University President Morton O. Schapiro addressed the “Impact of Faith on the College Campus” during a fireside chat at Sheil Catholic Center Tuesday.
University President Morton O. Schapiro said he is so comfortable discussing the role of religion in higher education, critics have called him a “religious nutcase.”
“Sometimes when I talk about it openly, people roll their eyes,” Schapiro said Tuesday. “I wear purple, literally, on my shirtsleeve every day, but I wear my faith as well.”
In a fireside chat at Sheil Catholic Center, Schapiro, who is Jewish, discussed his views on faith, acceptance and improving Northwestern as part of Religious Awareness Week. It was the first time an NU president has spoken at Sheil in recent memory, said John Kartje, Sheil’s director and chaplain.
Kartje said he hopes this meeting is only the beginning of religious discussions on campus.
“It’s a real comfort in the world of academia-his fearlessness to bring up the question of faith in a university setting,” Kartje said. “I really appreciated his willingness to both acknowledge the fact that it’s rarely done or with real circumspection but also to say ‘I’m committed to raise the dialogue and to not shy away from difficult conversations that may make some people uncomfortable.'”
Schapiro spoke about his own experience as a practicing Jew and how he combines his faith with being the president of a secular university.
“It’s an incredibly important part of my life,” he said. “But the question is, at a secular college or university, ‘How do you deal with that?’ Maybe I can send a message about that-that you can be a proud member of the faculty at so-called elite private colleges or universities and at the same time say, ‘I’m not going to hide it or keep it separate because I don’t think that makes for happy human beings.'”
Kartje said Schapiro’s views were refreshing because religion is so often removed from the educational experience.
“At all universities, it’s kind of ludicrous to say you want to pursue knowledge at the highest levels and not think that the tradition, which has shaped human civilization since its beginning doesn’t have a place in that,” he said.
Francisca Rebelo said she appreciated Schapiro’s willingness to integrate religion and education.
“I really liked hearing him speak, and it was really inspiring to hear him talk so openly about his own faith and about the struggle to talk openly about faith,” the Weinberg junior said. “It’s something that I try to bring into my life on campus, but that’s really hard to do.”
One of the most important roles of higher education is to expose people to differences, Schapiro said. He said he feels a strong connection to all people of various faiths and hopes to keep those relationships alive on campus.
“People of faith have something in common,” he said. “We’re all privileged and blessed to have a faith. We should be together. We should be the biggest allies for one another.”
At various points throughout the speech, Schapiro joked with the audience and said he doesn’t claim to be a role model on the topic.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just an economist.”[email protected]
