REMINDER: be sure to include your name with all posts to receive credit and allow others to respond.

OPTION: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECORD A VIDEO OR AUDIO response instead of writing for these Activities assignments (with the exception of image Activities), go to the end of the column to which you are responding. Click the plus sign to create a new post.  Click the ellipsis  (...) next to the camera icon, and it will give you a list of options. You can, for instance, film a video, record your voice, or capture your screen. See the brief instruction video below. 

• Sections from Heritages of Change, Chapter 1, “Introduction to Cultural Heritage”:

  • Part 1: What is Cultural Heritage?

  • Part 2: Identifying Cultural Heritage

• Mortensen, “Why ancient and medieval texts are intangible cultural heritage”

Definition of "The Other"

• Library Research 101 Tutorial: Information Sources 
• Library Research 101 Tutorial: Search Process
• Library Research 101 Tutorial: Evaluating Sources
• Library Research 101 Tutorial: Academic Participation and Honesty

• According to the video, how does war ironically help women's roles?

• How did Alaa Murabit use the language of religion to improve women's rights?

Our 15th annual Undergraduate Conference for Research and Creative Practice is next week, April, 18, in Hammond Hall from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Our annual Undergraduate Conference for Research and Creative Practice is being held in person this year in Hammond Hall. The conference is a public forum to enhance your skills, to share your work, to see the work of others in your field, and to give and receive valuable feedback. The conference is free to attend and open to the public. We're proud of the work our undergraduate community does and we know you will be too.
For more information, visit https://ow.ly/pOjL50Rbjlf.

-Ana Kruger

These first hunts also brought their first losses. The first human died, and for the first time humans felt loss. As more of their friends and family fell to hunger and injury, they began to feel the loss more keenly, and lost the will to search for food. Eventually, only one human remained. They no longer felt their hunger - only the loss of their companions.

When they were just at death’s door, a new emotion filled them. They felt a rush of warmth, but it came from inside. They felt confidence, compassion, and love. The last human felt self love for the first time. It was the loss of their people and the experience of true loneliness that brought forth the creation of self love. Those who had died took up a place in the last human’s heart, filling in the twin emotions of loss and self-love.

One day, as they played and wandered through the jungle, the woman climbed onto a branch that stretched high above the man. Just as she laughed from above, the branch gave way, and she tumbled down landing directly on top of him. In that instant, their skin met for the first time. A warmth spread between them, a sensation neither had ever known. It was as if the universe itself had sparked something new.

From that moment on, they realized their feelings ran deeper than they had ever understood. Every time they touched, they felt a rush of energy, a connection that words could not capture. And with that, physical touch was born, forever linking hearts through the power of contact.

One day, while wandering through the chaotic mist, Xarles stumbled upon an isolated patch of darkness. Intrigued, he reached out and touched it. Immediately, the darkness began to shimmer, and from it emerged a soft, glowing orb. This orb was warm and bright while also laughing. Xarles, delighted with his find, decided the world needed laughter to break the silence and seriousness all around. So, he released the laughter into the world. As it scattered, tiny giggles turned into bubbling, joyful dreams morphed into rustling treetops, and chuckles transformed into dancing raindrops. With laughter spreading, the world started to take shape. Colors fell into place, and sounds began to harmonize, creating beauty from chaos. Land and sky joined together in a joyful dance, and creatures giggled into existence, each with their unique melody of laughter. Pleased, Xarles realized that laughter was more than just a simple sound; it was the soul of creation, bringing joy and life everywhere it touched. And so, to this day, whenever you hear laughter whether it's a child's giggle or a friend's hearty laugh. It's a reminder of Xarles and his delightful dance through the dawn of time, turning chaos into creation with the magic of laughter.

One day, one of the creatures that survived underneath the darkness became fed up with how his part of the world thrived. They were monsters who enjoyed the chaos. This creature yearned for the warmth of the sunlight instead of the cold cruelness of the night.

Finally, making a bold decision, the dark creature decided to sneak passed the line that separated the two worlds. They were out of place as soon as they entered and as they felt the sunlight blaze cross their form, the creatures of light welcomed the creature of darkness towards their side.

The creature of darkness eventually fell in love with the creature of light and soon, more and more creatures began intermingling with each other.

