Dear Chapman Family and Friends, I share with you today words of profound challenge and hope offered to us at a recent Vigil for Victims of Racism and Call to Action from Shaykh Jibreel Speight, Director of Muslim Life at Chapman University – Dean Gail Stearns Good morning to each and every last one of
A few weeks ago, at the beginning of our shelter-in-place orders, I shared with my beloved that I had never watched the movie Fiddler on the Roof. I never saw the musical play in person either. As a Filipino American born and raised in Los Angeles, I grew up going to family parties where oftentimes
I have come to believe that in the face of COVID-19, we are all experiencing grief. Almost every one of us is experiencing the stress of loss. But stress is not distributed equally in our society. My not being able to move about freely in my neighborhood or travel is not the same as another’s
I have been thinking a lot about the story of Exodus in this pandemic. It began as I walked home the day that students were told that classes were going online the next day. Students were frantically carrying items from their dorms, very little properly packed. There was none of the festivity of move in
Yes, yes, yes! We made it through this semester – and not just made it but flourished! In unprecedented circumstances, we have seen heroic efforts on the part of students, faculty, staff, all of us. I offer this video of blessings from the Fish Interfaith Center for our graduating students – and if you, like
Evargrius Ponticus, a third-century hermit who lived isolated in the Egyptian desert, knew all about boredom, discouragement, and wanting to give up. He personified this chorus of negativity with a telling nickname, “The Noonday Demon.” Unlike other tempters who lurk under cover of darkness, when Evargrius was weary and discouraged, this demon appeared in broad
Ever felt like you needed someone to talk to, but didn’t know who? That’s exactly what campus chaplains are here for. What you might be surprised to learn is that a chaplain provides emotional, social and spiritual support regardless of a person’s faith or no faith. Chaplains go through training, a master’s and sometimes a
The Jacaranda trees are in stunning bloom right now near the Chapman campus. Every year their flowering purple display takes me by surprise. Throughout much of the year these majestic trees are rather unremarkable, and easy to pass by unnoticed. They are a poignant reminder of the need for respite, for dormancy, before the spring
“Just breathe.” That used to be solid advice for so many things. It works to alleviate anxiety or pre-performance jitters. Breath training is key for a woman near to giving birth, or a person living with chronic pain. Singers and actors know the power of deep breathing for performances. Yet suddenly, taking a breath can
Some years ago—I got an idea. I heard an old James Taylor song come on the radio: You Can Close Your Eyes. In the song, James’ phrase, “close your eyes,” is about trust. And that day I imagined that the singer of the song is Jesus, building community among his followers, singing to all of