You may have skimmed our lists of 30 things to do before you turn 30. See the complete list all at once and learn more about each item, with additional resources, links and photos. Read the rest of this entry »
Navigating the twists and turns of interfaith marriage
If dating someone of a different faith is tricky, then marrying someone of a different faith can be downright difficult and problematic. Whether a couple about to enter into matrimony is Catholic and Jewish, or Muslim and Mormon, or Buddhist and Protestant, uniting the traditions, cultures and beliefs of two people, and two families, is undeniably complex.
The Gay Generation Gap
How have attitudes towards gays and lesbians changed in the 40 years since the Stonewall Riots? Bill Rydwels, 76, who has been living with HIV for 25 years, explains. Read the rest of this entry »
Food, faith and bacon (now there’s a holy trinity!)
There are Hindus who haven’t set foot in a temple in a decade, but still refuse to order a burger. And Muslims who smoke and drink, but won’t eat a pork chop. And Jews, like 25-year-old Stacey Banchek, who hasn’t attended synagogue services regularly since she moved to Washington D.C. a few years ago, but still picks bacon bits out of her Cobb salad, piece by piece. Read the rest of this entry »
Forming community – online and offline
Coming of age in the 21 Century, my adolescent years were defined by experiences and interactions with the online communities I joined during my formative years. There’s been no denying the extreme power that the Internet and technology have had while I attended high school, college, and even graduate school today.
Moving to the motherland: Finding work and community in Korea
The end of August marks a special anniversary for 25-year-old Linda Kye. She will have lived and worked in Korea for one year. It will most likely be the beginning of a few more years of her sojourn in the motherland.
Kye moved to Seoul from her hometown Vienna, Va., after graduating from college and working at World Vision. She needed a change of scene.
“I wanted to live overseas and the job opportunity I had to teach English at a public school offered an ideal living situation,” she said. Read the rest of this entry »
The art of salvation: Kirsten’s creative life and Christian call
Much like her hipster friends and fellow art majors, Kirsten Aho relied on Salvation Army stores for hand-me-downs: clothes, college furniture and craft supplies. But as a 23-year-old soldier in the Salvation Army, she has a much deeper, lifelong connection to the international church and charity organization. Read the rest of this entry »
Despite Khan-troversy, Bollywood ‘Badshah’ keeps his cool
By now you may have heard the story of how Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, also known as ‘King Khan,’ was questioned by airport security for 66 minutes (previous reports say two hours) at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday. Khan’s name reportedly appeared on a security checklist, and he wasn’t released until after Indian diplomats intervened.
Mapping out Marfa
For many graduates, the first years after college are the time to figure out the direction their lives will take. Some find themselves in places such as New York City, Portland, or Austin.
But for others, there is Marfa, Texas.
Read the rest of this entry »
Sing it loud, Shift!
We’re doing some pretty sick stuff over here at Shift, so it’s no surprise that we approach reporting and crafting stories in new and unique ways. Sure, we’ve got attention-grabbing photos, stellar video and kickass text, but throw in a theme song written and recorded by a reporter and her band, and you’ve got the unique experience that is Shift.
I play bass and sing in a Chicago-based band called Grammar, and we spent one week this summer writing, recording, mixing and mastering a tune that incorporates some of the central themes of our work here at Shift: Entering adulthood, trying new things and being independent. It was a stressful week – we had two separate documentary filmmakers following us, we spent 26 hours of our weekend in a studio and we drank way, way too much caffeine to be healthy. But it was also a lot of fun, full of inside jokes, delicious Mexican food and talented friends willing to lend a hand.
Without further ado, we present our musical take on being young, educated and diverse in America. Keep reading after the jump for goofy session pics and shout outs to everyone who made this possible.
Punk and pious: Muslim-American rockers’ unconventional Islam
The notion of Muslim punk rock may seem like a mishmash of cultures. Profanity-laden lyrics come after the religion’s traditional greeting, “Salaam aleikum.” Melodic Middle Eastern strumming punctuates noisy guitar feedback. Muslims style their purple- and red-dyed hair into mohawks and show off Arabic-scripted tattoos.
But for the second-generation Americans leading this contemporary cultural movement, Muslim punk isn’t just an irreverent juxtaposition. Read the rest of this entry »
Hindi lyrics + Western jazz = A love song
Gaurav Venkateswar has been writing music since he was 13 years old. He began playing the keyboard at 6. In the third grade he started piano lessons, and in the fourth he started singing. “I really didn’t want to learn to sing,” Gaurav, now 27, said. “I was very shy. I was kind of pushed into doing it and didn’t really resist.”
Preview: Muslim-American voices
With college behind them, today’s Muslim-Americans tiptoe toward adulthood and find themselves in a position different from their immigrant parents and even those born in the United States decades before them.
This generation, now in their 20s, grew up amid Muslim student organizations, contemporary Islamic teachings and the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Read the rest of this entry »
The Big Ten: The Young & Jewish Edition
Challah back! This week’s topics are service-attendance, intermarriage and religious identity among Jews in their 20s.
Dreamers: Undocumented young adults face uncertainty
by Melina Kolb
PHOTOS BY MELINA KOLB
He did all the right things—made good grades, applied to college, graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in architecture. But when it came to finding a job, Luis, 24, was hit with the reality that he was not a legal resident of the United States.
He has been working three years in a sandwich shop.
“You go up, but you’re still stuck,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
