As Elon community members converged on the area, Bollywood music played, colorful kites leaned against the brick wall of PBK commons, and hundreds of cups of colored powder lined a white tarp stained with splotches of pink and blue color.

The event opened with an educational presentation, reflections and stories shared by students, and a performance by Surtal, Elon’s Bollywood dance team. After a collective countdown, attendees tossed handfuls of brightly colored powder into the air, marking the official start of the celebration.

This year marked the 14th anniversary of Holi at Elon, a tradition led by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. The center’s mission is to support and engage the Elon community with the wisdom of the world’s religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions, and hosting celebrations like Holi is one way the Truitt Center creates opportunities for celebration, learning, connection, and shared experience.

Students from across backgrounds and identities participated, coming together through music, movement and the shared ritual of color throwing.

Multifaith interns Addison Anderson and Taylor Polonsky played a central role in shaping the program. In preparation, they spent time studying the history of Holi, its cultural and religious significance, and the symbolism of the colors used in the celebration.

“Planning our campus’s Holi celebration was a wonderful challenge for us,” shared Anderson. “Holi is incredibly different than many of the other celebrations we do, and it was important to us to make it the perfect welcome for Spring. Through our time learning and planning the event, my co-coordinator and I learned about the importance of the holiday for over a billion people around the world.”

This year, the celebration began well before the official color toss. Guests arrived early to enjoy Bollywood music, sample Indian appetizers, savor traditional sweets, and participate in hands-on activities such as coloring mandalas, creating rangoli, and applying mehndi (henna). The early energy carried through the afternoon, with dancing starting organically as the crowd gathered.

For members of the campus South Asian community, festivals like Holi and Diwali create a sense of belonging, community, and visibility.

Second year Multifaith intern Ahron Frankel, who helped plan Holi in 2025, and introduced kite-flying to the campus Holi celebration, shared their journey as a South Asian student on campus.

“When I first came to Elon, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome was the lack of desi students,” said Frankel. “It was very hard to find people that I could connect with on this part of my identity, and there were never any set spaces for the few of us that were here. However, I soon found out that Holi is one of our biggest campus events, which made all the difference. For the past 3 years, I have had the joy of bringing my friends to this celebration while listening to Bollywood tunes and celebrating the coming of spring.”

The Truitt Center’s festival series invited the campus community to experience cultures, traditions, and holidays other than their own, in intentionally shaped spaces that are both educational and celebratory. Members of the cohort of Multifaith Interns plan the festivals alongside Hillary Zaken, director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement.

The exploration of diverse worldviews is an essential part of an Elon education and helps prepare students to respectfully engage in dialogue across difference.  While the celebration of holidays like Holi are reflective of an authentic experience, they are also crafted as a means to teach about the values and practices of the Hindu community.

“Before you celebrate today, I want y’all to remember that this isn’t just about paint throwing,” explained Frankel to the crowd. “It holds deep cultural and religious significance for people across South Asia. In the diaspora, it’s a way to connect back home and ground ourselves in the culture we may rarely get to celebrate visibly.”

By the end of the event, participants left Speaker’s Corner covered in vibrant color, having engaged both the festive and educational dimensions of the holiday, and carrying that energy into the weekend ahead.

As Taylor Polonsky shared: “Holi is a reminder for everyone to take a moment and add some color and joy on your life during hard times, including impending exams or graduation.”

The celebration began with an educational program in the McBride Gathering space before moving outdoors to Phi Beta Kappa Commons for an evening of food, music, and henna. Elon’s Eid celebration is part of the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life’s festival series, religious programs that create space not only to mark holidays, but to deepen understanding of culture, meaning, traditions, and values.

Eid al-Fitr marks the conclusion of Ramadan, a month during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and gather for nightly meals known as iftars. Throughout the month, the Elon community participated in a range of Ramadan-related programs that offered opportunities to learn, build relationships, and share in these practices together.

This year’s Eid celebration reflected both growth and connection within the campus Muslim community.

“Here at Elon, this Ramadan has been especially meaningful,” said Elon Muslim Society President Adil Qadeer. “The Elon Muslim Society has grown so much over the years, and this year we saw that growth not just in numbers, but in connection. From on- and off-campus iftars to early Waffle House suhoors, to all of our events with friends from all kinds of backgrounds, this Ramadan truly felt like a community effort, and that’s what makes today even more special. Eid reminds us to be grateful for our faith, our families, and the communities we’re part of. It reminds us to celebrate, but also to reflect on who we’ve become and who we still want to be.”

The program opened with a welcome from Rev. Kirstin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, and an educational presentation from Truitt Center multifaith interns Omar Khamis and Bella Kuperman, who shared the history and traditions of Eid. Remarks followed from Associate Chaplain for Muslim Life Imam Shane Atkinson, and students Adil Qadeer and Huria Tahiry.

For many students, the event provided a sense of belonging that extended beyond campus.

