Ramadan Mubarak!
Ramadan, one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims, is expected to begin at sundown on Monday, March 11 (based on the official sighting of the moon) and conclude on April 9. Ramadan Mubarak (pronounced “Mu-ba-rack”) is a greeting that means congratulations on the arrival of the holy month. Ramadan Kareem can also be used as a greeting and literally means “Generous Ramadan.”
We in the Office of Spiritual Life wish all of our Lewis & Clark Muslim community Ramadan Mubarak this week as Muslims enter this month of devotion and fasting.
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In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for others. Focusing on devotion, Muslims spend extra time reading the Qur’an and performing special prayers. The month of Ramadan concludes with Eid al-Fitr, which is a celebratory holiday. Eid 2024 will most likely occur the evening of April 9, though dates may vary.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Students who are fasting may wish to speak with their faculty or coaches if fasting impacts their ability to perform mentally or physically. One can find our Religious Observance Guidelines here: https://www.lclark.edu/offices/spiritual_life/holidays/observance_guidelines/. If one needs additional assistance with a religious observance accommodation, please contact Hilary Martin Himan, Director of Spiritual Life and Chaplain (hmhiman@lclark.edu).
Hilary serves all three campuses, and works collaboratively with Janet Bixby, the Associate Dean at the Graduate School, and Libby Davis, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the Law School to meet students’ needs.
PRAYER SPACES:
For Muslim students, there is a dedicated prayer space in Watzek library on the CAS campus, open to all.
Watzek hours can be found here: https://library.lclark.edu/hours-calendar. Please note: during Spring Break, Watzek hours will be reduced.
The Meditation and Prayer Room in lower Flanagan on the CAS campus will be open 24 hours. You can reserve a prayer time on our Spaces page on the website: https://www.lclark.edu/offices/spiritual_life/meditation-and-prayer-room/. This is open to students at all three campuses.
The MSA also has dedicated space for prayer or meeting in lower Flanagan, Rm. 113. Please reach out to MSA for access (msa@lclark.edu) or to Hilary Martin Himan, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life (hmhiman@lclark.edu).
FASTING AND EATING:
For the Lewis & Clark community, please be mindful of those who are fasting. To go boxes at banquets and other functions with food are often helpful for observers who will break their fast at sundown, which occurs starting at 7:12pm in March and will extend to 7:50pm in April.
For CAS Students:
If you are on the CAS meal plan, enjoy your iftar in the Bon (open until 8pm) or the Trail Room (open until 10pm Tues- Sat.) The Market is also open until 8pm. Bring your green to-go container to load up for your suhoor meal the following day.
Need a minifridge during Ramadan to keep your perishable food safe and secure? A limited supply of fridges may be available through Campus Living (living@lclark.edu).
Should you have special requests or dietary needs, or if procuring a green container is a financial hardship, please reach out to Ryan Jensen (rjensen@lclark.edu) or Jen Miller (jenmiller@lclark.edu) for support.
Bon Appetit managers are offering a more concierge 1:1 service where they work with you individually to get your dietary needs met. Please introduce yourself to Ryan and Jen.
And speaking of needs- ***** Halal Chicken is back!****
Not all of the chicken used is halal however, so please make your needs known to Jen Miller and kitchen staff. It is available for you!
Lastly, Bon Appetit staff would like to help support an Eid meal. Are there student leaders wanting to collaborate with them? Please contact Hilary, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life (hmhiman@lclark.edu).
Meal swipes are not active during spring break, and the Trail Room will have limited hours for lunch. The Pio Express will be running a regular schedule throughout the month of Ramadan. Please plan ahead if you plan to stay on campus.
Please reach out to the Muslim Student Association, msa@lclark.edu for more information about student planned events.
The foyer of the Spiritual Life Office will be available for breaking fast and for congregating, which is right next to the Meditation and Prayer Room. A mini-fridge, microwave, water, and dates are available. Those observing Ramadan are welcome to invite a friend and break the fast together.
Have more ideas of making Lewis & Clark more friendly to those observing Ramadan? Please reach out to Spiritual Life: spirituallife@lclark.edu.
