Utah Valley University is home to a plethora of students of all different backgrounds. Whether Muslim or Christian, Hindu or agnostic, the university offers a place for you.
One university resource that often goes underutilized by students is the university’s Reflection Center, found in SL112. Supported by numerous volunteer guides and members of the Interfaith Student Council, the Reflection Center is a “place for meditation, prayer, reflection, or other forms of individual religious expression.”
The Reflection Center hosts events regularly throughout the school year. According to Miranda Noble, a member of the Interfaith Student Council, many events put on by Interfaith and the Reflection Center seek to “promote interaction between people of all different ethical, philosophical, and religious beliefs.”
One such event, “Faith & Film,” is put on by the Reflection Center in collaboration with the Center for Social Impact and supported by Interfaith. The events occur on the first Wednesday of each month and generally consist of a film screening, guest speakers, discussion and dinner, all free for students of the university.
The most recent Faith & Film event took place this past Wednesday, Nov. 2, and screened the 2017 Disney original animated film “Coco”. The movie follows Miguel, a young boy seeking to emulate his hero and become a musician despite his family’s expectation of him to adhere to the family trade. The events of “Coco” occur during Día de los Muertos—the day of the dead—a traditional holiday celebrated in Mexico and much of Latin culture. Throughout the film, themes of ambition, love, family and culture were explored heavily.
When the film concluded and Reflection Center lights came on to illuminate the audience’s tears, tickets were handed out to attendees, each of which afforded five street tacos from a truck outside. Discussion of the film’s themes commenced when everybody had received their dinner.
When dinner and casual discussion finished, Kyrsi Zamora took the stage to lead a brief presentation. Zamora is a representative of UVU’s Multicultural Student Services and coordinator of the UVU Latino Initiative.
Zamora spoke on the significance of family in Latin culture, telling her personal story with career aspirations that differed from familial expectations. She also commented on the plurality of culture, explaining that “each individual family creates its own culture,” even when more external cultures exhibit influence.
After Zamora’s presentation concluded with applause from the audience, a representative of the Center for Social Impact, Alex Ruiz, took the floor to close the evening with some final discussion questions.
When the event had concluded, Hannah Hartman, one of the Reflection Center guides, encouraged students to utilize the Reflection Center’s resources and to attend multicultural events. Hartman explained that the purpose of the Reflection Center is “to give people a spot where they belong, regardless of their worldview.”
