This weekend, three Wesleyan students -- Zahna Bigham, Monica Mohanty, and Ei Ei Naing -- traveled with Tyler Schwaller, assistant professor of religious studies and chaplain, to Nashville, Tennessee, for a conference on the future of interfaith engagement on college campuses. Hosted by the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the conference brought together college administrators, professors, chaplains, and students. The gathering provided a fruitful opportunity to learn from others and to brainstorm ways to lift up Wesleyan's religious diversity as part of the College's broader diversity and inclusion efforts. Senior Monica Mohanty volunteered to join the panel on the last day of the conference, sharing insights she has gained from her time at Wesleyan.
The group also took time out of the conference to participate in Nashville's March for Our Lives, joining with hundreds of thousands across the country in the student-led movement to end gun violence. In the words of Dr. Schwaller, "Wesleyan students aren't content simply to talk but are moved to act. In Nashville, our students represented the best of Wesleyan. They showed deep wisdom in their understanding of the urgency of inter-religious understanding, and they were bold in using their voices to call for justice and safety for all."