From the Chair
(50 credit) plans in Philosophy and our
Religious Studies Specialization. I’m pleased to
report that our justification for the continuation
of our programs—for now—has been accepted.
This year has demonstrated the value of
maintaining all our programs as our majors and
minors have nearly matched our peak number in
2007, a number achieved only once since our
department began in the mid-1960s!
Dear Students, Alumni and Friends,
As we bid goodbye to another academic year,
this issue of The Good Life: A Newsletter of the
Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
will feature the accomplishments of our current
students, 2012 graduates, alumni, faculty and
staff. We’ll also look back on key events from
this spring, offer updates about our summer and
fall course offerings and take you back in time
… to exotic locations in India and China.
As department chair I’ll acknowledge that this
year has offered its challenges. In particular, our
department responded to the charge of the CWU
Academic Planning Task Force to justify the
continuation of our large (60 credit) and small
On behalf of my colleagues, I also would like to
extend the warmest welcome to the two newest
members of our department, Dr. Michael
Goerger and Mrs. Lori Hauser. Dr. Goerger
served this year as our Visiting Assistant
Professor of Philosophy, having recently
completed his Ph.D. from the University of
California-Riverside. After an extensive
national search for an Assistant Professor of
Philosophy, specializing in Ethics and Ancient
Philosophy, Dr. Goerger was unanimously
selected for this position and will take up his
new post in September.
I also would like to welcome Lori Hauser as our
new full-time secretary senior. Lori joins us
from the CWU Paramedics program and will be
IN THIS ISSUE: Honors│Graduates│Distinguished Alumna 2012│Alumni Notes│Faculty &
Staff Updates│A Journey with Prof. Heimbeck│2012 Courses & Events│From the Archives
instrumental in updating our office and assisting
faculty, students and me as we continue to grow
in our programs.
efforts in taking us on a journey to India and
China with Dr. Heimbeck and for her assistance
in bringing this newsletter to fruition!
Congratulations are extended to Dr. Jeffrey
Dippmann and Dr. Heidi M. Szpek, who have
been promoted to full professors; and to Dr.
Matthew Altman, who has been awarded tenure
with promotion to associate professor.
In the photos that enrich these pages and the
spotlight photo featured in From the Archives,
our students and alumni may find themselves!
We’d love to hear from you, about — The Good
Life.
In our last issue, we explored the history of our
department in “Floating the River”: A
Conversation with Professor Emeritus Webster
Hood and 2003 Alumna Niki AbrahamCavender. In this issue, you’ll be inspired to
study the religions of India and China in
“Around the World in 100 Days”: A Journey
with Professor Emeritus Raeburne Heimbeck.
Prof. Heimbeck shares his knowledge about
Asian religions, interspersed with his travel
adventures and anecdotes.
Take care,
Dr. Heimbeck’s article not only highlights the
inspiration that studying religion on the road has
had on his life but also comes at a most
propitious moment. Dr. Heimbeck and his
wife, Professor Emeritus Cynthia Krieble (CWU
Art), have established the Department of
Philosophy & Religious Studies Founding
Faculty Scholarship. This scholarship will
assist students pursuing a religious studies
specialization with a focus on the religions and
philosophies of China and Japan. For more
information contact the CWU Foundation, 509963-2760. On behalf of our students, I extend
my appreciation to Dr. Heimbeck and Prof.
Krieble for their generosity.
Heidi M. Szpek, Ph.D.
Department Chair
In this Issue
From the Chair
1
Department Honors
3
Our Graduates
4
Distinguished Alumna 2012
6
Alumni Notes
7
Faculty & Staff Updates
8
“Around the World in 100 Days”: A Journey with
Professor Emeritus Raeburne Heimbeck
By Niki Abraham-Cavender
13
Summer 2012 Courses
21
Fall 2012 Courses
22
Spring 2012 Events
23
From the Archives
26
Once again, I offer special thanks to Niki
Abraham-Cavender, Class of 2003, for her
2
Department Honors
CAH Alumni Banquet, Faculty and Student Recognition Night
At the CWU College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) Banquet on May 17th, Dr. Matthew Altman
received the CAH Outstanding Faculty Service Award 2012. We thank him for his exceptional efforts
as Director of the Douglas Honors College and for coaching our Ethics teams. Dr. Altman also received
a Summer Scholarship/Creativity Grant Award to complete his co-authored book, Freud and German
Philosophy: Freedom, History, and the Modern Subject. Jessica M. Erickson, Class of 2003, Religious
Studies specialization, J.D. Seattle University 2010, was recognized as our department's Distinguished
Alumna. Michael ‘Mac’ Brown was recognized as the CAH Outstanding Student of the Year for his
academic accomplishments, departmental and community contributions (see Mac's story in our Winter
2012 Newsletter). Judy Miller (English major) received the Raymond A. Smith Award for Achievement
in Scholarship for her paper "The Vanishing World of the Indian Jew," researched in Dr. Szpek's Jewish
Literature in Translation course.
SOURCE 2012
On Thursday, May 17, 2012, four of our students presented their research at SOURCE (Symposium on
University Research and Creative Expression). Ruby Lynn Thompson presented her research paper,
“The Juxtaposition of Divine and Physical Love.” This research was prepared in conjunction with Dr.
Cynthia Coe’s Philosophy of Love course in the Winter 2012 term. Ruby Lynn Thompson’a research
was recognized with a SOURCE Best Presentation Award. Jennifer Arledge delivered a presentation,
“Satire in Genesis,” which was followed by Andrea Byrnes’s presentation “Children of the Holocaust:
Faith.” Both presentations derive from students’ Senior Thesis research, directed by Dr. Heidi M.
Szpek. David Hoffman’s presentation “Music is the Voice”, was also based on senior thesis research,
which was directed by Dr. Matthew Altman.
The Good Life
3
Our Graduates
Michael ‘Mac’ Brown, philosophy major and
College of Arts & Humanities Outstanding
Student of the Year 2012, wrote his thesis, “The
Turing Test Tested,” under the direction of Dr.
Bartlett. After graduation, Mac will attend
Seattle University’s School of Law.
Ashley Brumett, philosophy major, wrote her
thesis, “Morality and Digital Dread: A
Nietzschean Take on Technophobia,” under the
direction of Dr. Coe.