As the two worlds finally collided into one and the cycle of night and day began, the creation of human was a counterpart of the creatures of love, light, hate, and darkness. It formed a balance of good and evil as humans began populating the world, their souls a combination of both creatures.

Long before men walked the green hills of Éire, when gods still wove fate with their hands, Lir, the great god of the sea, watched the land take shape from the mist. But though the rivers sang and the forests whispered, there was one thing missing—a sign of fortune, a gift from the divine to guide mortals in times of need.

One evening, as Lir gazed upon the land, his three daughters—Aine, Fand, and Niamh—danced upon the waves, their laughter stirring the wind. Wanting to leave something of themselves upon the earth, they sought their father’s blessing.

“Father,” Aine, goddess of the sun, spoke first, “let us weave our essence into the land, so men may never be without our aid.”

Lir, smiling at their wisdom, took three drops of water from his vast ocean and let them fall upon the emerald fields. From each drop, a small plant sprouted—each bearing three perfect leaves. The first leaf held Aine’s light, a blessing of hope. The second bore Fand’s wisdom, granting those who found it the gift of foresight. The third carried Niamh’s swiftness, allowing the fortunate to seize destiny before it slipped away. So it was that the shamrock became sacred, a living bond between gods and mortals. Those who carried it were never lost, for they bore the luck of Lir’s daughters upon their hearts. And though men later forgot the gods' names, they never ceased to believe in the power of the threefold leaf, a whisper of fortune left by the sea. To this day, when one finds a shamrock in the wild, it is said that Lir’s daughters still watch over them, guiding their steps upon the paths of fate.

And from that void came Prima and later Malum 

Sisters of good and evil.

And they created a home out of nothing

They created the heavens and the stars

And they created life, in more gods.

They created Man, both equal parts Prima and Malum,

To serve as assistants to the gods

And be their humble servants.

The gods and man had shared the stars and heavens

Until man’s transgression of thinking themselves gods.

So man was cast down from the stars by their hubris.

Guided by Prima, mother of all, man built ships,

And through those ships they crossed the vast dark ocean,

Using only the light of stars to ferry the souls to safety.

Prima created a land of blue water, from which she raised the earth,

And granted Man their new home and prison,

And she created new life to sustain Man.

And she instructed man to build homes from their ships

And they did, shedding their way back to the stars.

For they were then humble servants.

And ever caring, Prima spoke to her Hyron, brightest of her children

And tasked the god of the sun, with the watch over Man

To only pause the watch when Man rested.

And while Man rested, Prima shaped the earth, 

creating valleys, and mountains, and rivers,

Until she was satisfied and returned to the heavens.

all sleeping in their rock slabbed beds, and a huge explosion happened. It lit up the whole sky with so many different colors. The group of cave people stomped out of the cave and walked towards the beam of

light. There was a huge hole in the ground with smoke coming out of it. They started talking back and forth to each other while circling around the site. The smoke started to slowly clear out and they started to

be able to see the source of the light that was beaming up to the sky. It was a huge stone that had many holes in it and it appeared to be a very odd shape. The cave people got scared but were also very curious about it and what it was. The inside of the rock was glowing a reddish orange color. One brave cave person decided to poke it with his stick. The stick then started glowing and they all jumped back from it. The brave cave man then started walking around the outside of the cave, touching his stick on all the

surrounding spears, making them all light up. Everyone started gathering around noticing that it was giving off not just light, but also heat. This is how we discovered fire, from a stone that was lighting up in

a hole in the ground.

