As I toured Georgetown one final time before making my college decision, the question “Would I fit in at a Catholic university?” lingered in my mind. I was raised Hindu, but my religion never played a large role in my life. During my childhood, I was introduced to my religion’s core values and beliefs, but never explored anything beyond the basics. However, that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate religion’s role in society. Religion can unite communities and restore people’s faith.
For these reasons I have always respected Georgetown’s Catholic faith. I found its Jesuit ideals appealing and fitting when I researched the school. However, as an 18-year-old just finishing his final month of high school, I was still coming to terms with the concept of religion and deciding what role it should play my life. I wondered how I would feel attending a university where religion was a part of daily life. Other questions regarding my college experience began to surface. How religious were students at Georgetown? Was church required? Would a Catholic identity be forced upon me? Some of these questions may seem juvenile now, but as a high school student who did not attend a religious high school, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Thankfully, after spending freshman year exploring the questions I faced about whether or not I would fit in at a Catholic university, I feel that I have matured culturally and intellectually through exposure to the Jesuit presence on campus.
Since I have only been on the Hilltop for a mere seven months, I’m not completely certain as to why I feel Georgetown possesses the perfect amount of religious influence on campus balanced with accomodation for students of diverse religious backgrounds. However, a couple of experiences encapsulate how Georgetown achieves this important balance.
I first met Father Pat Rogers during Leadership and Beyond, a pre-orientation program held in late August. As my group sat at lunch with him, we discussed Campus Ministry and its role on campus. I had the pleasure of spending more time with Father Pat during ESCAPE, an overnight retreat for first-year students. During all my interactions with Father Pat, I never once felt religiously out of place. In fact, most of our conversation focused on Father Pat’s fortunate avoidance of the media at the Syracuse game (you’ll have to ask him yourself). In fact, the only time we even discussed religion was when we talked about the Interreligious Encounter and Dialogue course and the outstanding work Rabbi Harold White and Imam Yahya Hendi have done for the University.
My second experience with religion at Georgetown came in my humanities and writing class, taught by Father Alvaro Ribeiro. I didn’t know what to expect going into the class-–would Father Ribeiro force us to write about religious texts and ideas? It turned out that Father Ribeiro was just like any other English teacher. The only values he tried to convey were those involving the English language.
Georgetown has reinforced my ability to remain open to new ideas without confining myself to a standardized set of beliefs. I have not changed as a Hindu, and I find it perfectly acceptable that I attend a Catholic university. Sure, I walk by a church every day on my way back to Village C East, see crosses in every classroom, and deal with philosophy and theology requirements that many of Georgetown’s peer institutions do not have. But because I respect the Jesuit ideals and am open to the beliefs of other people, I rarely think twice about this. My identity as a Georgetown student is not singularly defined by my belief in Vishnu—and that is how things should be. I feel that students with diverse religious backgrounds have a responsibility to remain open to new ideas, cultures, and beliefs in order gain the most from their Georgetown experience.
