Did you see Ted Cruz’s speech last night at the Republican National Convention? Maybe you heard about this morning — if you’re following the US Presidential race, that is. He had a prime spot and ended his speech with a few words that caused him to get resoundingly booed. […]
Month: July 2016
We Are the Beneficiaries
As I sit here making the Spring 2017 class schedule for our department I recall the many times that I’ve heard academics lament being involved in administration. (That they equally complain about no longer being much involved in the governance of their institutions is an irony too rich to overlook.) “My condolences” is the witty reply many offer when learning that a colleague has fallen on the dagger (yes, that’s how it is portrayed) of becoming a department chair, coupled […]
To God Be The Glory Brake Bands and Clutch
Anastasiya Titarenko is a rising Junior pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies and minoring in Educational Studies. She is currently living in Accra, Ghana, and will be spending the next six months traveling to Ukraine, Italy, and New Zealand. On my first day in Ghana, I passed by In Jesus Name Amen Look Good Shop. I could not hold back a little laugh, because this seemed to be such a strange name for a business. Even more peculiar was that signs […]
When Classification Becomes Deadly
Sarah Griswold graduated from UA’s Department of Religious Studies in 2016. She will begin work on her M.A. in Religion at Florida State University in August. We do not yet know the motives of those who shot and killed five police officers in Dallas last night. We do not know why Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were killed. We do not know if the man found in Piedmont Park in Atlanta committed suicide or was lynched by the KKK. We […]
What’s in a Name?
Micah Davis graduated from the Department of Religious Studies in 2016. He is currently working for a health screening company in Alabama. Dihydrogen monoxide (later referred to as DHMO) is a toxic chemical compound that is not recognized as such by the CDC or the U.S. Government. Thousands have died after inhaling DHMO and it is a major component of acid rain. It can cause blood poisoning and it is also found in tumors which have been removed from cancer […]
Prof. Ikeuchi to Screen Her Research
Our newest addition to the REL faculty, Prof. Suma Ikeuchi will screen her ethnographic film “In Leila’s Room” at the 2016 Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival. Here’s a brief description of the film: A young Brazilian migrant woman, Leila, runs a small make-up salon in her apartment in Toyota City, Japan. Most of her clients are, like herself, Brazilians of Japanese descent who have return migrated to the land of their ancestors. Her small salon is also a […]