The Sculptor wandered the savannah, stopping to drink at a watering hole. The Sculptor looked around at the trees and brush, noticing that the scrub was too thick for most animals to push through and limiting their access to the water. The Sculptor sat and pondered a time, deciding that there ought to be something to trample the overgrowth. Digging his hands into the mud and taking a sizable clod into his arms. There upon the bank he toiled, shaping the mud and clay into the form of a truly titanic creature. To fan and shade itself, the Sculptor fashioned a pair of giant ears from palm fronds. As the Sculptor was about to finish another individual approached the watering hole, the Flutesmith. She inquired on the purpose of the mountain of clay the Sculptor was working, and he responded that it is a creature intended to trample brush to prevent excessive growth. The Flutesmith eyed the creation, gauging its size. She turned and told the Sculptor that the creature lacks a method of getting the plants it trampled and high branches into its mouth, concerned that the creature may starve. She suggested that an appendage on the face would allow it to browse and pull food into its mouth. The Flutesmith sat beside the Sculptor pulling clay from the ground and shaped it into a massive flute, placing it upon the creature’s face and blending it into the Sculptor’s work. As the two drew to the end of their task a third person approached their worksite, the Carver. Having asked what the pair were working on, the Carver warned that such a large target without any defenses is unwise. Pulling two bleached logs close, he whittled them into large sweeping tusks and brought them to the creature’s face. 

The three of them put the final touches of their work and at the end of it all the Sculptor produced a set of beautiful brown stones, glossy and round, from his satchel placing them upon the face as eyes. He anointed the creature’s head with water and backed away. The mass of clay and mud sat motionless for just a moment before gliding over the stones. When the clay retreated the stones were replaced with a pair of knowing eyes looking upon the world for the first time. The beast rocked and freed a set of sturdy legs, the clay cracking away to reveal gray skin beneath. It lifted its head into the air, shaking and grazing the earth with its tusks. Heaving its mass to a stand, it unfurled the appendage on its face to reach up even further to grasp at a branch. It loosed a bellowing trumpet as if in jubilation at its own existence, gazing upon the environment and its creators. The creature reached out and brushed against the three of them before it turned to wade into the overgrown, crushing it underfoot and helping itself to the vegetation. The three craftsman watched their creation and resolved to spend the entire day creating a herd of the animals to populate the savannah.

The Egyptians hated any male child of Israel and often mocked them and forced them under their own service. This proof of the other due to discriminating towards the Israel men because the Egyptian king doesn’t like their existence because they are inferior to the egyptians themselves.

We can see throughout history that first-born children have inherently more value placed on them, but Exodus shows us the value they have by specifically choosing to kill these children. Regardless of whether these children would have inherited or succeeded their parents based on the status of their birth, we know that they are valuable because they are the ones to be killed. While not strictly othered, non first-born children get pushed into a separate category because of what they lack.

Of course we also see a lot of othering of women in the Bible, and Exodus is no different. Only male Hebrew children are exposed and left to die - female children are not seen as a threat to power, and are seen as useful later on in life. Similar to first-born children, we can understand that male children are more valuable simply because they are killed - Pharao's goal is to make a statement of oppression, and he specifically chooses to kill only male children to make this statement.

In Exodus, one was not other simply because they were Hebrew - there are intersections of othering, with the life of a first-born Egyptian man being highly privileged and a last-born Hebrew woman being under privileged.

Muhammad - Is a prophet that can speak with angels

Queen of Sheba - Queen in power during a time when men typically held power

Saint Margaret - persecuted and tortured for her beliefs and refusal to denounce god

Buddha - Born out of his mother's right side

Then when Moses pops up and starts challenging Pharaoh you really see this dynamic at play. The Israelites really want their freedom and a place where they aren't treated as outsiders. The Egyptians are trying to maintain their status and keep the Israelites under control. It's like a classic case of us vs. them. Also in “Exodus”, The Hebrews were treated as  marginalized people. They were dehumanized, their children were murdered, and treated as slaves. Moses was also treated as an “other” as he had a disability. "Exodus" gives us a lot of examples of the concept of "The Other", Also how it can flip and evolve, influencing struggles, conflicts, and even the quest for freedom. It shows the true power dynamic and how becoming an other can really put you behind in life physically, emotionally, and status wise.

The Queen is an interesting subject because she is very much of the privileged class in her home country, and while she still enjoys a great deal of privilege in King Solomon’s land, something is off. She is treated as a woman in their culture - someone who should not be holding such a high position of power - and is objectified by King Solomon himself. The first thing she says to him is “For myself I only wish that I could be as one of the least of thine handmaidens, so that I could wash thy feet” (The Kebra Nagast, 26). King Solomon doesn’t reply directly to this, instead talking about himself and how he has been given all he has by the grace of God. She knows a Queen of a foreign land is lesser in this nation, and she slots herself immediately into the role expected of her.