Eric Bogenschneider, religious studies
specialization, wrote his thesis, “Understanding
Emptiness,” under the direction of Dr.
Dippmann. Two days after graduation, Eric and
his wife will be moving back to his hometown
of Millington, Tennessee. While Eric’s wife
continues her career in education (and both look
for immediate employment), Eric—the “mystic”
among our RELS students, with 16 years of
study and practice in mysticism—will decide
whether to pursue graduate studies.
Eric writes: “If I do decide to continue my
studies in religion, I'll most likely go further into
Buddhism. It has been my experience that the
Buddhist concept of emptiness holds a
paramount importance, as will be noted in my
thesis, ‘Understanding Emptiness.’ So
eventually, once I have taken a much overdue
break from college and academics, I may indeed
pursue a master’s degree in Buddhism, but it
remains to be seen.”
Michael Christianson, philosophy major, wrote
his thesis, “Ethics and Law in Physician Aid in
Dying,” under the direction of Dr. Altman.
Alejandra Espinoza, philosophy major, wrote
her thesis, “Education is Power: The Powerful
Tool for Chicana/Mexican Women to Escape
Being a Subordinate and Becoming An
Autonomous Individual,” under the direction of
Dr. Coe.
Michael Gause, Philosophy major, wrote his
thesis, “Moral Autonomy: The Ethical Link
Between Kant and Sartre,” under the direction
of Dr. Coe.
Joseph Keeney, Dean’s Scholar 2012 and
Honors Convocation Student Speaker 2012,
wrote his thesis about creationism, science, and
the teaching of science in school under the
direction of Dr. Bartlett. Joe will be graduating
in June with degrees in philosophy,
anthropology, and geography along with a GIS
(geographical information systems) certificate
from the geography department. Joe is also
currently completing his thesis for the Science
Honors Research Program. After fieldwork this
summer in the Arctic, Joe will begin graduate
school at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks,
from which he has received funding to study
archaeology. Joe aims to earn a Ph.D. in
archaeology.
Caleb Kim, philosophy major, wrote his thesis,
“Faith and Reason: A Conjunction toward
Belief,” under the direction of Dr. Dippmann.
Caleb’s plans for next year include serving as a
Junior High pastor at a church in western
Washington, attending graduate school at a
seminary there, and establishing a college
ministry in Tacoma.
Ross Lofstrom, philosophy major, wrote his
thesis, “Macro Teleology,” under the direction
of Dr. Coe. As for after graduation plans–Ross
writes “that is still a mystery.” His initial focus
is to travel for a few years. Ross has also been
applying for teaching jobs in Japan.
Weston Morrow, philosophy major, wrote his
thesis, “Me, Myself and My Avatar: An
Examination of Self-Extension in Video
Games,” under the direction of Dr. Bartlett.
4
Wes will continue to work as an outdoor
programmer for CWU’s Outdoor Pursuits and
Rental Office while applying to graduate
schools in English Literature. Wes’s main goal,
however, is to obtain a job in travel or outdoor
writing.
Michael Mortellaro, religious studies
specialization, wrote his thesis, “Daoism and
Immortality during the Tang Dynasty,” under
the direction of Dr. Dippmann. After
graduation Mike will receive his commission as
a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. On June 25,
Mike leaves for Pensacola Naval Air Station to
begin training as a Combat Systems Operator.
After training, Mike will be flying for the Air
Force. He hopes to stay in as long as he can.
Christian Torimino, Dean’s Scholar 2012, and
philosophy major, wrote his thesis, “The Ironic
Attitude and the Underground: A Nietzschean
Quest for Free Will,” under the direction of Dr.
Coe. Christian plans to spend this summer
studying for and taking the LSAT while
working here in Ellensburg—hopefully at a law
firm. He’ll be applying to law schools in fall or
winter. In spring, Christian is taking a threemonth trip to France with his girlfriend. The
following fall, Christian hopes to start law
school.
The Good Life
5
Distinguished Alumna 2012
This year's distinguished alumna was Jessica M.
Erickson, Class of 2003, religious studies
specialization, who joined us for Alumni Day on
Tuesday, May 15. Jes chatted with our majors
over pizza and soda. She shared her thoughts on
the value of studying philosophy, religious
studies and the humanities with students in Prof.
Turcotte’s Sacred Books of the World class and
Dr. Goerger’s Current Ethical Issues class. Jes
also participated in a panel discussion with all the
distinguished alumni from our college, and was
recognized for her accomplishments at the alumni
banquet.
Jes is a passionate and determined Seattle trial
lawyer, dedicated to helping businesses and
individuals who have been injured or victimized
by others. She focuses her practice in the area of
complex litigation, representing, among others,
victims of childhood sexual abuse against entities
such as the Catholic Church, The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the State of
Washington, and the Boy Scouts of America. In
her pro-bono practice, Jes represents low-income
clients in domestic cases where children are at
risk as a result of domestic violence, child abuse,
or substance abuse.
Born in Seattle and raised in Olympia, Jes is
proud of her Northwest roots. After graduating
with honors from Central Washington University
with a double major in Philosophy and Religious
Studies and Law & Justice and living in both
Poland and Utah for several years, Jes returned to
western Washington to attend Seattle University
School of Law, where she graduated cum laude.
While at Seattle University, Jes was heavily
involved in Law Review, serving as Executive
Editor for Lead Articles. Her published article,
“Making Live and Letting Die: The Biopolitical
Effect of Navajo Nation v. U.S. Forest Service,
33 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 463 (2010),” combines
her passion for philosophical and religious
dialogue with her keen interest in the First
Amendment and the effects of law on culture and
society. She also employed her love of writing as
a research assistant, where she co-authored
multiple articles and book chapters on topics such
as affirmative action and non-traditional family
formation.
Jes is actively involved in her West Seattle
community and happily devotes her time to
playing with her beautiful stepchildren, Victoria
and Sonja, and her partner, Eric. When she has a
moment to herself, she can usually be found
either with her nose in a book or wandering in the
mountains.
(Left to right) Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann, Distinguished
Alumna Jes Erickson, Dr. Heidi M. Szpek
at the Alumni Banquet 2012
6
Alumni Notes
Jimmy-Dean Candella, Class of 2011,
philosophy major, is currently a case aide at
Hopeful Hands, working on behalf of children
with behavioral disabilities or issues.
