Junior Lauren Puplampu spent her photography trip this summer with the culture and people of Morocco.

In today’s society, there is a lot of stigma around the Islamic culture and people. Words are thrown around like “terrorist,” “extremist” and “radical” to describe people of Islamic faith. So when traveling to a primarily Islamic country, I expected some hostility towards my group of American travelers considering the vitriol coming from Western civilizations. But, I could not have been more wrong. The people I met during my two week trip to Morocco were curious about us and openly engaged us. While there, I met nomadic people, people who live in the desert and people who live in Rabat, their second-largest city. Every single one of them was amicable and warm-hearted, especially in the villages. When you go to a country as peaceful and calm as Morocco, you truly understand how absurd Islamophobia really is.