The Non Christian Holidays - 1783 Words

Eid is the most sacred and festive day for a Muslim such as myself. Time goes by in a flash, the fall semester had just begun and Eid was days away. Imagine my sadness that I would not be able to spend this special day with my family – I would have to go to class instead. Fordham is a Jesuit University that becomes more diverse every year as new students join the community. Change takes place on campus; however, does this change allow for equal privileges among all the students? Every year, thousands of freshmen enter the gates of Fordham University. Among these students, not all are Christian. Some are Jews, some Muslim, and some Hindu and Buddhist. As a Jesuit school, Fordham mainly recognizes Christian holidays as official holidays.†¦show more content†¦Diversity must be accepted and acknowledged as a change among the people for the university to flourish. We must understand that each of us are unique in our own ways; therefore, every student has something to offer to the university. Some are defined by their grades or social media, while others define themselves through their religious beliefs. The university must acknowledge the presence of change arising on campus so that every individual, Christian or not, receives equal benefits of being a part of the Fordham community. According to Cappex, Fordham stands to be predominately Roman Christian even with the large number of cultural groups on campus. What about the minority, are they not included? In 2011, Religious Preference of enrolled freshman out of 1,986 students are: 0.9% Buddhist, 0.9% Hindu, 2.0% Jewish, 2.0% Muslim, 50.5% Catholic, 2.6% Greek Orthodox, and 8.5% Protestant. As of 2015, out of 2,211 students there are 0.8% Buddhist, 1.4% Hindu, 2.3% Jewish, 4.0% Muslim, 48.8% Catholic, 1.8% Greek Orthodox, and 7.0% Protestant. After four years, the religious diversity among the students attending Fordham