Dylan Arthur Baker, Class of 2010, philosophy
major, has been accepted to the University of
Michigan to pursue an M.A. in Music
Composition. Michigan also has an excellent
graduate program in philosophy and Dylan will
be taking a class or two in that program for a
graduate minor in philosophy.
Michael Derheimer, Class of 2010, philosophy
major, is currently working for Bank of America.
As Michael wrote, “[this is] not exactly what you
would expect from a Marxist, but everyday they
give me plenty of opportunities to stand up for the
proletariat.”
Sasha Geise-Stoffel, Class of 2011, religious
studies specialization, is currently a stay-at-home
mom raising a 17-month old boy who is way too
smart for his own good. “Of course I'm biased,”
writes Sasha, whose has been working on art and
photography and plans to return to school to earn
her M.A.
Karylnn Green, Class of 2009, religious studies
specialization, has been accepted to Yale
University's School of Nursing to pursue a
masters in nursing, specializing in midwifery.
Amy Lee, Class of 2003, religious studies
specialization. After graduation Amy spent two
months in Germany, where she worked with teens
and twenty-year-olds, learning about their culture
and way of life. She then pursued a career in
emergency medicine and received a B.S. in paramedicine from CWU. Amy is currently working
as a flight paramedic in Nevada and will begin a
master’s program in adult education in a few
weeks. Amy hopes to teach both philosophy/
religion and emergency medicine at all levels in
both academic and workplace environments.
Christian Mecham, Class of 2009, philosophy
major, is working on a master of arts degree in
philosophy at Louisiana State University, in
Baton Rouge. Christian also tutors studentathletes in a variety of subjects in the humanities,
and next year will be a teaching assistant in the
philosophy department at LSU.
James Moore, Class of 2011, philosophy major,
Class of 2011, is a first-year law student at the
College of William & Mary. Jim has been
granted an internship with the Department of
Veterans Affairs, Office of General Counsel.
Mathew Panattoni, Class of 2011, religious
studies specialization, is currently working for his
M.Div. at George Fox Evangelical Seminary. The
courses are mainly online, but Mathew gets to
interact with people around the world and they all
meet for a week face-to-face each semester.
Mathew and his wife Sarah just welcomed their
third child, daughter Abigail.
Luke Van Horn, Class of 2002, religious studies
specialization. Luke earned his master’s in
Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot
School of Theology in 2005 and a second Master
of Arts in Philosophy from the University of
Notre Dame in 2011. Luke is currently an online
adjunct instructor for Ashford University,
teaching informal logic through July. Luke has
been accepted for publication (his third) in the
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
His piece is entitled "On Incorporating Middle
Knowledge into Calvinism: A Theological/
Metaphysical Muddle?"
The Good Life
7
Faculty & Staff Updates
Matthew Altman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Director, Douglas
Honors College
This has been an exciting
year to teach, and not just
because a rabid wombat
sneaked into my classroom
that one day. It’s because I was able to teach both
Environmental Ethics and Business Ethics,
classes that generate a lot of good discussion. I
also developed a new course for the Douglas
Honors College called “Punishment,” which
covers justifications for punishment and the death
penalty in the U.S. I taught Introduction to
Philosophy in the winter, and many of those
students are sticking with philosophy as majors
and minors—although they may only have signed
up so they can eat for free at the department
barbecue.
In addition to teaching, I presented research on
mandatory ultrasound laws in Cincinnati, freemarket environmentalism in Washington, D.C.,
and the problem of other minds in St. John’s,
Newfoundland. Academia has its challenges, but
being able to talk about such interesting topics
with students and other faculty members is
wonderful. It almost makes up for the khakis-andbutton-down-shirt uniform that the American
Philosophical Association forces us all to wear.
This summer I’ll be working hard to finish
writing a book with my co-author, Dr. Cynthia
Coe, on Freud and German philosophy. When it
comes out in 2013, it’s going to revolutionize the
way we understand self-consciousness, freedom,
and history, and it will inspire students from
throughout the world to study at my feet.
Gary Bartlett, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
I’ve had a very busy year.
So busy, in fact, that I
have reneged on my
promise in the previous
newsletter to start
teaching philosophy with
children in local schools.
Please do not write and complain. That guy did
not know what he was talking about. In
particular, he did not know that he would be
volunteering to teach a two‐course overload the
winter quarter, to cover for the illness of another
faculty member.
The main thing I have been doing this year—
sometimes it has seemed like the only thing I’ve
been doing this year—has been teaching
Introduction to Logic. I quite enjoy teaching
Introduction to Logic, but there are limits, and
apparently teaching it six times in a year is over
that limit. My doctor has informed me that the
logical part of my brain has become dangerously
overworked, and it may eventually shut down
without warning, even in the middle of a
sentence, after which my speech will consist
entirely of egregious non‐sequiturs. So if you are
talking to me, please remember that those stains
will come right out with the application of a little
baking soda.
8
Cynthia Coe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director of Women’s
Studies
For my summer vacation
I’m planning to finish a
book manuscript I’m coauthoring with Dr.
Altman, on the
connections between Freud and German
philosophy. At the moment I’m in the middle of a
chapter on Marx and ideology, and then most of
the summer will be consumed with revising
chapters and writing an introduction and
conclusion.
I’m also planning to convert a course I’ve taught
for the Douglas Honors College — Trauma:
Memory, History, Identity — into a junior
seminar for the philosophy program. I will have
more of a concentration on the problem of evil,
broadly understood, and human responses to it.
In my role as director of Women’s and Gender
Studies, I’m also going to be involved in planning
for next year a regular series on sexual health for
college students (with topics including
intersexuality, consent, body image and
contraception/STI prevention), along with Dr.
Kimberly McBride in Public Health and Andrea
Easlick in the Wellness Center.
Jeffrey Dippmann, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Co-Director, Asia/Pacific
Studies
As the 2011-2012 academic
year draws to a close, I am
looking forward to two
exciting faculty development
opportunities to enhance my own understanding
of Asian philosophy and religion. Immediately
following the conclusion of summer session, I
will be traveling to Hawai’i for an intensive
three-week residential institute in comparative
philosophy. Co-sponsored by the University of
Tokyo and University of Hawai’i, the institute
features three of Tokyo’s most prominent
philosophers along with Hawai’i’s Roger Ames,
some of whom you may have read in your
coursework with us. We will be doing close
readings and analysis of classic and modern
works in Chinese and Japanese philosophy,
including the Confucian and Daoist canons,
alongside the groundbreaking Buddhist
philosophy of Japan’s Kyoto school.
