During the month of April, more than 60 percent of the freshman class participated in a field trip to either the Islamic Society of North America in Plainfield, IN, or to the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana on Indianapolis’ east side, as part of a new section of the Enduring Questions course on religious diversity in America. Students pictured here are at the mosque in Plainfield.
The goal fo Enduring Questions is to engage students with fundamental questions of humanity from multiple perspectives while fostering a sense of community.
Sister Habibe Ali leads a question and answer session.
Professor of Religion and History Robert Royalty (left) talks with Trashan Clemons '21 inside the mosque. Clemons said, 'It was a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend it just to get you outside of what you are used to. To get a new feel for things and a greater appreciation for others.'
Ali gave a presentation on Islam before students observed a service.
The quilt displayed here is the result of a childrens' art project.
The presentation proved to be a worthy learning experience.
The session included Wabash students and members of the surrounding community.
Professor Royalty and studnets engage with a woman at the mosque who's son has Wabash as one of his college choices...a nice coincidence.
Students talk following the service.
The visits came on Fridays or Saturdays in April.
One of the perks of visiting the Hindu Temple was the opportunity to have lunch prior to their tour. Of the lunch, Daniel Cuevas '21 said,'. The lunch was spicy. It's a cuisine I’ve never tried before, but I liked it.'
The Hindu Temple of Central Indiana is unique to the world because it features about 20 deities in that single location. Most Hindu temples do not.
Vasanthi Vasudevan led students on an engaging tour.
Jacob Kessler '21 said, 'I was looking forward to this (visit) when I first heard about it. The opportunity in itself is awesome.'
Brandon Bowell '21 said of his visit to the temple, 'For me, this trip was a life changing experience. I didn’t really know anything about Hinduism before our trip; I had a few misconceptions, but our guide cleared everything up for me. I felt like I learned so much about Hinduism on this trip and it made me gain a lot of respect for those people. Whenever we walked in I honestly felt really weird, kind of like I was intruding on their space. After we ate I felt much better about being there and everyone I interacted with was very kind to me. The tour was absolutely amazing and everything that our guide explained made so much sense to me. I think the biggest thing that I took away from this trip was how influential immersing yourself in a different culture or religion can be. This trip was probably the highlight of my Wabash career so far, and I can’t wait to take more immersion trips.'
Of the visits, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Anne Bost said, 'For me, it’s a chance to communicate with other people and to come together and really appreciate where they are coming from, and to have our students do that too. I appreciated the welcome.'
Michele Pittard, Associate Professor of Educational Studies, mentioned a meaningful quote from a book that EQ students recently read -- Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson -- relaying, 'You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance . . . You have to get close.' Accoring to her, 'The trip my class took to the Islamic Society of North America did just this – it got them close to people who follow a religion that may have seemed pretty far from their own experiences.'
A view of the Hindu sanctuary from the entrance hall.
Vasanthi Vasudevan takes questions before leading the students into the sanctuary.
A simple reboot of Enduring Questions (EQ) may have impacted students more directly than anticipated.
EQ is a required freshman colloquium offered during the spring semester. The goal is to engage students with fundamental questions of humanity from multiple perspectives while fostering a sense of community.
Over the last few weeks, students in the colloquium have visited the mosque at the Islamic Society of North America in Plainfield, IN, as well as the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana on Indianapolis’ east side.
“You can find a lot of middle ground when you make the effort to go and understand things from their perspective,” said Jacob Kessler ’21, who made the trip to the mosque. “I really enjoyed seeing the community from the inside.”
The idea for the visits came from efforts to freshen up the course content. Previously, EQ centered on themes of food and sustainability, but faculty decided to shift the focus to American religious diversity.
Piloted last year by religion and history professor Robert Royalty, new texts have students reading about religious diversity, about problems faced in the legal system, and about the communities they are visiting. The experience of observing the mosque and temple are a cap to the lesson.
“The idea sticks with the spirit of EQ, about living in the world, about community, and whether we’re talking about sustainability or religious diversity, we want students to learn more about the community, especially first-year students,” said Royalty. “We want them to know what’s out there, to get them off campus and think about real practical problems and issues.”
The visits lend themselves to differing experiences, as students identify the similarities and differences from their own religious backgrounds. With Islam being one of three Abrahamic religions with its roots in Jerusalem (joining Judaism and Christianity), there are commonalities to the lessons in the Quran and how services begin and end.
Hinduism gives something slightly different. Generally, Hindus see God in everything. They don’t see many gods, they see God in many forms. The Hindu Temple in Indiana is unique in that it represents about 20 deities in that single location.
“The reality of getting close like this has the power to help students understand and ultimately to think more carefully and thoughtfully about multiple perspectives,” said Michele Pittard, Associate Professor of Educational Studies. “I hope it’s the experience of being close that sticks with them.”
For the students visiting the mosque, the Islamic Call to Prayer was a thought-provoking moment.
“It was fascinating,” Trashan Clemons ’21 said. “I enjoyed seeing people from all different backgrounds coming together in harmony. The Call to Prayer reassured me that no matter our differences, we are all meant to live peacefully among one another.”
Freshman Daniel Cuevas said the visit to the Hindu Temple had immediate benefits, helping him realize the similarities that reside within different faiths. Getting off campus allowed him to see those similarities much more clearly.
“Many people with different backgrounds or religions actually share a lot of things,” he said. “We’re all in this together, it’s not as separate as people make it seem to be. I was glad to visit and feel a bit more thoughtful and well-rounded because of it.”
Observation and contemplation can be powerful tools for students of any age.
“The message of compassion, of peace, of giving, and generosity that we heard today, these are universal themes,” said Professor of Psychology Preston Bost. “We’re so used to shouting that one of the best ways to grow is to do just what we did today, to sit in quiet contemplation and observation, and to hear what somebody is saying.”