WHY ARE YOU YOU? cover art

WHY ARE YOU YOU?

WHY ARE YOU YOU?

By: Linden Tree Productions
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WHY ARE YOU YOU? started as a feature documentary that explores the history of the Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) community where adolescents discovered their true selves and were empowered to make positive change in the world. Forty years after the program's inception, those former participants reflect on how being a part of the program shaped them and still informs their lives. YRUU, established in 1983, grew out of the Unitarian Universalists’ rich tradition of religious youth education. It was disbanded in 2008.

Now WHY ARE YOU YOU? is a documentary, a published Mugbook, a host to many community gatherings and a podcast.

The documentary-making process involves trimming a lot of content from interviews. Our aim was transparency, so every recorded interview will be aired as an episode along with new voices.


Hosted by: Lindsay Caddle LaPointe, Dawn MacKechnie and Naomi Kooker

The content of this oral history interview is personal, experiential, and interpretive. It relies on the memories and perceptions of the narrator and should not be understood as statements of fact. If you would like to clairify something that you heard please reach out to us and we will pass your message along to the narrator.

Copyright 2026 All rights reserved. Spirituality
Episodes
  • Lisa Feldstein

    Lisa Feldstein
    May 20 2026

    Lindsay recently caught up with Lisa Feldstein for another perspective on the Common Ground process and what it was like to work in the LRY Office.

    www.whyareyouyou.org
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Hank Pierce

    Hank Pierce
    May 13 2026

    Hank Peirce’s name came up at the very beginning of this project as someone we should consider talking to.

    He tells the story of how the name Young Religious Unitarian Universalist, with the acronym YRUU came to be. But listen closely because he doesn’t take credit for coming up with the idea but rather was the messenger to the group.

    Later on in the process we received an email from someone who remembers a young woman had presented the name YRUU during the first Common Ground session. It wasn’t until the second Common Ground session that they decided on a name. It is unclear if that young woman was even in attendance then.

    Hank of course has many amazingly fascinating anecdotes. So buckle up!

    www.whyareyouyou.org
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    48 mins
  • Sam Ames

    Sam Ames
    May 6 2026

    Lindsay ended up doing a solo trip to Washington DC where she met with a few folx for interviews. Sam Ames was one of them. They met in a strange hotel right by a busy highway. Sam was so trusting of Lindsay to be in this weird place with framed pictures of squirrels and a small circular cushion that Lindsay sat on to listen to them.

    www.whyareyouyou.org

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    1 hr and 38 mins
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