Shortly after my return, it’s off to Beijing for two
weeks, both to participate in the East-West
Center’s 51st International Conference and to
engage in some onsite research and site seeing.
I’m particularly looking forward to incorporating
these experiences into next year’s upper division
offerings in Buddhist Thought and Practice (fall),
and The Daoist Tradition (winter).
Gayle Young-Dohrman
Lecturer
In fall 2012, I will be
teaching PHIL 101
Introduction to Philosophy.
The class offers students
what I call a “mind
adventure,” i.e. a survey of
Western philosophy using an historical rather
than a topical approach. Students will become
acquainted with the development of Western
philosophy and the fascinating world of ideas that
are of perennial relevance to us. I love teaching
The Good Life
9
philosophy, reconnecting students with their
sense of wonder about the world and exploring
their most deeply held concerns.
I believe that philosophy is the most practical
subject we can study, because the development of
critical thinking and discussion skills, clear
reasoning and sound judgment, is useful and
desirable in all areas of life. Whether we are
interacting in a business environment, with an
opposing negotiator, or even a spouse, clear
expression and depth of understanding lead to
meaningful interactions and contribute to a sense
of shared purpose. The ability to understand how
other people view the world and interpret basic
facts about reality, what we can know, and what
we should do, enriches our lives. Philosophy
helps us to learn the art of living well, and that
can lead to greater happiness.
Michael Goerger, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant
Professor
During winter term 2012,
my visiting position at
CWU became a
permanent position, which
I am thrilled about. When
I arrived in Ellensburg, I brought little more than
my dog and the clothes on my back. Now that I
will be here more permanently, I'm looking
forward to acquiring some furniture and settling
into town. I plan to spend most of the summer
continuing my research project on the
connections between love and morality and am
beginning to explore love and friendship between
human beings and non-human entities (pets,
robots, AI, etc.).
which is perhaps my favorite work of philosophy.
We will follow the basic ideas of the Republic as
they are developed in Aristotle's Politics and then
Cicero's Republic. If you hope to break free of the
inescapable and endless cycle of birth and death
in order to spend a thousand years contemplating
true beauty on the isles of the blessed (sorry, but
for Plato a thousand years is all you get before
being sent back to earth), this may be the class for
you.
Lori Hauser
Secretary Senior
Lori earned her B.A. in
Human Services from
Western Washington
University. She joins our
department as Secretary
Senior, bringing more than
five years of experience as a secretary in the
Undergraduate Program and then as a secretary in
the Paramedic Program within the Department of
Nutrition, Exercise and Health Sciences here at
Central. Lori's experience, enthusiasm,
organizational and interpersonal skills are already
appreciated and critical to the day-to-day and
long-range function of our department. When not
working, Lori enjoys spending time with her
family riding horses and hiking with their dogs.
David Newcomer
M.Div. Lecturer
David joined colleagues to
engage Ethics & Activism
at the Pacific Northwest
American Academy of
Religion, held at Concordia
College-Portland this May,
In fall quarter 2012, I will be teaching Western
Philosophy I. I'm returning to Plato's Republic,
10
presenting his paper, “Foxes Have Holes and
Birds Have Nests: Reflections about Spiritual and
Physical Homelessness.”
David Smith, Ph.D.,
Lecturer
It was the two days before
the Memorial Day holiday
weekend. Everyone’s tired,
right? You wouldn’t expect
enthusiasm in class, would
you? To my amazement,
these were two of the best days of the quarter in
my World Religions class. Why? I was lecturing
on Mormonism, and the interest was outstanding.
There was more energy in the air than we had
experienced for awhile.
Mormonism fascinates people. They want to
know what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is all about. Next spring (2013), I plan
to teach a new upper-division course on
Mormonism at Central. Religion scholars are
increasingly realizing the need to treat this
relatively new religious tradition seriously. We
simply cannot ignore it in the academy any
longer.
A few years ago I received a grant to study
Mormonism. The research involved several trips
to Utah to interview Mormon believers, Mormon
scholars at Brigham Young University, and exMormons. I may go back this summer to do
some follow-up work as a part of my preparation
for the course. Stay tuned!
Heidi M. Szpek, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department Chair
My ongoing research on
Jewish epitaphs has
progressed this spring, with
my forthcoming publication
in Eastern European Jewish Affairs, “Jewish
Epitaphs from Białystok, 1892-1902: Embracing
the Legacy of Dubnow.”.
As president of the Pacific Northwest Society of
Biblical Literature and American Academy of
Religion, I was honored to deliver this year’s
presidential address, entitled “The Jewish Epitaph
Reconsidered: Toward Reversing a Century of
Condemnation,” at this year’s regional meeting at
Concordia College-Portland. The address was
delivered in the beautiful St. Michael’s Church
adjoining Concordia College. For me, it brought
back fond memories of Concordia CollegeMilwaukee where I first began my teaching
career in 1980.
This summer, I will continue working on my
manuscript Jewish Epitaphs from Białystok:
Silent Witnesses to a Time of Chaos. Budget
allowing, I’ll return to Białystok’s cemetery and
archives to gather final details for this
manuscript. Taking a circuitous route from Riga
to Vilnius to Białystok and back, I’ll also be
gathering materials for another manuscript on the
poetry of Jewish epitaphs, tracing the dispersal
pattern of epitaphs of violence in northeastern
Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and exploring the
extant wooden synagogues in Lithuania and
Latvia and other Jewish heritage sites and
Holocaust memorials. These materials will be
incorporated into my courses on Judaism (fall
The Good Life
11
2012) and The Holocaust (spring 2013), which
along with my course on the Hebrew Bible
(Winter 2013) will provide students with a year
of intensive study related to Jewish religion,
literature and culture.
Karen Turcotte, M.A.
Senior Lecturer
Portland this May, presenting her paper, “Sisters
in Zion: Nineteenth Century Mormon Women
and the Struggle for Women‘s Rights.”
Karen’s paper was developed from a special topic
course on Women’s Activism in Religion. This
summer, students will have the opportunity to
study with Karen through three online course
offerings: Philosophy of Love, World Religions
and Ethics & Film.
