When world religions unite
The Saratoga Ministerial Association is hosting an interfaith celebration on Saturday in Blaney Plaza.
The Rev. Erik Swanson, a pastor at Westhope Presbyterian Church, started organizing the Celebration of Light in 2016 in response to the political division that arose from President Donald Trump’s first term. After noticing that many religions around the world used light as a symbol for the divine, he came up with the event to bring people together and celebrate unity among religious sects.
“Because it’s been so divisive for so long, we absolutely need times and traditions and words and symbols that bring us together for our common humanity, for the healing of the world, for the healing of our communities. We must find ways of coming together,” Swanson said. “Unfortunately, religion has been used throughout the generations for an opposite thing: to divide us, to keep power, but that’s not what it’s about. I think the heart of each religion really is love.”
The event will take place at Blaney Plaza at 6 p.m. Four large symbols of the major world religions — Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism — will be lit up as choirs from Saratoga schools sing holiday songs. Leaders from the four religions will also give some explanations about the symbols. Mayor Belal Aftab is also expected to offer some words at the event.
“I would encourage people to come and give it a chance,” Swanson said. “Come and give it a chance to see how well world religions can work together when they try. Come find your own voice in the many voices that will present. Come find meaning in the symbols. Come to find hope in a time that can be a little dark right now.”
Counselor joins college admissions board
A Saratoga High School counselor was elected to serve on the executive board of an organization that guides students and their families through the college admissions process.
Sierra Ward is the college and career specialist at Saratoga High School. She was elected to a three-year term on the executive board of the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling. The professional organization is the largest regional chapter of the national Association for College Admissions Counseling and represents over 2,255 members, which consist of high school counselors, college admissions representatives and independent educational consultants.
Ward will serve as chair-elect of the association’s College Fairs Committee starting this year. Next year, she will lead the committee, which organizes and oversees 25 to 30 major college fairs each year throughout California and Nevada. This will be Ward’s second time serving on the association’s executive board; she was the chair of the membership committee from 2017 to 2019.
Ward is one of the only members on the association’s executive board who currently works in a public high school, according to a press release. She has three decades of college admissions and counseling experience, stemming from when she began attending college fairs as a volunteer admissions representative for her college, Bucknell University, in 1996.