Quakers warm up to friends, not oatmeal
Gaurie Tilak
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: Features
College students strapped for time may start their mornings with a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal. But as the many Brown students who attended Quaker high schools can attest, there is more to Quakerism than hot breakfast cereal.
Quaker schools differ from other private schools in a number of ways, but students said the most defining difference is the unique attitude toward faith and community. Quakerism, which is officially called the Religious Society of Friends, is an offshoot of Christianity that emphasizes personal faith over strict creeds and religious hierarchy.
"What I loved most about it was meeting for worship," said Caroline Landau '09, who attended the Friends Seminary in Manhattan. Landau, who is Jewish, said her entire school would meet twice a week for 25 minutes at a time and sit in silence, which Quakers refer to as "Meeting for Worship." Students who felt particularly inspired would spontaneously rise and speak their minds.
"It's not uncommon for people to speak out," Landau said, adding that there is a certain etiquette to speaking during a meeting. "You're not supposed to respond directly to other people."
The length and frequency of meeting for worship varies by school. Sanjay Bhatt '11, who attended the Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, N.J., said his school met once a week for an hour at a time. Bhatt said at his school, which enrolls students from preschool through the twelfth grade, the length of worship meetings gradually increased as students grew older. Younger students only meet for fifteen to twenty minutes while high school students meet for about one hour.
Students said their schools also fostered strong relationships between schoolmates, and even teachers.
"It was a really tight-knit community," Gabrielle Greenfield '10 said of her school, the Sandy Spring Friends School in Sandy Spring, Md.
A key component of this community-oriented atmosphere is public service. Carolyn Tilney '11 said her high school, Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, Pa., promoted community projects. "The area isn't a very good neighborhood," she said.
Quaker schools differ from other private schools in a number of ways, but students said the most defining difference is the unique attitude toward faith and community. Quakerism, which is officially called the Religious Society of Friends, is an offshoot of Christianity that emphasizes personal faith over strict creeds and religious hierarchy.
"What I loved most about it was meeting for worship," said Caroline Landau '09, who attended the Friends Seminary in Manhattan. Landau, who is Jewish, said her entire school would meet twice a week for 25 minutes at a time and sit in silence, which Quakers refer to as "Meeting for Worship." Students who felt particularly inspired would spontaneously rise and speak their minds.
"It's not uncommon for people to speak out," Landau said, adding that there is a certain etiquette to speaking during a meeting. "You're not supposed to respond directly to other people."
The length and frequency of meeting for worship varies by school. Sanjay Bhatt '11, who attended the Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, N.J., said his school met once a week for an hour at a time. Bhatt said at his school, which enrolls students from preschool through the twelfth grade, the length of worship meetings gradually increased as students grew older. Younger students only meet for fifteen to twenty minutes while high school students meet for about one hour.
Students said their schools also fostered strong relationships between schoolmates, and even teachers.
"It was a really tight-knit community," Gabrielle Greenfield '10 said of her school, the Sandy Spring Friends School in Sandy Spring, Md.
A key component of this community-oriented atmosphere is public service. Carolyn Tilney '11 said her high school, Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, Pa., promoted community projects. "The area isn't a very good neighborhood," she said.