On Oct. 6 and 7, Hamline students will have engaged in the Multifaith Retreat hosted by the Wesley Center. Zan Christ, Coordinator of Religious and Spiritual Life Programs, hoped the retreat would create community on campus.

“The point of this retreat is there are so many world religions… it is important to learn about everyone in the world to understand and celebrate them,” Christ said.

The Multifaith Retreat was predominantly led by Wesley Center student leaders who lead various organizations on campus.

“I will be leading a session on the subject of the ‘Shared Value of Service’ where we will be intensively looking at service and how it is seen through the lens of various faiths and learn how

we as citizen students can contribute to the common good and benefit our community,” said Dieu Do, sophomore and co-leader, along with junior KT Cahow, of Multifaith Alliance.

Do’s session mirrored the purpose of her organization which is to expose students to different faiths whether religious, non-religious or spiritual.

“My dream is for this event to become annual and… more students will attend… because I believe this retreat gives students the opportunity to explore new ideas and perspectives as well as meet and connect with fellow students who are making a powerful impact on our campus,” Do said.

Another student led session was on interfaith theater.

“[The session got]…people to try to reflect on times they were empathetic to people either in a religious or secular setting and how that can apply to interfaith literacy and cooperation,” Christ said.

The session specifically tied into the theme of the retreat: Empathy and Communication to Build Stronger Connections.

In addition to student led sessions, sophomore Frances Verner, co-leader of Better Together and new addition to the Wesley Center, led an icebreaker session for attendees. While Verner might not be leading a full session, she is still optimistic about what the retreat has to offer.

“I’m really looking forward to… my co-workers’ session; they have some really neat stuff in store,” Verner said. “I want it to be a lovely and educational experience for people who do go, and… for it to pique the interest of folks on campus who might not ordinarily give much thought to religious diversity.”

The retreat keynote speaker Femi Akinnagbe is an African American Buddhist leader.

“He brings minimum two different intersecting oppressions and tries to lift people up through social justice,” Christ said, “[We’re] trying to educate people that this world is a diverse place and you may or may not identify with a type of diversity, but you should know about it to be an educated person.”

Junior Elaina Tueffel is the leader of Hamline University Mindfulness and Meditation (HUMM) and will be leading a presentation on Buddhism, Meditation and the role it plays in everyday life which works well with the keynote speaker topics.

“My hope for this retreat going forward is that more people will take advantage of this opportunity next year,” Tueffel said. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, so take a leap, and maybe you’ll really enjoy yourself.”