Karen joined colleagues
to engage the topic
Women & Religion at
the American Academy
of Religion, held at
Concordia College-
Can you identify this past spring break trip, coordinated by one of our faculty?
For a hint, visit our From the Archives feature on page 27 in this newsletter!
12
“Around the World in 100 Days”:
A Journey with
Professor Emeritus Raeburne Heimbeck
By Niki Abraham-Cavender, Class of 2003
Dr. Raeburne Heimbeck was hired by
Central Washington University in 1967 to create
and direct the General Honors Program. “When
that program dried up in 1974, to be replaced
later by the Douglas Honors College,” explained
Dr. Heimbeck, “I had an opportunity to put on a
different hat.” So he and Dr. Jay Bachrach
designed the Religious Studies Program. “We
drew up the original curriculum,” said
Heimbeck, “then revised it after the first couple
of years to make it conform more to the best
religious studies programs in the U.S.”
Dr. Heimbeck became the first, and for
26 years the only,
professor to teach
Religious Studies courses
at Central. “As a one-man
faculty in Religious
Studies, I taught all the
religions: Eastern and
Western, Archaic,
Primitive, everything was covered by one
person.” He also taught specialized courses on
Yoga (which he’s been practicing for almost 40
years), Meditation, and Zen Buddhism. Dr.
Heimbeck noticed that there were two courses—
Philosophies of India and Chinese Philosophy—
that were listed in the philosophy curriculum but
weren’t being taught, because their originators
were no longer teaching at CWU. “It occurred
to me,” said Heimbeck, “that the Religious
Studies students would benefit greatly, if we put
those two courses back in action. So I took them
on.” It was in the late 1970s that those courses
became active again, and Heimbeck loved them.
“So naturally,” he added, “having been bitten by
the travel bug as a young man, I started
dreaming about going to Asia and seeing the
religions there in the flesh.”
Dr. Heimbeck’s love of travel began
with his acceptance as a Fulbright Scholar to the
Victoria University of Wellington in New
Zealand in 1958 to do research on his doctoral
dissertation. As his dissertation focused on the
new field of Analytic Philosophy of Religion, he
discovered a professor there named George E.
Hughes whose article in the earliest anthology
on the topic stood out. As Heimbeck explained,
“That anthology, published in the 1950s,
contained the article by Hughes, and I thought it
the best essay in the volume.”
Although Dr. Heimbeck’s first choice
for the Fulbright was Oxford, he said that New
Zealand was “by far the most profitable
educational experience
of my entire life.”
Heimbeck described
Hughes as a “first rate
philosophical thinker
and willing to give me
all the individual time I
wanted.” Heimbeck
not only had biweekly
sessions with Hughes and only six or seven
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others, but also regular one-on-one tutorials
with him every week for two to four hours.
Heimbeck’s sessions with Hughes were spent
sitting in a big easy chair facing a large window
with serene views of a cricket field, the
Wellington harbor below, and the Mt. Victoria
tram. “I watched the tram go up and down, I’d
watch George roll his tailor-mades, and we
would talk sometimes for four hours. It
transformed me.”
Dr. Heimbeck persuaded the Fulbright
people to apply the cost of steamship tickets to
New Zealand to round-the-world airplane
tickets for himself and his wife, which they had
exactly one year to use. They stopped in Hawaii
and Fiji while crossing the Pacific, and after
spending eight and half months in New Zealand,
they had to be back in the States by June 19,
1959. “That gave us 100 days to complete the
circumnavigation of the world,” said Heimbeck.
They had planned their itinerary to spend about
four days in each place they visited. This trip
included Australia, Indonesia, Singapore,
Bangkok, Rangoon, Calcutta, Delhi, Egypt,
Lebanon, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Athens, the
Balearic Islands, Berlin, and Denmark. “I didn’t
want it to stop,” said Heimbeck. “I just wanted
to see more of the world.” From Copenhagen
they continued their adventure by car, covering
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain.
“Around the world in 100 days,” Heimbeck
said, “at least around the world from New
Zealand.”
Fast forward to 1985, when Heimbeck
had a sabbatical year to travel in Asia. His plan
was to spend a third of the year in each of India,
China and Japan. While in China, he arranged to
stay in the Guesthouse for Foreigners of the
Anhui University, where CWU had an
established exchange program. “Anhui
University asked me to teach while I was there.
So I agreed to offer a course on Western Culture
and a course on the Bible. When I got to China I
just fell in love with the place. Everything was
so different, so fascinating. Americans then
were a rarity on the streets, usually attracting
crowds. I realized that three months in China
wasn’t going to be long enough.” He then
changed his plans to omit Japan, concentrating
instead on China and India, returning to both
countries five times since then.
When Heimbeck returned from India to
Anhui University in China to teach his Bible
course in the spring of 1986, he was going to
need Bibles for his students to read. He
therefore made contacts with two organizations
in Hong Kong, Gideons International and the
International Bible Society. They donated more
than one hundred Bibles, which Heimbeck
started distributing to his students. “The
humorous story about that,” Heimbeck
recounted, “is that my chairman called me one
night and said, ‘We’ve got a problem. I’ve just
been contacted by the authorities downtown
objecting to the distribution of Bibles. They
don’t want Chinese students polluted by this
foreign religion.’” Dr. Heimbeck chuckled as he
related his response, “Well, I’ve already given
out about 50.” He guaranteed that he was not
trying to convert, but simply to teach the Bible
objectively. “Even the party leaders downtown
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realized that if I were to teach a course on the
Bible as literature, not the Bible as dogma, I
jolly well needed Bibles, so they approved the
distribution I had made up to that point, but said
‘No more.’”
Enamored of both India and China, Dr.
Heimbeck repeated his program again in
1988/89: fall and spring in China, winter and
summer in India. “I made a point of finding out
all I could about the prominent religions in those
two giant nations, where possible taking part in
religious services,” said Heimbeck. He went to
Sri Lanka in the midst of a war, with armed
soldiers at every major intersection. There he
visited the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth
Relic in Kandy. This temple enshrines the
Buddha’s canine tooth.
In Colombo, during a full moon,
Sinhalese Buddhists gather in the temples.
“There isn’t a string of services or proceedings
going on,” Heimbeck clarified. “It’s just that
they hang out in the temple for the entire full
moon day. So I scouted out the biggest temple
in Colombo. While reclining there in the
shadows, it occurred to me that I could be
making better use of my time.” So Heimbeck
sought out the Abbot for an interview. “He
showed me something I’ll never forget.”