Muhammad (Arabia, Life of Muhammad)

Muhammad begins life as an orphan, which is by definition unwanted because of the lack of a father to provide money for the child. He is considered a burden, as no mother wants to risk being unable to provide milk and food for a child who isn’t her own. As he grows, he begins to flip things, and becomes the one othering groups that do not follow his God.

Moses (Near East, Exodus)

Moses, like Muhammad, begins his life lacking privilege and grows into a position of power later in life. He is also abandoned as a child, but this is because of the oppression of the people he belongs to, unlike Muhammad. Despite being raised by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses’ actions in early adulthood push him back into the othered group: “he went out to his brethren: and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the Hebrews, his brethren.” (Exodus, 2.11). The Hebrew people are described as Moses’ brethren, despite his childhood with an Egyptian family.

Daphne (Rome, Metamorphosis)

Daphne has her own wants and desires for her life - she does not wish to marry or to have children, but her father and the man he wants for his son in law want otherwise. She, as a woman, is not allowed her own wants and desires. She is not allowed to make these choices for herself - her father decides who and if she marries. 

Saint Margaret (England, The Life of Saint Margaret)

Saint Margaret is othered not only because of her gender, but because of her faith. She is a common archetype in Christian mythology: the virgin martyr. She is imprisoned for use as a concubine, and abused because of her faith, which is not the dominant one of her oppressors.

• Muhammad, because he starts out his life as an orphan and then becomes someone very powerful

• Moses was a Hebrew child raised in the Egyptian royal family, His people, the Hebrews, were Othered as enslaved laborers under Pharaoh’s rule. When Moses discovered his true heritage and sought justice for his people, he was further forced into exile before returning as a prophet.

• The Queen of Sheba is an outsider Ethiopian traditions she comes from a distant land, bringing a different culture, religion, and perspective. In many narratives, Othering would cast such a figure as inferior or threatening. However, rather than being marginalized, she is received with curiosity and respect.

• Jesus was born into humble circumstances, not as a ruler but as a child in a poor family. He actively included those whom society Othered: the poor, sinners ect... he taught that love and faith mattered more than social status, ethnicity, or past mistakes

• Siddhartha Gautama was born into wealth as a prince, shielded from suffering. At first, the Buddha practiced starving himself and rejecting all comforts. Buddhism teaches that the idea of a permanent, separate self is an illusion

Jesus (Bible) - Jesus’ very existence caused him to be targeted by a king immediately after being born. His later years would follow him helping the poor and sick expressing his beliefs/teachings to those who would listen. Eventually, this would cause his death.

Saint Margaret (The Life and Passion of Saint Margaret) - A Christian woman who became a martyr due to her faith. She was punished by a cruel pagan king after rejecting him and instead verbally reaffirms her beliefs which causes her to be tortured. Due to her religion, she was treated as the “Other”.

Muhammed (Life of Muhammed) - Muhammed’s message of a monotheistic religion angered Meccan merchants and wealthy citizens. The people who had a history of abusing poor people now targeted Muhammed due to this message.

Socrates (Lives of Eminent Philosophers” "Socrates") - Socrates’ rhetoric was unorthodox in the sense it didn’t exactly align with the values and beliefs that the state of Athens perpetuated; because of this, he was executed. Athens turned Socrates into the “Other” by demonizing his beliefs/ideals.

Jesus - He was born from a Virgin and is the Son of God. He could perform miracles and could speak to God and spread God's words. The Romans persecuted him and killed him for his beliefs.

Queen of Sheba - Ruled a kingdom even though it was abnormal for women to do so at the time. She raised her own son to rule after her and she was very powerful as a leader and a Queen.

Socrates - He dedicated his life for philosophy and fighting for the truth in things even if it meant going against societal norms to figure it out. He was willing to defend his beliefs.

Muhammad - He began his life as an orphan, but became a prophet and messenger of God. Muhammad was a Christian in a Muslim community.

1. Jesus- He was born from the Virgin Mary which is a unique and different circumstance of being brought into the world. He was someone who had many powers despite being born into a poor family. Jesus was considered to be an outsider to many people because of how he would create these different traditions and rules instead of following the ones that were already made. He preached radical ideas about love, forgiveness, and social equality in a society that had a powerful hierarchy and rules. However, Jesus went against it to create his own ideas and rules. 

