For Chapman students of religious minorities, academics prevent them from fully observing their important holidays
Chapman students reflect on the difficulties of observing holidays of their religions when the university does not recognize them. Photos courtesy of Alisha Nijjar and Zoar and Zohal Noorzayee, photo collage by EMILY PARIS, Photo Editor
In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in Judaism, sophomore vocal performance major Keaton Lewis checked his class schedule and his assignments that were due on that day. He was originally going to fast — as customary on Yom Kippur — and be absent for his classes. However, when he realized the amount of work that he would need to catch up on that day, he decided he could not handle the pressure of catching up on his coursework and attended his classes.
Although an excused absence is provided to students who observe their respective religious holidays, Lewis still feels there’s a deterrent to taking that time off.
“It’s a very difficult decision,” Lewis told The Panther. “Me and my friends often talk for a long time about pros and cons. What (it) usually comes down to for us is whether or not we can afford to miss class, because while it does count as an excused absence, teachers do very little to make sure that you don’t fall behind if you miss that day, which is really when the problem comes in. It’s very nice that teachers excuse the absence, but then we still have to make up a full day of notes, and that’s a lot of work that we have to debate whether or not it’s worth it to (miss classes).”
“It’s a very difficult decision. Me and my friends often talk for a long time about pros and cons. What (it) usually comes down to for us is whether or not we can afford to miss class, because while it does count as an excused absence, teachers do very little to make sure that you don’t fall behind if you miss that day, which is really when the problem comes in. It’s very nice that teachers excuse the absence, but then we still have to make up a full day of notes, and that’s a lot of work that we have to debate whether or not it’s worth it to (miss classes).”
In the fall, Jewish people around the world observe the High Holidays — a series of holidays that happen in September and October, the most notable being Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, followed by Yom Kippur 10 days later. Every year on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jewish Chapman students like Lewis are faced with the difficult choice to miss school and, in turn, set themselves behind temporarily or attend classes and disregard their faith in order to not have to worry about catching up.
It’s a Catch-22 that Chapman students of many religions know too well. Like colleges and universities across America, Chapman does not designate most religions’ major holidays as school holidays. While Chapman does give religious exemptions to students observing religious holidays, however, it can still be a lose-lose situation as they have to choose between their faiths and their studies.
Senior peace studies and business administration double major Alisha Kur Nijjar, who is a Sikh student, has also dealt with the conflict of practicing her religion while also trying to do well in her classes.
Bandi Chhor Divas — the Sikh name for Diwali — is celebrated at night, only causing conflicts with Nijjar’s academics when she has night classes, particularly ones that meet once a week, so missing those classes means that she is missing a week’s worth of material. Holidays like Holla Mohalla and Vaisakhi are day-long celebrations. If she cannot easily observe these holidays on the actual day, she celebrates them on the following weekend.
“It’s definitely tough knowing you’re in a minority (and) that because (my holidays aren’t on) the Anglo-Saxon Christian calendar, (they don’t) count,” Nijjar told The Panther. “There are different holidays that I wish I would be allotted time to celebrate and observe.”
Senior political science and economics double major Zohal Noorzayee, a Muslim student who is a member of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), does not let her classes prevent her from observing important Islamic holidays, even though it may be difficult to make sure she learns the content she missed in her classes. In Islam, the biggest holidays are Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.
“My family has a tradition that we must call off work, school or any other responsibilities for the major holidays,” Noorzayee said. “It's important to spend family time and uphold our religious traditions to the best of our abilities. It's an easy decision with difficult consequences.”
When Chapman students do take absences to celebrate or practice their religions, it is not easy to catch up with their peers on the class material. Lewis has not had to deal with professors making his absences unexcused, but he still has to catch up on his own. He typically takes a week to make up his classwork and homework.
“(Professors) are very accommodating when it comes to whether or not they’ll count (religious holidays) as an excused absence or not,” Lewis said. “But my main problem when it comes to teachers being accommodating is that they still treat it like a normal absence. You have to figure it out. You have to make up your own work, so that’s where the hard part comes in, and that’s where the teachers (are) maybe not being (as) accommodating as they could be.”
“(Professors) are very accommodating when it comes to whether or not they’ll count (religious holidays) as an excused absence or not. But my main problem when it comes to teachers being accommodating is that they still treat it like a normal absence. You have to figure it out. You have to make up your own work, so that’s where the hard part comes in, and that’s where the teachers (are) maybe not being (as) accommodating as they could be.”
Nijjar has had a similar experience, although occasionally, professors have not counted her absences as excused because of their attendance policies. She usually finishes her missed work within several days of her absence.
“Even for the classes when (professors say), ‘Don’t worry about coming into class today,’ there are still assignments that have to get done,” Nijjar said. “It’s not like you’re on pause.”
Lewis still feels welcomed at Chapman. He said that Jewish students are well-supported by Jewish organizations like Hillel and Chabad, as well as the Fish Interfaith Center.
“I would say, overall, Chapman’s great for Jewish students,” Lewis said. “I think there’s a lot of support from different clubs on campus like Hillel and Chabad. Fish (Interfaith Center) is really great at making sure that Chapman students feel like they have a place to go to. Campus culture is overall great.”
Sikh Chapman students like Nijjar are a small population at Chapman and are not backed by major organizations like Hillel and Chabad, but Nijjar acts as the social media manager for the South Asian Student Association (SASA). SASA has given Nijjar a greater sense of community at Chapman.
“Having SASA is a great thing because it does give me an opportunity to find people, but it’s still a little tough because there are different names for (the same) holidays (across religions) and language differences,” Nijjar said. “You still feel like a minority even within your club full of people who share your minority.”
While Noorzayee has found a strong Muslim community in the MSA, the small Muslim student population at Chapman can be a lonely experience.
“While Chapman has never been unwelcoming to Muslims, the Muslim population isn't very large at Chapman University,” Noorzayee said. “It can feel a little isolating when there's only a handful of people you know who have the same religious values as you.”
Clarification: A previous version of this article stated in the second paragraph that “Although an excused absence is provided to students who observe their respective religious holidays, Lewis still feels there’s a determinant to taking that time off.” Rather, the sentence should read “Although an excused absence is provided to students who observe their respective religious holidays, Lewis still feels there’s a detriment to taking that time off.” This clarification has been added into the article.