Heimbeck described how the Abbot handed him
a box which, when a bar on the front is pressed,
illuminates the image of the Buddha in
meditation. The Abbot explained that gazing at
the image would make a person one-pointed, or
in meditative state, in less than two minutes. “I
tried it,” Heimbeck said, “and it worked. I’ve
never seen anything like it.”
Dr. Heimbeck, on later trips, visited new
places and had new experiences each time. Here
are some of his most memorable recollections.
Our journey begins in India.
Dr. Heimbeck described two unusual
experiences he had with Hinduism. He described
the first as a visit to the Kali temple in Calcutta.
Kali is the Hindu goddess of destruction. “It was
the only time I’ve ever witnessed actual animal
sacrifice. They slit a goat’s throat. We weren’t
even supposed to be looking, but we were, and I
even got a picture of it.”
The second experience took place in the city of
Chidambaram in South India. “Shaivism, or the
worship of Lord Shiva, is very strong there.”
said Heimbeck, “In a gigantic gorgeous Shiva
temple, the main event of the week is a puja. It’s
a worship service unlike worship services in
Christianity or Judaism. An idol of the god is
showered by the priest with hospitality.”
Heimbeck detailed how the idol is ritualistically
bathed, fed, dressed, and entertained. In the
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15
services he witnessed, Heimbeck recalled, “A
choir of young boys was singing and a little
temple orchestra consisting of a drum and a
horn was playing. We watched one of the priests
perform puja on two objects, both symbolizing
Shiva. The first one was a lingam, shaped like a
phallus. This temple is filled with niches
containing stone phalluses. The lingam is
symbolic of creation, so what is being
worshipped is not the male sex organ but rather
the power of creation. The priest took a crystal
lingam about 8 inches tall. First he poured water
over it, then milk, then more water to wash off
the milk. Then he poured honey over it,
followed by water to wash it off. Meanwhile,
the runoff was bottled and sold for five rupees
per bottle (about 15 cents). After puja was
finished on the crystal lingam, it went back into
a box. Then out of another box was taken a
dancing Shiva, a very common image in
Shaivism. This Shiva was carved from a single
ruby the size of a big man’s hand. It got the
same treatment as the crystal lingam, that is, a
series of baths in water, milk, and honey.
“My most outstanding experiences with
Indian Buddhism,” recalled Heimbeck, “were
my two visits to the Mahabodhi Temple.”
Having originated in India, Buddhism was the
number one religion there for 600 years. By the
time of the Muslim invasions about 1000 CE, it
had vacated India and migrated into other areas
of Asia. But in the small town of Bodhgaya in
northeastern India, the remains of early
Buddhism can still be seen in the temple that
stands beside the sacred Bodhi Tree, the
birthplace of Buddhism. It was here that
Siddhartha Gautama, after meditating for 49
days, became the Buddha, or Enlightened One.
“When I went there in 1993, I couldn’t
find a hotel room; all were taken. The reason:
three thousand Tibetan Buddhist lamas filled
the town for a big event, and I just walked in on
it!” Heimbeck described a scene of the lamas in
their red robes, arranged on three sides of the
temple, 1,000 on each side. “They sat there in
silent meditation for world peace for 8 hours a
day for 3 days. It was impressive. And I just
walked in on it. I didn’t know it was going to
happen, and I didn’t plan to be there at that time.
It was just the luck of the draw.”
Dr. Heimbeck went on to describe his
experience with Jainism, an Indian religion in
which non-violence is a fundamental value.
“Not a big religion,” he said. “Even today only a
few million adherents.” He met some Jains in
Bihar State, where Bodhgaya exists, who invited
him to go with them on a Sunday morning to
have an interview with two Jain Sadhus, or holy
men, from the Sky Clad sect. “There are two
sects of Jainism – the White-Clad and the Sky16
Clad. The Sky-Clad go naked, exposing
themselves to the hardships of weather as a way
of discharging karma.” So Heimbeck and
friends took a highway to a side road, then the
side road until it ended. From there they walked
about two miles to a village inaccessible by
vehicle. In the village, they learned the Sadhus
had gone to visit another village but would
return. “We hung around, and sure enough, in
20 minutes or so, we looked off in the distance
and saw a little band of people walking toward
us, accompanied by musicians. In the midst
were the two naked Sadhus, both carrying
canisters containing tiny images of the 24
Tirthankaras, Jain saints.” The Sadhus entered a
hut in the village. One of them retreated to a
back room, because he was practicing Muni, or
silence, as an act of penance. The other Sadhu
was giving audience, answering questions, and
being sung to by a small choir of school
children.
The holiest site in Sikhism is the Golden
Temple of Amritsar, the capital of Punjab State.
“It is gorgeous,” Heimbeck exclaimed. “A small
two storied, gold covered temple situated in the
middle of a pool about 200 yards square,
surrounded by imposing white marble buildings
– just really stunning.” Access to the temple is
across a long bridge called the Guru’s Bridge,
which symbolizes the journey of the soul after
death.
Services continue throughout the day
and evening with musical accompaniment. “The
Sikhs make a big deal out of their sacred book,
the Adi Granth,” explained Heimbeck. “It’s
brought into the temple in the morning, placed
on several layers of special fabric, then
festooned with flowers. It is approached as
though it were itself a kind of a person. So it
gets clothed, it gets put to bed at night.”
“Meanwhile,” added Heimbeck, “in four
buildings surrounding the tank there are Sikh
elders who read the holy book in four-hour
shifts around the clock. It takes about two and a
half days for the book to be read through. And
there’s a loud speaker system on all four sides
of the tank, broadcasting the holy book 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. It’s always on the
airwaves. Just amazing.”
Also of interest nearby the Golden
Temple, the Sikhs feed thousands of people
each day for free in their Langar, a public
kitchen. “You can also stay for free in their
guesthouse,” said Heimbeck. “The people are
fed in shifts, entering through one door, seated
in long lines on the floor. Then runners pass
down the rows handing out plates, spoons and
cups. Next a water-bearer fills the cups. A
server fills each person’s bowl with vegetable
dahl. Another hands each person a small loaf of
bread. You’ve got 20 minutes to eat. Then you
pick up your dishes and exit rapidly through a
side door. Sikhism is the only religion I know
that gives so much away.”