2. Moses- He was born into the Hebrew slave community in Egypt. He was even being raised as a prince but he did not want to be known for his royalty and rejected it. This ended up causing him to be considered “The Other” because he was like an outsider in the community he was living in and was enslaved and was forced to leave. It was seen as a threat.

3. Muhammad- He was teaching the belief of one god even though everyone within the society believed in multiple gods. This led to him going against the beliefs and was seen as someone who was challenging the religious practices. This would put him as an outcast.   

4. Queen of Sheba- She was considered to have so much power in a society that had male leaders and she could be seen as a threat for having so much power. She also had forgiveness which a lot of the male leaders in this time lacked. 

5. Socrates- He questioned a lot of the traditional beliefs, authority, and the norms that were followed in Athens. He would question the beliefs of his society which would lead him to be “The Other” because he was someone who was trying to go against the normal traditions and beliefs that were followed in Athens.

1.     Jesus—Jesus is an example of someone who is othered because of how he was treated by his skeptics and the way he died. When he was born, and throughout a lot of his life, many people skepticized the truth in him being the son of God. They did not believe in his capabilities, therefor many would shun him and have this extreme hatred over him. The part of his life that truly defines him as “othered”, is how he was murdered. People feared his power, and he was ultimately sent to death in an incredibly inhumane way, by being nailed to a cross.  

2.     Muhammed—Muhammed is an example of someone who is othered through his life story. Muhammed was born an orphan, which already introduces him in to a life with less power, as he didn’t have parents for the first few years of his life. Additionally further on in his life, after he made contact with the angel Gabriel, he started sharing the message, which lead to strong opposition from the leaders, pushing him further from society.

3.     Moses—Moses is othered from the beginning of his life, when he is originally sent to death as an newborn because he was a Hebrew male. They were feared by the Egyptian people, but the Pharoah’s daughter saved him from death.

4.     Eve—Eve, in Genesis, is an example of someone who is othered because she went against what she was told to do by God and avoid the serpent and not visit the garden of Eden. In a sense, a person reading the bible can “other” Eve due to her poor choices and allowing the devil into her life by disobeying god.

5.     Queen Sheba—Queen Sheba is an example of othered because of her lack of womanliness, as stated with her hairy legs and lack of sophistication.

Jesus stands out because he is believed to be the Son of God and could perform miracles like healing the sick and walking on water. He preached about love, forgiveness, and salvation, teaching people to follow God. He also sacrificed himself by dying on the cross to save humanity from sin and was believed to have risen from the dead, proving his divine nature.

Moses is unique because he spoke to God directly and was chosen to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. He had the power to part the Red Sea, bring plagues upon Egypt, and provide food and water in the desert. He also received the Ten Commandments from God, which became the foundation of religious laws and moral teachings for generations.

Adam & Eve – They are different because they were the first humans created by God and were placed in the Garden of Eden. They lived in a perfect paradise until they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, which led to their banishment. This act introduced sin into the world, shaping the human experience with struggle, knowledge, and free will.

Queen of Sheba – She is special because she was a powerful and wise ruler who traveled a great distance to test King Solomon’s wisdom. She brought gifts of gold, spices, and jewels to see if he was truly as wise as people claimed. Her intelligence and leadership made her an important figure in history and religious texts, showing the impact of wisdom and diplomacy.

Muhammed was considered “the other” because he went against the beliefs of his society. He was also an orphan and didn’t get the same treatment a child should from the mother like milk and food. 

Moses would be considered “the other.” He was born Hebrew but raised by Egyptians, he then helped the Hewbrews gain freedom from the Pharos. He also had a disability and was able to speak to God.

Queen of Sheba was considered “the other”, she was a powerful ruler that was rich. During this time there were mostly male rulers that were powerful.

Socrates were considered “the other” at the time for questioning powerful leaders and their beliefs. It was seen as him not respecting his authorities at the time which made him “the other.”

