Learn more about the AHA’s summer interns in the Communications and Organizing departments!
What drew you to humanism?
Arunmoy Das, Communications Intern: What drew me to humanism was its emphasis on a rational and empathetic worldview. It aligns well with the values I developed growing up and care about, like compassion, equality and service.
Carleigh Heckel, Organizing Intern: I was introduced to humanism at Georgetown in “Problem of God,” our required theology class. I thought the idea was interesting, and the values expressed in the Humanist Manifesto resonated with me. A while later, I found myself at a Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation, and found that it gave me the music and the community that I needed without requiring me to recite a creed professing my belief in God. From there, I started exploring more, which led me to the AHA internship! I’m passionate about building values-based communities that do justice, and I’m looking forward to supporting the AHA and its chapters and affiliates this summer.
Did you grow up in a traditional religious faith? How did it impact you?
Arunmoy Das
Das: While my family is technically Hindu, neither of my parents were particularly religious. They emphasized respect and compassion over prayer or scripture. This gave me the opportunity to explore my faith on my own terms. Over the past few years, I have explored Hinduism independently and grown to appreciate certain aspects of it. I see Hinduism more as a “philosophy” than a traditional religion – a framework for critically evaluating life on my own terms.
Heckel: I was raised in a progressive Lutheran church, and I feel very fortunate to have been insulated from conservative Christianity. The two things I really liked about it were singing with other people and doing community service, but I always struggled with the idea of God and never felt comfortable with weekly recitation of the Apostles’ Creed, the doctrine of the Trinity or the emphasis on miracles. I appreciate that the church taught us to love all people, and I have good memories of friendships and the children’s choir.
I joke that it’s only natural that I ended up UU – it’s music and social justice and community without the creeds or the requirement to believe in God. I also appreciate how we find wisdom from a variety of the world’s traditions. I’ve come to have a greater appreciation for the good in the Christian tradition as a result of having the space to appreciate it as myth and ritual without the constant pressure to have faith. I find it freeing to have community that lets me find and lean into a sense of wonder and awe without needing to subscribe to specific claims about the supernatural.
What are you studying?
Das: I am a rising sophomore at George Washington University, where I major in International Affairs and minor in Journalism.
Carleigh Heckel
Heckel: I’m majoring in Economics with a minor in History, but I’ve also really appreciated the opportunity to explore the liberal arts at Georgetown and have taken lots of classes outside of those disciplines!
What book has influenced you the most?
Das: I would say “Midnight’s Furies” by Nisid Hajari, a non-fiction book that tells the story of India’s Partition in 1947. The book opened me to how powerful non-fiction storytelling can be. History can feel distant at times, made up mere facts, events or numbers to memorize. “Midnight’s Furies” makes history personal. It humanizes the masses who suffered during the Partition. I would say this book first sparked my interest in becoming a journalist. I want to tell stories that demystify the “other” and reveal the innate humanity within us all.
Heckel: I had a really difficult time answering this question (and spent a while scrolling my Goodreads) because I’ve read and been shaped by so many books. I recently read Karen Van Fossan’s memoir “A Fire at the Center,” focusing on her involvement in the Water Protector movement, and it really impacted the way I think about activism, abolition and organizing, and what it means to be in authentic relationship with ourselves, the land and indigenous people.
If you could have dinner with any three people in the world (living or dead), who would they be and why?
Das: I would say Rowan Atkinson, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. In my opinion, they are comedy legends, and I would love to learn what they are like outside their roles.
Heckel: I think I would go with Octavia Butler, AOC and Clara Barton. I’ve loved Octavia Butler’s books, and I think AOC’s perspective on American politics and society is brilliant. I spent a chunk of the fall doing research on Clara Barton in collaboration with the historic site, and I would love to ask her the questions I dug through archives in an attempt to answer!