Dr. Heimbeck’s retelling of his
experiences in China began with Confucianism.
“The epicenter of Confucianism in China is the
town where Confucius was born. It’s called
Qufu. In Qufu you find an enormous temple,
with nine gates, nine courtyards, and nine
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17
stunning buildings. The main temple has a
statue of Confucius and ancient musical
instruments, since Confucius was very fond of
music.”
Dr. Heimbeck visited Qufu three times, once for
the celebration of Confucius’s birthday. He and
his travel companion, a fellow teacher from
Anhui University, stayed in a hotel next to the
temple. That hotel was converted from the
mansion in which about 74 generations of
Confucius’s descendants had lived. “Every time
I’ve been to Qufu,” Heimbeck declared, “I’ve
stayed in this building, so I can say I’ve slept
where Confucius slept!” As luck would have it,
Heimbeck’s companion was writing articles
about her experiences in China for a Canadian
newspaper. As “members of the press” so to
speak, both she and Dr. Heimbeck not only got
into the temple’s big birthday celebration for
free, they also got front row seats. “The
ceremony began with a trumpet blast. Then
there was a knock on the main gate of the
temple, and the doors opened for a procession of
36 dancers, 36 musicians, and a party of about
10 officiants, who proceeded down the middle
of the main courtyard and took their positions
on the porch outside of the temple. The dancers
danced, the musicians played, and three papiermache animals were subjected to mock
sacrifice. “The third thing to see in Qufu,” said
Heimbeck, “was the famous man’s tomb.” In a
large cedar grove just outside of town stands the
resting place of Confucius and the generations
of his descendants. Lasting more than 2300
years, the Cemetery of Confucius holds the
longest line of descendants in the world.
Chinese Daoism was born on a small
mountain called Qingcheng Shan in Sichuan
Province. “I’ve visited there twice,” said
Heimbeck. “The first time, I approached the
temple at the top, a rotunda three stories high
containing an enormous bronze statue of Laozi
sitting on a water buffalo. I’d come there to see
that object. There was a Daoist monk standing
outside tending the temple. I jokingly asked
him, ‘Since Daoism preaches physical
immortality, are there any immortals living on
this mountain today?’ He looked at me rather
wryly, realizing my question was devious. He
said, ‘We have a monk who’s a hundred years
old!’ I chuckled, hoping for a different answer.”
“Chinese Buddhism has me enthralled,
fascinated by the beauty of its temples.” Dr.
Heimbeck has visited close to 75 Buddhist
temples in China, and been to all four Buddhist
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sacred mountains several times. “When in China
in 1993, I visited Xi’an, home of the terra cotta
warriors.
South of Xi’an, stand several Buddhist temples
that played an important role during the
founding period of Buddhism in China.” Dr.
Heimbeck rented a taxi and visited three of the
temples before tiring. His driver pressed him to
go on to see the fourth temple, promising he
would not be disappointed. “When I walked into
this temple,” Heimbeck said, “there were 500
novitiates standing robed, with freshly shaved
heads, waiting for the Abbot to enter and start
the initiation ritual. Five hundred of them –
monks and nuns – in the making. This was their
first day of being in holy orders, for them a
sensational experience.”
To experience Islam in China, Dr.
Heimbeck visited what was advertised as the
oldest mosque in East China, located in
Guangzhou. When he attempted to enter the
mosque, the gatekeeper denied him passage. He
said, “We don’t allow infidels here.” At that
moment, seven young men appeared at the gate
of the mosque. One of them addressed
Heimbeck in perfect English. He attempted to
convince the gatekeeper to admit Dr. Heimbeck
but was refused. So Heimbeck said, “There are
eight of us and one of him. Let’s just go in.” So
they swept him aside and entered. Once inside,
Heimbeck’s newfound friend tracked down the
Ahun (the leader of worship) and got Heimbeck
an interview. Heimbeck and the Ahun conversed
over tea and cookies, and Heimbeck expressed
his desire to witness the Friday noonday
prayers. In response, the Ahun invited him to
participate instead. “This had never happened
before,” Heimbeck declared. “I’d been to
numerous mosques where I’d stand in the back
or outside and simply observe. It’s the only time
I’d ever been invited to take part.”
Dr. Heimbeck’s final story had to do
with Chinese Folk Religion. “Ancient Chinese
religion,” Heimbeck explained, “is polytheistic
and makes a lot out of foretelling the future. It’s
forbidden in China today, considered by the
Communist Party to be superstition, not a
credible religion. The Chinese Communists
tolerate only what they consider to be
respectable religions - Daoism, Buddhism,
Islam, Confucianism, and Christianity. In
Taiwan, however, Dr. Heimbeck visited the
Dragon Mountain Temple in the ancient folk
tradition. This temple contained Buddhist
images in a building near the entrance, as well
as folk religious images in a row of shrines at
the back of the temple. Each of these shrines
housed the statue of a deity offering special
provisions, such as success in business or good
grades or conception for barren women. A
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variety of fortune-telling methods are practiced
there. “But the action inside the temple at
night,” Heimbeck noted, “had largely to do with
people burning paper money in order to send it
to their ancestors to use in buying their way
through the various trial courts in the afterlife.”
Dr. Heimbeck retired in 1999 but
continued to teach as Emeritus Professor for the
next eight years, then as an adjunct for two more.
When his employment at CWU concluded in
2009, Dr. Heimbeck’s teaching continued with a
series of public lectures on “Thought in History and
Culture,” bringing his interests in comparative
philosophy and religion into what he described as
“more or less a chronological treatment of the
development of philosophical ideas in Europe,
India, and China.” Dr. Heimbeck is currently
concluding his last class, on the subject of
“Systems of Yoga in India, China and the U.S.,”
taught this past year to a small local group of yoga
enthusiasts.
For anyone interested, the culmination of
Dr. Heimbeck's research in New Zealand can be
found in his book Theology and Meaning:
Critique of Metatheological Scepticism (Allen and
Unwin, 1969). His understanding of the major
schools of Indian and Chinese thought is
presented in Asian Philosophy (Pearson/Prentice
Hall, 2006), a book of readings he co-edited with
Forrest Baird of Whitworth College as Volume VI
of Baird's popular series, Philosophic Classics.
Anhui University, Faculty and Graduate Students of the Foreign Language Department, 1998.
