The author of this article participated as a student within the Global Faith, Belonging and the Media study abroad program sponsored by BYU’s School of Communications. She wrote the article as part of her coursework in the program and conducted interviews with her classmates and professors to complete it.
A group of 34 BYU students, two professors and their spouses traveled across different parts of France, England and Italy as part of the Global Faith, Belonging and the Media summer study abroad program.
Sponsored by the BYU School of Communications, the program sought to “explore issues of belonging and diversity within the contexts of world religions, gender, race and class,” according to the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies’ website.
Mark Callister, director of the School of Communications, joined the program as one of the professors. He explained that, to him, one of the program’s primary purposes was to help provide students with the experiences necessary to understand and appreciate people of different cultural and religious backgrounds.
“I think the more that students and all of us are exposed to people with different views and different approaches to life, the more we come to kind of expand our own bandwidth of appreciation and understanding,” he said.
To accomplish this objective, students in the program visited various religious sites, some of which are listed below, and met with members of the different faiths to learn about their beliefs and practices.
- Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France.
- The Grande Mosquée in Paris, France.
- The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre in Paris, France.
- The abbeys in Caen and Mont-Saint-Michel, France.
- St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England.
- St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, England.
- The Khalsa Jatha Sikh Gurdwara in London, England.
- The Museum of Methodism and John Wesley's house in London, England.
- The duomos in Florence and Siena, Italy.
- The Jewish synagogue in Florence, Italy.
- The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City.
BYU communications student Mehana Piena shared from her experience on the study abroad program and said she loved seeing how people around the world demonstrate their love and devotion toward God and their faith.
“We got to visit different synagogues and churches … and hear from … members of the religions themselves,” she said. “I had never heard such first hand testimonies and knowledge from people within the faith.”
Leah Gale, another BYU communications student, said one of the program’s highlights for her was visiting the Khalsa Jatha Sikh Gurdwara in London.
“The kind Sikh who really opened his heart and the walls of his temple to explain how they worship, how they see the world, really gave me a deeper appreciation for all faiths,” Gale said.
Regarding the same visit to the Sikh gurdwara, pre-comms student Adri Moon said the visit was highly immersive, allowing her to see just how much people of different religions are willing and wanting to share their beliefs with others.
“We had the opportunity to take off our shoes, wash our hands, wear some of their sacred clothing, participate in their chants and prayers and eat their food,” she said. “It really felt like I was part of their community.”
In addition to helping students connect with those of other faiths, BYU communications professor Joel Campbell said another one of the program’s objectives was to help students see how the media has historically portrayed diverse groups and religions.
“We wanted to (help) students understand how to be better communicators, … to be more accurate about how they portray women, … people of color (and) people of different faiths and to not fall for the stereotypes,” he said.
Alyse Erekson is a BYU student with a double major in economics and international relations. Though her studies fall outside of BYU’s School of Communications, Erekson said the program helped her see the importance of recognizing the role of framing and perspective in communication.
“It was really intriguing to read about WWII and the Holocaust from French, British and Italian perspectives in various museums and site visits, reminding me of filters I view history with and the need to seek out different perspectives,” she said.
Similarly, Gale shared that examining the role of media, such as posters, radio coverage and propaganda, helped her see the power it has to destroy or foster belonging.
“It makes me want to be more careful in my consumption of current media as well as more thoughtful in my content creation,” Gale said.
When asked how she will carry what she learned abroad into the future, BYU journalism student Brianne Barrus said she plans to be a better listener.
“I hope … to hear people’s stories and be able to have more sympathy or empathy for their situations,” Barrus said.
Though the experiences of others may not be hers, Barrus said she hopes her desire to understand will move her to reach out and support those of different backgrounds and perspectives.
In a similar manner, Moon said she hopes to use her added knowledge and understanding towards those of different faiths and social groups to be an ally to them and defend them throughout her life and future communications career.
“I want to be able to communicate really effectively and clearly, … portraying (different cultures and religions) … compassionately and appropriately,” she said.
Though the Global Faith, Belonging and the Media study abroad program concluded in early August 2024, those interested in similar experiential learning opportunities can find more information on the BYU Kennedy Center’s website. Information on scholarships and financial aid is also available on the site.