1. Jesus can be considered an “other” as his conception was immaculate which led to him being able to walk on water, heal sick individuals, and most importantly he died and came back to life which makes his character fit into the definition of being the “other” 

2. Moses can be considered an “other as he was able to speak directly with god and therefore was chosen by god to lead the Israelites/ Hebrew Individuals out of slavery and oppression and into power, this ability makes him fundamentally different than those around him thus making him an “other” 

3. Saint Margaret can be considered an “other” as she had fundamentally different beliefs than those around her and was tortured and died for her beliefs making her an “other” in both life and death 

4. Muhammad can be considered an “other” as he believed in one god in a time when everyone else believed in multiple gods(monotheism vs. polytheism) this would make Muhammad seem fundamentally different than those around him leading to him becoming an “other” 
   

5. Sheba/Makeda can be considered an “other” as she became an essential part of the creation of the Solomonic dynasty eventually being a ruler and mother of the first emperor of Ethiopia this would make her an “other” as women did not typically have any power or say during the years previous to her creation of the Solomonic dynasty

Additionally, I've also really enjoyed reading these texts with that lens in mind, so I don't think I'll have any problems analyzing the primary sources from this perspective. My main concern is that the topic will be too broad, but I could narrow it to something like "does the treatment of women in religious texts reflect the treatment of women at the time?", which I think I would be able to more easily find sources about. I've searched through journal articles before, so I'm comfortable finding and analyzing sources from a database.

The survey we did was helpful as well - it was nice to get a more focused overview of what I wanted to research and how I might go about it.

2. Moses
Moses was born into struggle and raised between two worlds. He carried the weight of freeing his people and listened to a divine voice others couldn’t hear, walking a path no one else could truly understand.

3. Saint Margaret
Margaret held onto her faith even when it cost her everything. Her strength in the face of abuse and her refusal to be silenced made her a symbol of resistance and conviction.

4. Muhammad
Muhammad grew up with little, yet carried a message that changed the world. He spoke out with courage, knowing that what he believed in would isolate him but he stood firm anyway.

5. Queen of Sheba
Makeda ruled with wisdom in a world that didn’t expect power to come from a woman. She held her ground with grace, even when others tried to reduce her to anything less than a queen.

Moses’ story shows how othering doesn’t just come from the outside, but can create deep personal conflict too. He’s raised Egyptian but is born Hebrew, and when he tries to do the right thing, both sides reject him. It shows how isolating it can feel to not fully belong anywhere.

As the story goes on, things start to shift. The Hebrews, once seen as less than, are now protected by God. Their difference becomes something meaningful and powerful. Exodus shows how being “the other” can come with pain, but also transformation. It’s a reminder of how dangerous exclusion can be and how reclaiming identity can lead to freedom.

Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, fertility, and harvest, was observing the mortals down below one summer morning. She noticed how their energy was low and had been for some time, which led to the agriculture not being harvested in a reasonable timeframe and more waste. Instead of taking her anger out on the mortals, she went down to the surface, disguised herself as one of them, and observed to see what was happening. After some time, she decided they needed something to increase their energy levels. She revealed herself to the mortals, took an ounce of dirt and molded it into the shape of a bean. She blew life into the bean so it could be planted and grow in. She told them "Plant this seed, and it will prosper. Upon harvesting, dry them in the heat of the sun, grind it down to a powder, soak it in hot water, then sip the hot beverage made. This will help you with gain the energy you need to harvest the crop." She persuaded her brother, Zeus the king of the gods and ruler of the sky, to shed rain upon the fields the mortals planted the seed in, as he favors his mortals. The mortals followed her instructions. They grew the seed given to them by the goddess and harvested its crop. They took the coffee beans they had grown and left them in the heat of the sun to dry. After a few days, the beans were dried up. They took the beans to a mortar and pestle to grind the beans down and brew the new beverage. Upon drinking the newly invented beverage, coffee, the found they were able to harvest the crops at a much faster rate, and felt rejuvenated upon drinking it. As time moved forward, this practice grew more and more, spreading across the world.

The other fact that I found to be extremely interesting was about the fox spirit where the fox would be symbolizing a male while the human form would be female.

I've found this to be the case in my own research involving Exodus as well as the experiences of a Jewish friend. He has family who went to a feminist Passover once, and brought home feminist stories to add to their own Passover dinner. It's so important that these connections with religion and feminism are maintained, because losing that connection means losing a major foothold in the fight for our right to even exist.