Dr. Heimbeck: bottom row, 4th from right.
Photos courtesy of Hyakem, Central Washington State College Yearbooks,
Wikipedia Commons; and Dr. Raeburne Heimbeck.
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Summer 2012 Courses
Graphic Design Courtesy of Taylor Baker, Philosophy Major, Class of 2013
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy (online) with Dr. Apple Igrek
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy – Daily 12:30-2:00PM with Dr. Bradley Porath
PHIL 201 Introduction to Logic – Daily 9:10-10:40AM with Dr. Bradley Porath
PHIL 210 Current Ethical Issues (online) with Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann
PHIL 306 Environmental Ethics (online) with Dr. Apple Igrek
PHIL 378 Philosophy of Love (online) with Professor Karen Turcotte
PHIL 402 Ethics and Film (online) with Professor Karen Turcotte
RELS 101 World Religions (online) with Professor Karen Turcotte
RELS 201 Sacred Books of the World (online) with Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann
RELS 320 American Indian Spirituality (online) with Professor Sharron Connor
RELS 402 Religion and Film (online) with Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann
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Fall 2012 Courses
In addition to our standard repertoire of lower-division courses in philosophy and religious studies
(available at www.cwu.edu/philosophy), our faculty are offering the following upper division courses:
Graphic Design Courtesy of Taylor Baker, Philosophy Major, Class of 2013
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Spring Events 2012
Pre-Law Seminar at the University of Washington
On April 23, 2012, members of our newly formed Pre-Law Club attended a Pre-Law Seminar at
the University of Washington. Officially recognized late in this year’s winter term by Michael ‘Mac’
Brown (Philosophy) and Cody Bradbury (Political Science), the main goal for the Central Washington
University Pre-Law Association is to inform students interested in pursuing a legal education the best
way to go about achieving their goals. The club will function as a student sponsored support and
information center for the arduous process of applying to and attending law school. They see themselves
as providing an essential service to the students at Central by providing the resources essential to
successfully compete in the competitive selection process surrounding law school admissions. This trip
was one such resource.
Club Officers: President Mac Brown, Vice-President Corey Bradbury, Secretary Nidal Dirini, Treasurer
Chad Partridge, Senator Teah Hall. Club Advisor: Dr. Heidi M. Szpek. The club currently meets
Wednesday at 6:30-7:30 in SURC 271. Check back with the department in early fall 2012 about
changes in meeting times and officers, and a Law School Workshop.
Pre-Law Association students at UW Seminar: Levi Cohen, Josh Majerle, Corey Bradbury,
Nidal Dirini, Chad Partridge, Teah Hall, Michael Hoffman
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Music of Remembrance Concert
On April, 23, 2012, in conjunction with Holocaust Remembrance Day, our department, in
collaboration with the Center for Diversity and Social Justice and The Department of Music, welcomed
Seattle’s internationally renowned Music of Remembrance (www.musicofremembrance.org) for their
fourth in-residency concert. This year’s concert was entitled “Far is My Home,” featuring internationally
and regionally renowned artists Mikhail Shmidt, violin; Leonid Keylin, violin, Susan Gulkis Assadi,
viola; Mara Finkelstein, cello; Erich Parce, baritone; and Mina Miller, piano.
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MOR Artistic Director Mina Miller provided introductory remarks for this concert as well as
background commentary about each composer, emphasizing that together this year’s “works by
composers imprisoned in concentration camps created a program suffused with a longing to be
elsewhere. The Nazi propaganda machine attempted to portray Terezín as a model ghetto that
demonstrated the Third Reich's humane treatment of the Jews. In reality, inmates passed through
Terezín on their way to the death camps or succumbed there to starvation or disease. Remarkably, the
musicians and composers imprisoned there never ceased creating.” The program included Gideon
Klein's elegiac Fantasy and Fugue for string quartet, written during his imprisonment in Terezín, and
the wit and satire of Terezín’s cabaret songs. The performance also featured the work of the audaciously
original Erwin Schulhoff who was sent not to Terezín but to a camp in Bavaria, where he perished in
1942. Banned as “degenerate” by the Nazi regime, Schulhoff’s Five Pieces for String Quartet is
inflected with elements of jazz, folk music and dance.
Philosophy & Religious Studies Colloquium
On May 9, 2012, Dr. Cynthia Coe, Associate Professor & Director of
Women's & Gender Studies delivered a presentation of her research to a
packed audience of students and faculty. Dr. Coe’s talk, "Progressive History
and the Problem of Race," engaged the question: Can we believe that history is
progressive without also establishing a racial hierarchy? Hegel's version of
history contains both of these claims, by placing racial groups into different
stages of history (childhood, adolescence, maturity). The idea of progressive
history remains culturally powerful, whereas the concept of a racial hierarchy
has been abandoned, at least nominally. Dr. Coe examined whether the two
claims can be so easily disentangled in the contemporary context.
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From the Archives
Can you identify these alumni and faculty on the highway to Phnom Penh, Cambodia in March
2004? Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann is among those in assistance. Can you find Dr. Dippmann? Are you one
of these alumni or faculty? We’d love to hear from and about you! Send us your story or just a blurb
for our next newsletter!
This spring break trip to Southeast Asia in 2004 provided an introductory overview of the society and
economy of contemporary Cambodia and Vietnam. Participants began by visiting Siem Reap,
Cambodia. While there, students spent three days visiting the Angkor Wat Temple area, which is the
world's largest religious complex, built between the 9th and 13th centuries C.E. In conjunction with
the Center for Khmer Studies, participants had the rare opportunity to visit the sites in the company of
the internationally recognized specialist Michael Vickery. Students learned firsthand about the Khmer
history and "read" the detailed mythologies depicted on the Hindu and Buddhist temples of Angkor
Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Banteay Srei, the "Citadel of Women," among others. They then traveled to
Phnom Penh, where the focus shifted to Cambodia's modern history. In addition to visiting the Royal
Palace and several markets, students toured the Tuol Sleng Museum, which is dedicated to recognizing
the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, offered yet another
chance to tour a region rich in historical significance. Among the many sites visited were the Notre
Dame Cathedral, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, and numerous pagodas.
Contact us at: [email protected] or Dr. Heidi Szpek ([email protected]) or visit us on Facebook at Cwu
Phil-Religiousstudies
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