Unity, love, and peace are the focus of several events happening on campus this September. Many people have worked together to make these events a reality and to make a difference in the lives of students on campus.
“These are some of ways that we hope to not only improve campus climate but also to give people skills on how to love amid differences, to be with one another across the divides, and to be part of the healing and peace that we all seek,” said the Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel, chaplain of the college.
Meet Me at the Peace Pole: The first of many peace pole meetings took place Sept. 6 at 8:45 a.m. at the Peace Pole outside of Allee Chapel. The five-minute meeting will take place every Tuesday throughout the school year. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to attend. Participants are encouraged to name, in five words or less, places in the world in need of healing or places displaying goodness and beauty.
9/11 Inter-Spiritual Service for National & Global Healing: At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept.11, Cornell College will hold a service for the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The event takes place outside of Allee Chapel at the Peace Pole, which was placed in its current location on campus on the first anniversary of the attacks.
“We come together in this interspiritual observance to recommit ourselves to compassion, goodwill, interreligious understanding, healing, and hope,” said Quehl-Engel.
The event will also mark the kick off of a 50 Day Compassion Meditation Challenge. Anyone is welcome to attend. The 9/11 service is sponsored by Cornell’s Social Justice Initiative: Civic Engagement, Intercultural Life, and Spiritual Life.
The Rev. Julius Trimble Visits for All-Campus Convocation: The United Methodist Church Bishop will speak on diversity, equity, civility, and inclusion at this critical time in our nation’s history. The event takes places at 11:10 a.m. on Sept. 22 in King Chapel. Due to space concerns, this event is only open to students, faculty, and staff.
Be the Peace: United Nations International Day of Peace: Students are invited to make origami peace cranes, engage in compassion meditation, and make Hope Floats root beer floats on Sept. 21 at 11:30 a.m. on the Ped Mall for the International Day of Peace.
Sustained Dialogue: During the first block break, Cornell College will resume a program and student organization that started on campus a few years ago. According to its website, the Sustained Dialogue program helps people to transform conflictual relationships and design change processes around the world. Students, faculty, or staff interested in taking part in the Sustained Dialogue retreat weekend during the first block break can contact Katie Wilson in the Civic Engagement Office at Kwilson@cornellcollege.edu. Those participants will become facilitators for other events throughout the year that promote dialogue on campus.
“We are bringing in trainers. This is a model that is based on international conflict-resolution techniques. So, these students are going to learn how to talk about difficult topics, whether it’s race, religion, gender—you name it. How do we go beyond the surface level to really talk with one another, amid our deeply held differences of opinion?” said Quehl-Engel.
For more information on any of these events, contact Cornell College Director of Public Relations Jill Hawk at 319.895.4232 or jhawk@cornellcollege.edu.