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Show I I We are all connected Director of Spiritual Life Jan Saeed shares her experiences t ! Walter Denison Contributing Writer It was day 10 of a 19 day fast. The Director of i Spiritual Life, Jan Saeed, was still at work. Annual fasting is part of the Bahai faith; a religion which teaches global oneness. Its the faith Jan has practiced since she was six. Global unity and harmony are the virtues she strives for. Were all part of this singular creation planet earth, Jan said. The Idaho native has worked at Westminster for the past three years. She said one of her main job priorities is to connect students with a sense of spirituality. Although she may not push students towards one faith, the oneness of humanity is an overarching theme used when working with students. She seeks to provide not only students, but everybody with education about respecting diverse peoples and their perspectives, one I i i k t of Westminsters learning goals. Jans parents wanted her to stay close to home for her undergraduate so she attended the University of Utah (U of U). She then got her graduate degree in spiritual consultation and conflict resolution from a Bahai inspired university in Switzerland. During her graduate studies, however, Jan was living in Salt Lake, teaching Persian cooking and raising a family. A long commute, stack of books and tape decks helped get her degree. Jan uses her family as an example of how a global oneness is possible. My son works in the Netherlands for a Canadian company and lives in Germany, she said, and he grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her daughter worked in Israel. Jan said, Her roommates were from Kenya, Norway and Brazil. My daughter, from Salt Lake, was living with these people in absolute peace and harmony... Its obtainable, Ive seen it, she said referring to global oneness. Jan met her husband at a Bahai conference. Out of number of attendees, the two found the out they would be attending the same university. The I I some-thousa- nd WC t 201 couple have three children who are now raising us, Jan said. As with most relationships, Jan said of her 30 year marriage, conflict will arise. She maintains that through creating an atmosphere and harboring an attitude of love, conflict can be resolved. Were supposed to have love and respect for all people. It doesnt end at conflict, she said. A tear rolled down the side of her face when she talked about her parents. Her dad died one year ago, of old age, she said. Her parents were kind, understanding and respectfuL I really appreciate having them and their support, she said. She keeps in contact with her mother who lives in Salt Lake. They were the greatest influence on my childhood. Jan said her parents were the reason she strives for unity of humankind. Her work towards a global oneness doesnt end at Westminster. Jan is on the board of the North American Interfaith Network, an international organization which is planning a conference in Salt Lake. Students from Westminster and the U of U are on the planning committee. She was also the Bahai representative for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. Jan was then asked to be the chairperson of the roundtable for the interfaith council of Salt Lake, an organization which sought to welcome a world of people to a mono-fait- h town. A friend once told me, Jan, youve always wanted to travel the world, but then, the world came to you, she said. Jan and her husband like to travel. Hawaii is nice because everybody there speaks English. However she countries. She said she wants to aspires to visit war-tor- n visit places which are off limits. Jan wants to bring a common spiritual teaching to hurting countries. Every great spiritual leader has taught us to love, not hate, one another, she said. 0-2- 01 1 In November Jan traveled to New York to visit with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I had the opportunity to talk to this person who has caused much pain for so many people I know personally, she said. I was able to ask him, why are Bahais not treated equally in your country? He just gave this huge flowery speech about how everybody is treated fairly," she said. She told him in Persian she wanted to visit the beautiful country of Iran. He said he would talk to his ambassadors and they could work something out where Jan could bring some students to his country. I would love to, but Im afraid I cant, was her so response. Why?, asked Ahmadinejad. Because Im a member of the Bahai faith, Jan said. Why dont you have a representative in your parliament thats a Bahai? Because its against the constitution, Jan said was his response. I told him, you need to change the constitution, she said. Then he just whisked me off. Exit stage right quickly. A difficulty in Jans life, she said, choking on her words, eyes swelled with tears, is meeting people like that, ...who have the power to change something... and you know theyre not going to. She paused to collect her thoughts. How do you help... people change? Education, opportunity and encouragement for each individual, Jan answered her own question. Q Executive Cabinet and Senators i vice president president Cooper Henderson attorney general Karl Gerner director of dubs and o r Camer Stoddard Tyler Sutton t ' i i Business Senators Melissa Smolley Dorothann Dinas (Three seats are open.) Nikola Mijic Beau Dixon Ezequiel Elias (One seat is open.) t i Nursing Senators ) Amy Child Jacob Wolf Amy Forker Richard Leeflang (One seat is open.) i I I Mai Ho Pure and Applied Science Senators Social Science:' f Chris Roundy Teri Elliott Lindsay Helm Caitlyn Stringhare Devyn Kerr Mamta Chaudhari Steph Woodward Laura Leon Marvin Backes Michael Toomey O'Ryan Moore (Two seats are open.) Aviation Senator ) i ' Arts and Humanities Senators Eric Nielsen Joi Logan Undeclared Senators Four Graduate Senate seats are open. Ian Coppock Keith Young Three Education Senate Seats are open. (One seat is open.) are interested in an open Senate seat or one of the three open Executive Cabinet positions, please contact ASWCwestminstercollege.edu for more information. If you L u uiu jWrj. VOLUME XLIII: ISSUE 1 4 aswc |