Students petition to change religious wording on diploma
Students believe that "in the year of our lord" doesn't represent the student body as a whole
Ariel Barkhurst
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: News
Yesterday, the University Commencement and Convocation Committee considered a request, brought by a group of concerned students, that graduating students of Trinity University receive the option to remove the phrase "in the year of our Lord" from their diplomas.
The Committee arrived at no decision because, according to Committee member Brendan McNamara, the members felt that it would be better to wait and see how the issue plays out on campus.
Senior Isaac Medina, president of Sigma Iota Rho, the international studies fraternity, brought the concern to light last week when he met with Registrar Alfred Rodriguez, a member of the Committee.
Medina said that he found the wording not to be religiously inclusive.
"Diplomas are a very personal item," he said. "These are something we should display proudly and be comfortable with. We're uncomfortable with the allusion because it marks the calendar with the birth of Jesus. We understand this is how people measure time. But there've been more inclusive wordings, such as the Common Era."
Medina said he noticed that TU diplomas denote the year in which they are awarded with the phrase, "in the year of our lord" last Monday while perusing diploma frames in the University Bookstore.
"It struck me as odd," he said, "because we're under the impression that Trinity is not a religious institution. I immediately texted Sidra to see if she was equally confused. And she said, 'well, can we change it?'"
Since last week, Senior Sidra Qureshi, president of the Trinity Diversity Connection (TDC), Medina and other concerned students drafted and sent a letter to Rodriguez so that he could bring up the topic in yesterday's Committee meeting.
"TDC got involved because Isaac and I are good friends," Qureshi said. "We're both Muslims and active in the [Muslim Student Association]. I personally, as a Muslim, would not want this on my diploma."
Medina and Qureshi have also collected the signatures of dozens of students in two petitions, one for students who support the University's offering an option for removal and the other for students who would choose to remove the phrase on their own diplomas.
The Committee arrived at no decision because, according to Committee member Brendan McNamara, the members felt that it would be better to wait and see how the issue plays out on campus.
Senior Isaac Medina, president of Sigma Iota Rho, the international studies fraternity, brought the concern to light last week when he met with Registrar Alfred Rodriguez, a member of the Committee.
Medina said that he found the wording not to be religiously inclusive.
"Diplomas are a very personal item," he said. "These are something we should display proudly and be comfortable with. We're uncomfortable with the allusion because it marks the calendar with the birth of Jesus. We understand this is how people measure time. But there've been more inclusive wordings, such as the Common Era."
Medina said he noticed that TU diplomas denote the year in which they are awarded with the phrase, "in the year of our lord" last Monday while perusing diploma frames in the University Bookstore.
"It struck me as odd," he said, "because we're under the impression that Trinity is not a religious institution. I immediately texted Sidra to see if she was equally confused. And she said, 'well, can we change it?'"
Since last week, Senior Sidra Qureshi, president of the Trinity Diversity Connection (TDC), Medina and other concerned students drafted and sent a letter to Rodriguez so that he could bring up the topic in yesterday's Committee meeting.
"TDC got involved because Isaac and I are good friends," Qureshi said. "We're both Muslims and active in the [Muslim Student Association]. I personally, as a Muslim, would not want this on my diploma."
Medina and Qureshi have also collected the signatures of dozens of students in two petitions, one for students who support the University's offering an option for removal and the other for students who would choose to remove the phrase on their own diplomas.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
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posted 11/28/09 @ 2:31 AM CST
It is a very interesting article!
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posted 12/04/09 @ 12:57 PM CST
I wouldn't change the wording. Tolerance is a two way street. Can't be off censoring each other.
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