For the end of the semester event, I think we could have a
trivia night for one day, and then maybe a superhero night where everyone could
dress up as their favorite super hero and then we can quiz them on the movies
to see how they view religion in these films. The main themes that I think we
should, or could communicate are, superheroes in pop culture, in films, and how
superheroes are portrayed in our culture today, and how that affects many
people’s views and beliefs in religion.
Poster boards with bold designs if anybody has artistic skills, they can
create some great slogans or images that attracts the crowd’s attention. From my perspective, many people avoid the
idea or conversation of religion because it is a touchy subject, so I think we
need to advertise that religion is diverse and that it is attainable regardless
if it doesn’t identify with the norm of society. If the weather permits it, I think it would
be useful as some said in class to have it outdoors that way more people would
be able to enjoy it rather than just passing by it in the café and the
hall. I’m not sure if this will work,
but I remember at an old college we did this “Shakespearean” party, and there were
artifacts, books, posters of Shakespeare and facts about his life, his writings. There was cake, ice cream, and tons of food.
I think we can do something similar like bringing in the Wall-E and other
objects that some might worship and see if people can relate that to pop
culture and religion. For those who have
vague understanding of religion, superheroes, spirituality, we can provide a
fact sheet where they can look over it and then see how it relates to
religion. Another idea is music. I think we can create a playlist of
appropriate music that could signify how religion and pop culture not only
challenges us to think about other things such as our purpose in life but
allows us to create a community that bonds strangers together every day. if the approval goes through, then we can do
a survey asking people what they think religion means to them, and then the
next day we can have games that help enhance their understanding of religion
and its impact on society. I think
people want to see something that exciting, but at the same time a learning
experience for them as well. It is also
important to note that some people hold strong religious beliefs, so it would
be helpful to show them, not force them to accept the idea that religion and
the superheroes go hand in hand. As of
right now, I can’t think of any other ideas, but maybe we can do a theme day
and focus on one topic, and then use that topic to explore different
connections to religion. The name Mystical Adventures sounds good, because we are all on journey to discover who we are through religion and how that shapes each of us individually.
Great idea about making it clear that the religious aspect of it doesn't have to be something that will scare certain people away if we do it right.
ReplyDeleteI really like Tiffany's idea of how we should do Rel-Con! She's right, people like things that are bigger and exciting. I agree that if weather permits that the quad or by the spartan statue would be a great spot for us. The music can't just be some random new song out there it has to be related to us. whether it's superhero theme songs or if we find religious songs that are upbeat and not something people will yawn at. The costumes may be a bit much though. I feel as if people will not fully dress up, but probably buy a shirt from target that has a superman or batman, etc. logo and that's okay! We want everyone to be engaged and have fun but we can't lose our point while doing so. We have to make sure people take something away from our project. We can figure that out by handing out surveys at the end and from those we can evaluate what we need to do differently if we need to do anything different. Students tend to gear toward events that have free food. We if we're doing something big we need to do something more than just a bowl of candy. Maybe like a cookie tray or have a sheet cake that has superhero logos and religious symbols as a design. Another food item that is a big hit with students is pizza! Little Caesars pizza is $5 each, yes it may not be the best pizza but it's free and no one is going to complain about free food. Religion is a touchy subject for some and that might be a factor of why some students may not come to our event. We have to show that we are not there to change their views or anything like that, but we are there to expand their knowledge and show them how religion can be shown through other aspects of our life.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts Tiffany and I appreciate your replies, Colleen and Sabrina! I want to ask a follow-up question: is there any way around students' anxiety about what talking about "religion" might be like? How do we make it clear that we're, as you say, not out to "change their views"?
ReplyDeleteI like the ideas about superhero-themed music, bold advertising, and food. Keep the good ideas coming!