Author Archives: Samira
The power of the as-if space: memes, mourning, and Ryan Gosling
My Brain Tumor Deserves a Hashtag: the third spaces of online coping
How the haters and atheists stole Christmas (and what to do about it)
Nobody puts baby Jesus in a corner. by Deborah Whitehead Former child star, actor and producer Kirk Cameron’s story is by now familiar to many: he rose to fame as […]
Real Religion? Questions of authenticity in “Meet the Mormons”
By: Deborah Whitehead “Meet the Mormons,” an 80 minute documentary-style film profiling the lives of six Mormons around the globe, opened in theaters nationwide on October 10. The film premiered with […]
How becoming #BFFs with Kim Kardashian taught me about online engagement, identity and third spaces
This summer I stumbled upon a dangerous addiction. It was a strange universe where Kim Kardashian was my spontaneous best friend, fame was on the other side of a cute […]
I’ll show you my selfie if you show me yours
The American Psychiatric Association recently came to the conclusion that the act of taking a selfie is a Mental disturbance. I learned of this while perusing on Facebook, looking through […]
Religion in the gym? Cultivation of CrossFit culture in the third space
As a former group fitness instructor, I am well versed in the token, trite phrases we use to motivate amateur athletes in their everyday pursuits towards physical fitness. Within this […]
Faith and Politics: From Aslan to Trayvon
Reza Aslan is well known for his work on religion. His book No God but God was a best seller and his most recent work, Zealot: The Life and Times […]
Turning our back on God: the gun control debate obsolete in the eyes of the faithful?
Gun control has been all the rage in the news lately. Background checks, bipartisan discussion and mental health have been prominent in the news coverage of the debates on gun […]