“That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars/And whether they had
one, or not, upon thars.” It only seems
appropriate to begin my reflection on the Doyle Engaging Difference Fellowship
with the same Dr. Seuss quote with which I inaugurated this experience. Dr. Seuss’ message in Sneetches is predicated on the same idea that inspired my application
for the Doyle Program. I wanted to
further investigate why we think of the world in categories, distinctions, and
dichotomies. We consistently qualify
ourselves by the groups to which we belong—and also those to which we don’t belong. But, why? Why have such strong divisions persisted to this day? Is there a way to eliminate them and how long
must we wait for this ideal to become a reality?
While my questions have not been answered, I didn’t expect them to be in
a year-long fellowship. In fact, I’m not
sure we can say for certainty that there are answers. But, the scholars at the Berkley Center and
my fellow colleagues in the program are in search of those answers. They are nobly pursuing an understanding of
the relationships that define our lives. And, I am so pleased to play a part of that pursuit.
I learned from the other fellows as well as my mentors. I had the opportunity to meet with leaders in
the fields of international development and religious tolerance. I tested ideas and asked questions. I participated in dialogues about interfaith
issues and interactions on campus. I
heard about the fascinating topics that my colleagues were researching. I grew not only as a student of this
university, but also as a citizen of this increasingly globalized world.
My own research focused on the effect of religious themes and imagery in
fiction on a reader’s perceptions of the represented religion. Fiction is a powerful tool that can
subconsciously influence one’s ideas and opinions. The Berkley Center allowed—and encouraged—me to marry my love of fiction with an interest in data driven research about
contemporary issues of religious understanding and tolerance. My mentors challenged me to ask critical questions
of my hypothesis and conclusions. I
cannot wait to expand and continue my research on this subject area.
I feel that my work as a Doyle fellow has been just the beginning. I’ve merely scratched the surface of all the
questions left to be answered in this subject. But, my year as a Doyle fellow has still been very illuminating as it
has dared me to ask tough questions of myself and others and taught me to
recognize themes of difference in my community.