The term “The Other” is used when a person or group of people are perceived as fundamentally different. This often leads to marginalization or dehumanization of people or groups. In this class we have read about a few different characters who can be seen as “The Other”.

1. Jesus - Jesus Christ is one of the most well known “Other’s” who is seen as fundamentally different because of many different things. To start he was seen as different because of his supernatural beginning being born from a virgin and his supernatural ending rising from the dead. He was also dehumanized and even crucified because he was seen as a threat to the Roman authorities who were in power at the time.

2. Moses - Moses can be seen as an “Other” because he was a Hebrew in a time when the Hebrews were oppressed in Egypt. Moses was also chosen by god to help free the Hebrews from slavery and because of this supernatural occurrence and how he became a leading figure of an oppressed group he can be seen as an “Other”

3. Muhammad - Muhammad is an “Other” because he is the founder of Islam and went directly against the dominant religion at the time. He was also a leader and helped grow and teach Islam and was seen as a role model and big figure in the religion.

4. Queen of Sheba - The Queen of Sheba can be seen as the “Other” because of how she was a woman who ruled an entire empire in a time where it was very uncommon for women to have that role in society. Her being the only woman in her field already makes her an “Other” because she is doing things that only men had done up to that point.

5. Socrates - Socrates can be seen as the “Other” because he often questioned the beliefs of those around him and was very big on philosophy in a time where most people were not. He was also sentenced to death by Athens because of the ideologies that he was teaching.

The use of religion as a way to defend a woman's purpose it very important and very useful. As the men in power use script to their advantage, women using script tends to get more listeners as they then begin to understand. It is like speaking in their language. It is easier to relate to when you fully believe in the faith and religion.

Men used the religious language at their defense so she used it as well. An example she used was “Do not let your brother opress another”. She explained that Friday sermons started to promote the rights of women and discussed issues like domestic violence and even changes policies. She states that “By changing the message we were able to provide an alternative narrative, which promoted the rights of women.”

"Scholars on Tap"

Tuesday May 6th, 7 - 9:30PM

Falcon Hub

Free food with alcohol for purchase.

The scholars:

Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV: Fascism Then and Now

Dr. Eric Budd: The State of Democracy

Dr. Ben Railton: History of American Immigration Law & Policy

Dr. Eileen Kirk: Due Process 101

Dr. Zachary Miner: The Stigmatization of Trans Folx and How We Can Hasten Equality

Dr. Chris Picone: Environmental Impacts of the Most Scientifically Illiterate POTUS in History

Dr. Heather Urbanski: Organizational Responses to Destructive Executive Orders

Olivia Rossetti and Lori Steckervetz: Executive Orders, Access to Information, and Local Impacts

Dr. Kisha Tracy and Reneé Fratantonio: Modern (Mis)appropriations of Ancient and Medieval Symbols

Dr. Katy Covino and Reneé Fratantonio: Critical Curriculum Design and AI

Dr. DeMisty Bellinger: Alternative Avenues of Funding on Campus

Dr. Kyle Moody: Social Media for Democratic Rhetoric

I wish I'd participated last year, but I wasn't aware there was even a creative writing segment of the conference. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the showcase and would gladly do it again if I wasn't graduating. At the very least I'd enjoy listening to future students share and perform their writing. 

Murabit used the language of religion to show that scripture had messages of Murabit's goals. She also used this to defend against those who used scripture against her, showing that they were cherry picking their parts of scripture for their benefit. She was also able to show that the U.N.'s goal and teachings of human rights aligned with those taught in Islam.

As for how Alaa Murabit used the language of religion to improve women's rights, she reframed religious teachings to show that Islam supports gender equality. She pointed out that many restrictions on women come from culture, not scripture. By working with local religious leaders and referencing Qur’anic verses that highlight justice, compassion, and equality, she challenged patriarchal beliefs from within the faith, making her message more relatable and respected in her community.

Alaa Murabit used language of religion to improve women's rights by saying how it gives her strength which many other women could feel that way as well, she felt like religion could help make cultural changes. She used versus and scriptures and women used their voices for her women's right movement which changed many policies and caused many changes in society for the better.