SGA Diveristy along with various student organizations presents:

World Religion and Spirituality Symposium

Please Join us:

February 29, 2011

From 8 - 10 pm

Wehner, Mays Business School

Room 113 (large lecture hall)

Refreshments and snacks will be provided after in the Wehner Lobby

The event will be an interfaith dialogue that focuses on understanding the history, beliefs, values, and morals of world religions. The speakers will provide an informative look on how each religion, though different, all have similiar underlying beliefs that are essential in every life. In attendance will be a Priest, Imam, Rabbi, Hindu, and an Atheist well known in the community. 

Father David Konderla

Fr. David Konderla grew up in Bryan, Texas.  He has a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Dallas and a Master of Divinity degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston.  He was ordained a priest for the Catholic diocese of Austin in 1995 and has served in several parishes around the central Texas area.  He has served as the pastor of St. Marys Catholic Center since 2005

Rabbi Peter Tarlow

Rabbi Peter Tarlow has been the Rabbi and Director of Texas A&M Hillel for 25 years. He has a PhD in sociology, and is an expert in tourism and counter-terrorism. Rabbi Tarlow does private consulting all around the world, from the police force of Aruba to the winter Olympics in British Colombia . Rabbi Tarlow also teaches at Texas A&M University and the University of Hawaii.

Imam Inas Shaikh

Anas Shaikh was born and lived most of his life in upstate New York. At an early age, he memorized the entire Qur'an by heart. After ninth grade, he started his studies of traditional Islamic sciences in a private school in Buffalo NY, Daul Uloom Al Madania. He graduated at the age of 21. Then from 2008-2011, Anas Shaikh went to Pakistan for three years to further his studies in advanced Islamic law, studying under the supervision of some of Pakistan's most senior Islamic scholars. He now serves as an imam in the Islamic Center of Bryan-College Station. He is also studying and pursuing a degree here in College Station.

Sanjay Patel

Sanjay C. Patel is a former Hindu monk.

He has a degree equivalent in Divinity from a Traditional Ashram and Yoga Seminary in India. Subjects of his study include: Theology, Ancient Cosmology, Science & Religion, Sanskrit, and Yoga. 

Today he has more than 30 years of study behind him.

One of his distinguished achievements is the unique publication of his ground-breaking research on new convergences between Science and Ancient Spirituality in mainstream, international, peer-reviewed science journals. 

He has also proposed groundbreaking solutions to the puzzle of the flood in Genesis and the meaning of Genesis’s 7 day timeline which might finally resolve the puzzle of Genesis.

Shamar Hawkins

Shamar Hawkins is a senior undergraduate student here at Texas A&M University, majoring in psychology and double-minoring in neuroscience and philosophy. He is also the President and organizer of the Bryan/College Station Atheist & Freethinkers community group.

Pastor Dan De Leon

Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon moved to Bryan - College Station in August of 2005 to serve as Pastor of Friends Congregational Church, UCC. He holds a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at TCU, and this past May he obtained  a Doctor of Ministry from BDS with the completion of his doctoral project: “We’re ONA (Open & Affirming) ... Now What?: An Ecclesiology of Hospitality Emphasizing LGBTQ Perspectives.” Dan’s wife, Stacy, and he have two children, six-year-old MAc and four-year-old Ruthie, in whome they find their greatest joy. 

The Symposium isnt focused on saying which religion is right or wrong, or for you to question what you believe, but to strengthen what you beleive in and see beliefs of your fellow peers in a new perspective. 

The Diversity Commission would like to thank the following collaborators:

GENTS

Interfaith Dialogue Student Association

Muslim Student Association

Baha'i Club and Friends

Agnostic and Athiest Student Group of Texas A&M

Any Questions about Student Government Association and Diversity Commission's commitment to growth in Diversity and Inclusivity at Texas A&M University, please contact any member of the team. We are here to help spread culture, and promote tolerance, respect and understanding on campus.

Howdy Aggies!!

My - Story: A Cultural Dialogue

Date: November 14, 2011 5:15 p.m.

Location: Rudder 308

My Story is a more life-like portrayal of diversity that will enable the students to understand. It will be a student who is just like themselves who will talk about the nuances of their culture. The little things that we don’t notice about our cultures are sometimes the things that can inhibit cross-cultural communication. More often than not, we assume that people are like us. Unfortunately so, people are not always like us. Our event is aimed to help people appreciate those differences through dialogue between the speaker and the audience. This event will allow people to come and walk in other people’s shoes. We are expecting an understanding allows participants to delve deeper than the typical markers of culture: clothes, food, religion, and music. Participants will be able to understand the way culture's differences affect the way we live our daily lives, the way we think about things, and the way we interact with others. This understanding is appreciation. This appreciation will be a step to a more unified Aggie Family and a stronger Spirit.

Please Come and Join us!

Big Thank you to everyone who went to the

Wiley Lecture Series "Arab Spring" Event!

Photo from the BATTALION

Congratulations to Wiley Lecture Series on a successful lecture. For more information about Wiley, please visit their website: http://wiley.tamu.edu/

Also: Check out the front page article about the "Arab Spring" if you missed it.

Revolutions sweep A&M