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Dear Whitman Community,

As the new Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, I am honored to join this vibrant community of students, staff and faculty. My work centers on cultivating spaces where each of us can explore meaning, belonging and purpose—not in isolation, but in relationship with one another across traditions, beliefs and lived experiences.

As we move into November, we step into a month defined by remembrance. Across cultures, this is a time to honor those who have come before us and to tend to the grief and love that remain. Recently, many in our community observed Día de Muertos, a tradition in Latinx and Indigenous communities where families build ofrendas—tables of memory filled with photographs, marigolds, favorite foods and treasured items. These offerings remind us that death is not an ending to be feared, but a continuation of relationship sustained through care and memory.

Even as Halloween has passed, its themes—costumes, identity, celebration—invite reflection. It’s worth pausing to consider how our choices—including what we wear—reflect respect for others’ sacred traditions. Cultural and religious symbols carry deep meaning for those who hold them; when we treat them as decoration, we risk causing harm. Honoring the spirit of celebration means moving with curiosity, humility and care.

For many, November also brings quieter forms of remembrance. Shorter days, colder light and the nearing of holidays can stir grief—whether for loved ones, for places left behind, or for the ache of change we cannot name. Grief is not something we move past; it is an expression of love that continues to live within us and that can connect us across time and faith. Every tradition holds practices to carry us through loss: sitting shiva, lighting candles, reciting prayers, cooking ancestral foods, chanting, silence, song.

If you are navigating grief, longing or transition, please know that you don’t have to carry it alone. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life offers non-sectarian pastoral care, quiet space for reflection, and support in connecting with local faith communities and on-campus well-being resources.

May this season remind us that remembrance is not only about what has passed, but also about what still binds us to one another—compassion, memory and care.

rev. seigen 
Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Religious & Spiritual Life

Additional reading from Interfaith America:

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