Photo by: Gary Brower
When most of us think of student life, we think of parties, school-wide festivities, clubs and student-run organizations. We usually forget one of the most important aspects of student life: moral and spiritual well-being.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of college life, it can be easy to lose touch with your own personal spirituality and moral compass.
The Rev. Gary Brower, University Chaplain, has been entrusted with the task of helping students with their spiritual health.
“I’m responsible for ensuring that the religious voice in an integral part of the University’s conversation, to serve students who are not part of any faith tradition and to help raise the level of conversation about religion above that which is prevalent in the media,” said Brower.
“Religion is a part of the landscape and needs to be seen as a regular part of the landscape, not a special part it,” said Brower of spirituality as an integral part of college life at DU.
To do this, Brower gets students involved through various on and off-campus programs.
Having been a Chaplain at DU and other university campuses for the past 21 years, including Duke, University of North Carolina-Charlotte and University of California, Brower knows a lot about how to program on campuses and reach out to students.
With the boom of the internet and social networking sites like Facebook, reaching students has becoming increasingly challenging, but Brower finds ways to get the word out nevertheless.
Brower joined DU in 2007 as the University’s first Chaplain since the 1970s.
The decision to have a chaplain back on campus was spurred by the tragedies of Sept. 11 and the resulting religious tension, in addition to an attitude shift in how best to foster students’ complete well-being.
To focus on these issues, Brower is implementing programs on campus such as the Chaplain’s Book Discussions.
These discussions will take place today and Tuesday, March 8, and offer participants a forum in which to converse about books that the chaplain recommends.
The upcoming books include “Terror in the Mind of God” and “America’s Four Gods.” In addition to this program, the chaplain also sets up off-campus community service projects.
In the past, Brower has had students participate in Habitat for Humanity projects, vegetable gleaning for food banks and tutoring younger students.
“Events are open to anybody. I don’t limit participation, I don’t check your membership card at the door,” said Brower. “We want people to engage the questions they have and support the struggle to answer them.”
Students of any faith or no religious background are welcomed in the chaplain’s office to talk about personal or other issues.
Brower encourages students to get involved and take charge of their own spiritual well-being.
“I look to provide opportunities for all people of all (or no) faiths to engage questions that are real questions,” said Brower. “The office provides on-campus opportunities for some folks that are not replicated in their various faith communities or that supplement those offerings.”
In addition to these aspects, the chaplain is also a counselor who truly understands the realities of the DU community and its realities.
To reach the chaplain, students, faculty and staff, as well as other members of the community, are welcome to visit his office in suite 29 in Driscoll South.
For information regarding the programs that Brower offers around campus, visit the chaplain website at www.du.edu/religiouslife as well as Brower’s DU Portfolio page at portfolio.du.edu/religiouslife.
The Chaplain’s Office also publishes a weekly e-Newsletter provides information on upcoming programs and events held on and off-campus. Links for subscription can be found on both the chaplain’s website and his portfolio.
