First there was the fish, filled with Greek letters and symbolizing Jesus. In the 1980s, parodies of the “Darwin” and “Evolution” fish popularized the idea that religion and science are mutually exclusive. In recent years, the increasingly polarized culture wars have reinforced the belief that there is an insurmountable gulf between science and religion.
But WPI doesn’t accept such stereotypes.
“There’s a common perception of STEM majors that they’re only interested in experiential processes, but when you look closely at who they are as people and really look at the roots of what they think, you find something incredibly rich and profound,” says Calvin Cummings, WPI’s first assistant director for religion and spiritual life.
That richness and depth will vary for every WPI student, but for many, it will include a worldview rooted in religious values and spiritual traditions that students bring to campus. As with other elements of life, students may question or expand those values and traditions as they grow.
The Peace Pillar installed outdoors this year
University Religion Center.
So in 2022, following a campus-wide discussion about mental health and holistic wellness, the university created a full-time staff position, separate from the volunteer chaplains (see sidebar below), to oversee religious and spiritual life on campus.
“This was a way to acknowledge that students are actively exploring the role faith and spirituality play in their lives and to provide resources to support them in that process,” says Philip Clay, senior vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. In spring 2023, 47% of WPI undergraduates reported belonging to a specific religious, spiritual, or philosophical tradition.
“College is a time when students are coming into their own – sifting and sorting through their upbringing, their values and their beliefs, and deciding who they’re going to be,” Clay continues. “Part of that, for students who were raised in a religious tradition, is deciding whether to go to worship and continue to fellowship with people of that religious tradition, or to explore a new religion. For students who weren’t raised in a religious tradition, that sifting and sorting may mean discovering a belief system they hadn’t considered before.”
Being welcoming and accommodating to students of all backgrounds is a big reason why Cummings often speaks about “meaning-making practices” rather than traditional, formal religion.
“I try to convey that there is a universality to meaning-making practices, and that any avenue for students to think about what gives meaning to their lives is a good avenue,” Cummings says. “When students come to the University Religion Center, we don’t ask them to be religious or to participate in any particular program. We just don’t ask them to leave their religious or religious-cultural traditions or meaning-making practices outside the door.”
These days, it’s common for universities to have chaplains from multiple religious backgrounds. Even schools historically tied to a single religious tradition, like Brandeis and Boston University, offer diverse faith resources to students. But WPI is somewhat unique, especially among STEM-focused institutions, in formally acknowledging through a dedicated staff position that religious expression can be central to the diversity of its community and that spiritual practices can be part of student well-being.
For example, some students, regardless of major, feel more comfortable talking to a pastor or spiritual advisor than a therapist or mental health counselor, some students need special food options or schedule flexibility to continue to adhere to their faith traditions, and some simply feel homesick for the traditions they were raised with.
A home away from home
That is exactly what Ash Zadafiya ‘twenty fiveA computer science major from Mumbai, India, he founded the WPI chapter of Hindu YUVA (Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action).
“In my second year, I decided to start a community on campus, to create a platform where students could express themselves and participate in activities where they felt comfortable,” he says. “Initially, I thought of an Indian student organization, but I realised that to have a meaningful impact not only on students but on the entire campus community, it made more sense to follow ‘dharma’ – a word derived from Sanskrit that relates to religion, morality, responsibility and duty.”
