This is a guest post by Clare Milliken, a UW-Madison undergraduate majoring in journalism. She recently published a story about the Muslim student community on campus in the Isthmus newspaper.

Working as a reporter opens your eyes to the world, allowing you an intimate look into others’ lives, cultures, and experiences. Never have I appreciated this ability as much as I did writing on UW’s Muslim community.

I began my research on a December Thursday at the Muslim Students Association meeting at Memorial Union. I tried, as much as possible, to immerse myself in Muslim students’ lives, from musical tastes to prayer practices. After 20 interviews, secondary research, and my first Friday service at a local mosque, I began writing the piece in the hopes of granting other people this “reporter’s window.” Continue reading →