Month: April 2016


Showing Our Stuff

What do you get from a degree in Religious Studies? Throughout this semester, our students in the Capstone Senior Seminar have been applying questions that develop in the academic study of religion to a variety of issues, using social media from Twitter to Tumblr to illustrates the issues to a broad audience. Now it is time for posts to our class blog to roll out, starting later today and throughout next week. So, look for those posts at the class blog, and check […]

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4 Tips For Applying to Graduate School from Dr. Simmons

On Monday, April 13th, the Religious Studies Student Association hosted an event where undergraduates gleaned insights about the ins and outs of applying to graduate school from the department’s very own Dr. Micheal Altman, Dr. Matthew Bagger, and Dr. Vaia Touna! In case you missed the event, Dr. Merinda Simmons has listed some advice of her own below! […]

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Too Hard, Too Soft, Just Right

I’ve seen some comments on social media about this recent court decision — click the image to read about it. (If you don’t know much about Pastafarianism then go here.) As a scholar of religion interested not so much in studying religion but, rather, in studying those who use the term to accomplish practical social work (by classifying this or that as religion [or not!]), I admit that I can be a little disappointed when I see other scholars of […]

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Jared Powell: One Outstanding Student Worker

So much of what happens to make REL into the wonderful department that it is happens because of our hardworking main office staff. The videos, the buttons, the events, and all the other things that make this department such a joy to be part of couldn’t happen without our student workers. Yesterday, one of those student workers finally got the recognition he deserves. Jared Powell, an REL major, a graduating senior, a future MA student in English, and a man […]

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REL 360 Movie Night: Killer of Sheep

Rel 360–our one credit hour course–is presenting its last movie of the semester, concluding the series on Democracy, Race, and Religion by showing the 1977 film Killer of Sheep. Selected by the National Society of Film Critics as one of the “100 Essential Films” of all time, Killer of Sheep focuses on the life of Stan, a dreamer trapped in the mind-numbing job of working at a slaughterhouse in L.A. The film shows bleak moments of happiness in Stan’s life, […]

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A Busy Week in REL: Grad School Workshop, Grad Tales, and the Manly Cup

It’s a busy week this week around Manly Hall. Here are three REL events you do not want to miss this week. 1. TONIGHT a 6pm in Manly 210: Graduate School Workshop Are you thinking about going to graduate school after you graduate? Do you have questions? Where to apply? How to apply? What’s it like? How do you pay for it? These are good questions.  I will be hosting the event and I need your help as I organize […]

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5 Reasons Why You Should Come to REL Honors Day on Friday

This Friday is Honors Day across the University. We’ll be having our own Honors Day event on the balcony at Manly Hall at around noon. Here’s why you should come: 1. You are a REL major. 2. Our friendly faculty will be there. 3. There will be free food. 4. You enjoy good conversation about big ideas. 5. Some of our majors will be receiving awards for their great work. So don’t miss it! This Friday at noon on our lovely […]

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Do You Have Graduate School Questions? We Might Have Answers

Are you thinking about going to graduate school after you graduate? Do you have questions? Where to apply? How to apply? What’s it like? How do you pay for it? These are good questions. We’d like to help you. So, we will be having an REL Graduate School Workshop at 6pm on Monday April 11th in Manly Hall 210. I, Prof. Mike Altman, will be hosting the event and I need your help as I organize the event. Tweet me your […]

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The #GradTales Audience: Reflections From Current Students

As you may be familiar one of our events here in REL is the Grad Tales Event: Here and Back Again. The department invites a former REL major to talk about their experience before and after graduation, in hopes that they can help current students think not only about their place in the university but also how to make the best out of it; to think creatively about the courses they take in the humanities in general, and how to put […]

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