gained from both the Religion and Political Science departments to foster positive change in the world!

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

ISLAM AND RACE! This was by far my favorite class in the REL department and at UVM because it taught me so much about the racialization of Islam in the United States and how it relates to the delicate racial and social fabric in the US. The materials we read and the ethnographic accounts we read opened my eyes to the US as a surveillance state and inspired me to educate myself on the racialization and politicization of other minoritized identities. 

If you could write any book, what would it be?

If I could write any book it would be children’s book about the Black Liberation Movement in the 20th century and the role of religion in the fight for Civil Rights in America. 

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

I have so many fond memories in the REL department because it was the first place at UVM that felt like a home to me, rather than a temporary dorm or classroom. I would have to say that my funniest (not necessarily favorite) memory of the REL house, aside from receiving my REL mug at the end of REL 100, was getting stuck in the first floor bathroom because the lock got stuck, and I had to wait for someone to kick the door open before returning to class!

You’re finishing up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us something about that experience—bonus points for including religion or the Religion Department as a way to think about it!

Graduating college in the midst of a pandemic has been a unique and difficult experience, after getting kicked out of my study abroad trip and returning to a city that looked and acted nothing like how I remembered it was very tricky for me. It has taken me a while to adjust to this new learning format, not only because taking class from home can be difficult to learn, but also because this is admittedly not how I imagined my senior year at all. Nevertheless, I have felt incredibly supported by so many people in my life during this transitionary time, and I owe a million debts of gratitude to the REL department for teaching me so much about myself and the world around me (no matter how quickly and dramatically it changes!).

Senior Spotlight: a series on our graduating students

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Challenging yourself to think differently comes with the territory of being a religion major: regular unlearning, relearning, and the instability of every question having “yes and no” be the answer have prepared me for anything.

– katherine brennan ’21
Katherine Brennan is one of our Outstanding Major Award 2021 winners!

Why did you major in Religion?

I majored in Religion because I found the study of religion to be the most inclusive, well-rounded, and comprehensive academic study at the University of Vermont. A religion class delivers the full package: you get to learn about cultures, societies, laws, imperialism, colonialism, politics, religions, people, and more – and you get to unlearn all the harmful things ingrained by society.  

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I hope to use the knowledge I gained from the religion department and will gain from my upcoming graduate studies to apply religious literacy to the international legal sphere. I want to make a difference for religious minorities at home and abroad through navigating legal systems.  

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

My advice to first-year students about REL courses is to take as many as you can. The religion professors are the best of the best, and their one-on-one guidance, expertise, and dedication to both you and their scholarship make the religion program unique. REL courses are meant to force you to unlearn harmful stereotypes, misunderstandings, and false information. You will be challenged: not only academically, but also to be a better person. It’s definitely worth it!

If you could write any book, what would it be?

If I could write any book, I would write a book about (no surprise?!) the ways in which French laws, culture, and politics impact religious minorities in France.  

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

My first year, every time I passed 481 Main, I commented on how beautiful the building was. At the time, I had no idea that it housed the religion department- but it was by far my favorite building on campus. When I first went to Professor Morgenstein Fuerst’s office hours at 481 Main to discuss changing my major to Religion, it felt like it was simply meant to be. Since I changed my major four years ago, I’ve spent as much time at 481 Main as possible. The building quickly became more than just outwardly beautiful, because it also became the location of some of the most academically and personally challenging and rewarding moments of my undergraduate career. I will miss 481 Main, and everyone in it!

You’re finishing up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us something about that experience—bonus points for including religion or the Religion Department as a way to think about it!

Finishing college in the midst of a pandemic is not exactly how I pictured everything playing out. However, if there is anything I’ve learned from religious studies it’s that people, cultures, and societies adapt. Religions are constantly changing because people are constantly changing, and part of my work as a scholar of religion has particularly prepared me for change and adaptation. Religion is what people do, and people are as unpredictable as a sudden global pandemic. Challenging yourself to think differently comes with the territory of being a religion major: regular unlearning, relearning, and the instability of every question having “yes and no” be the answer have prepared me for anything. Not to mention, adapting to thinking burdened by the loss of in-person instruction, loss of social activities, and being unable to do the things I’d like to do is reminiscent of the adaptability required of religious minorities burdened by imperialism, for example. With my privilege I do this work, despite the circumstances, and hopefully one day I can make positive change in the world.

Senior Spotlight: a series about our graduating students

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Through my classes in religion at UVM I have become more aware of how religion is related to understanding society and social justice issues like: racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, etc.

NINA CARR ’21

Why did you major in Religion?

I was in Professor Sugarman’s religion classes in the Integrated Humanities Program my freshman year. During one of my IHP classes Professor Clark came in to do a guest lecture on women in medieval Christianity, specifically Hildegard of Bingham. I found it incredibly interesting, and I found the material to be very different from that of the other classes that I had taken so far; much more about story telling. After class I asked Professor Clark about joining one of her upper level classes “Seeing the Sacred,” which she encouraged me to do.

After taking that class I completely fell in love with the study of religion, and have loved every religion class that I have taken since. I think it is really revealing and important to study how people think about the world and how people conceive of reality from a religious point of view. Through my classes in religion at UVM I have become more aware of how religion is related to understanding society and social justice issues like: racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, etc. People stereotype and have prejudices against certain religions and against certain people because of their religious beliefs. It is really interesting to think about power dynamics through the lens of religious studies. 

Where do you imagine yourself in 10 years?

In ten years I imagine myself in grad school, after having traveled the world for many years, and after having had many “real world” experiences. I imagine myself doing some grad program that will help me to better be involved in addressing social justice issues. I imagine myself running consistently, and perhaps training for marathons, or just 5K road races. I imagine myself doing what I can to help those around me, being healthy, spending time outdoors, and maybe starting a family. 

Imagine a first-year student has asked your advice about REL courses. What’s the one she shouldn’t dream about missing? Why?

There are too many to choose from. They are all amazing and you can’t go wrong. One that sticks out to me and that I particularly enjoyed was “African Gods, and Western Museums” with Professor Brennan. It was a fantastic combination of religious studies, colonial studies, anthropology, art history, the list goes on. It was very intersectional in nature. The readings that we did were dense but super interesting. I thought it was really powerful that we applied what we had been learning to something tangible, like the Fleming Museum.

If you could write any book, what would it be?

WOW, big question! I would write a book about people, and about different life experiences, somehow. My book would be about unifying different experiences while showing the differences between peoples’ lives. I think that there is something really important to be said about the fact that we are all living different lives, with different amounts of privilege, different focuses, and aspects, but that we are all fundamentally the same and have similar needs and desires (so many people have written books about this already… Humanity I guess?!

Any fond memories of 481 Main Street you want to share?

I loved the time spent in the seminar room. I have so many fond memories of walking over there for class and having such intellectually stimulating discussions every day. I love the cozy feeling of the room, and the wooden chairs and table. It was such a great atmosphere to learn in. Sometimes there wasn’t quite enough space but everyone was always friendly and happy to be there no matter how crowded. I also loved sharing snacks, and particularly during finals week when the teachers would put out treats for us to eat while we studied. Thank you so much for that!