WSU prof: It’s all about awareness

PULLMAN — There’s power in reclaiming life’s hardest experiences; Tracy Simmons should know, after a defining moment in her story shaped her career path.

The Washington State University assistant professor was brought up in an Albuquerque, N.M., cult. Most of her life, she said, was sheltered.

But that didn’t stop her from asking questions about alluring yet unfamiliar societies.

“It’s interesting, I didn’t feel like I was very separate from people even though I was very shielded,” Simmons said. “We were definitely taught that anyone who believed differently than us weren’t saved.”

She said she had always been curious how others lived, like why her Hindu neighbor’s house always smelled so good.

“I always thought they were so interesting and I wanted to learn more about them,” Simmons said. “But my parents would make fun of them, and that never sat well with me.”

She made it her life’s mission to understand other’s narratives and share their accounts with the world. What started as a job at her high school paper evolved into award-winning religion reporting.

Simmons has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Religious Communicators Council, Lion Publishers and other organizations, according to the WSU Edward R. Murrow College of Communication’s website.

She also founded the digital startup, FāVS News, which covers religion news in the Spokane area.

Over the years, Simmons has covered topics like religious extremism and Christian-Muslim relations, as well as reported in disasters like the Haiti earthquake of 2010. She’s most passionate about highlighting religious experiences.

“My upbringing absolutely influenced what I do today,” Simmons said. “I have a view that we should really get to know people in our communities because if I can understand their culture and their beliefs, those barriers get broken down and they become my neighbors rather than my Hindu neighbors.”

The past several years, Simmons has taught at universities including Gonzaga, the University of Idaho and WSU.

“Regardless of what class I teach,” Simmons said. “I try to show real-world examples.”

Her most recent development was the Religion Reporting Project, a WSU program that began during the 2022-23 academic year, to introduce students to religion, culture and a certain level of sensitivity while interacting with diverse groups.

The project began as an extracurricular course that became a one-credit class this past semester. Students have the opportunity to visit sacred spaces in the area, discuss held beliefs and write about their experiences. Simmons said their stories have been published in the Spokesman-Review newspaper of Spokane, and nationally in Religion Unplugged.

This year the group visited the Islamic Center of Spokane, the Temple Beth Shalom in Spokane, the Hindu temple Pullman Ashram, and the Monastery of St. Gertrude, in Cottonwood, according to the Religion Reporting Project website.

Simmons said the program was well-received, and she was impressed with how interested students were in religion. She added along with delving into other’s practices, students also learned the importance of cultural literacy.

“It’s really important to be aware that there’s so much more to our communities,” Simmons said. “If we take the time to understand the people around us, it helps humanize other people. And if we can start to understand one another, I think we can respect each other a little better.”

She said the field trips were a favorite among the students, and the people they visited enjoyed them too.

“Some of my favorite parts were seeing how inspiring the students were to the people we’re visiting,” Simmons said. “The monks and nuns were like, ‘We feel so inspired by the students just knowing they’re genuinely interested in learning about different religions and cultures. It gives us hope for the next generation.’”

Simmons said she plans on continuing the project, and it will be offered again in the fall 2024 semester. She added programs like this are crucial to journalism and young reporters by instilling sensibility.

“If we can teach students to have a basic religious understanding, their stories will be a lot more credible,” Simmons said. “We have a lot of power as journalists and having respect for others can go a long way.”

Learn more about the Religion Reporting Project by visiting murrowreligionreportingproject.com.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.