“Working on Eid al-Fitr as a Muslim multifaith intern was an amazing opportunity to learn how my fellow Muslim colleagues celebrate,” said Multifaith Intern Omar Khamis, who helped plan the program. “Meeting with students and faculty and learning about their traditions to get a pulse on how to plan for this event meant more than a job, but an opportunity for growth and reflection. Seeing what is unique and familiar allowed me to feel more connected with them as a fellow Muslim. And the ability to see it all come together was very heartwarming. Having a very large crowd come together from the Elon community, especially with members from the local mosque in Burlington, allowed me to feel like I was back home in Jordan, celebrating with friends and family again.”

That sense of connection across difference was echoed by the other student planner, Multifaith Intern Bella Kuperman.

“Working on Eid al-Fitr was a vibrant journey that connected us with diverse stories and traditions,” shared Kuperman. “It enriched our understanding and allowed us to celebrate the holiday’s spirit from both inside and outside the Muslim community.”

The wide attendance of the event highlighted the continued growth of Muslim Life at Elon, as well as the university’s broader commitment to religious and cultural engagement – this year’s program was co-sponsored by the Center for Religion Culture and Society and the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center. The celebration also welcomed around 100 guests from the Burlington Masjid, strengthening ties between campus and the local community. As dinner was served, families, students, and children filled the space with joy, laughter, and shared belonging.

For many, that sense of shared belonging reflects a core value of Eid itself.

Eid celebrations center on joy, gratitude, and community. At Elon, those values take shape through partnerships, relationships, and intentional spaces for connection, ensuring that students can celebrate not in isolation, but as part of a broader, supportive community.

“Programs such as Eid exemplifies how Elon makes space for students to stay rooted in their own traditions and celebrations, while allowing them to expand their perspectives and learn about where their peers find meaning and purpose,” said Director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement Hillary Zaken. “Our festivals are both authentic celebrations and also learning spaces that prepare students to move through our diverse and interconnected world with awareness and respect.”

The Eid festival is one of several major religious celebrations hosted each year by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. Planned by the Zaken and the multifaith interns, these events are designed to build religious literacy, foster meaningful relationships, create opportunities for students to engage traditions beyond their own, and learn about the common threads that bind members of the campus community together, regardless of identity.

As Huria Tahiry shared, “Being here, far from home, Eid feels different. I miss the sounds, the gatherings, and the familiar traditions. But today, I am grateful to share a piece of my culture with you. Eid teaches us values that go beyond any one country, which are community, forgiveness, and generosity.”

Applications for the and there are spots saved for Elon students who are ready to build skills in dialogue, conflict navigation and team leadership that translate directly into their campus roles.

The Viewpoints Fellowship is a nine-month, stipended program designed for student leaders who want to lead stronger teams and build cultures where honest dialogue is possible. Through training, mentorship, and hands-on projects, fellows learn practical approaches to addressing conflict, engaging differences with curiosity, and creating spaces where diverse perspectives can be heard.

“We are excited to continue this partnership and expand opportunities for Elon students to develop the skills needed to lead,” said Hillary Zaken, director of multifaith programming and engagement in the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life at Elon. “The fellowship helps student leaders move beyond avoiding tough conversations and instead equips them to guide them thoughtfully, constructively and with curiousity.”

The fellowship builds campus-based cohorts of student leaders from universities across the country. Participants engage in an interdisciplinary approach to understanding difference and disagreement, then apply what they learn by creating programs within their own student organizations and communities.

For current fellow Jacob Bradshaw, president of Milk Club, learning started from the beginning of the Fellowship experience: “In order to discuss something, I don’t always have to be an expert on it or have a perfect argument. It’s more important to have civil discussions with room for error than to not have any discussions at all.”

Current fellows are hosting their capstone on April 11, a program entitled “Disagree Curiously.” Participants will engage in structured, respectful dialogue through rotating roundtables, guided prompts, and facilitated moments of tension that spark understanding rather than division. From playful debates (2% chocolate milk or white milk, etc) to real-world issues that matter, participants will practice civil discourse alongside faculty, facilitators and a moderator who helps model what it means to disagree well.

Fellowship Overview
The program begins with an all-expenses-paid retreat held September 4–6, 2026, where fellows participate in workshops, mentorship, collaborative activities, and reflection focused on constructive disagreement, emotional resilience, storytelling, and community building. Fellows then work with mentors to design and lead a custom program within their student organization. Later in the year, participants reconvene for a winter retreat to share insights and develop campus-wide capstone initiatives that engage the broader community.

Eligibility
The fellowship is open to current freshmen, sophomores and juniors who will be on campus during the 2026–27 academic year and who hold formal or informal leadership roles in student organizations, fraternities or sororities, or other campus communities.

What Fellows Receive

• Training in navigating difficult conversations, conflict and civil discourse
• One-on-one mentorship
• A LinkedIn certification in Curious Disagreement
• Access to a national network of student leaders
• A $1,000 stipend and an all-expenses-paid fall retreat

What Fellows Do

• Develop and lead programming in their student organizations focused on curious disagreement
• Collaborate with other student leaders to design and implement a campus capstone project
• Build dialogue and leadership skills through workshops, retreats, and mentorship

Fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend for their participation and may return as trainers the following year. Learn more here: 

Applications for the 2026–27 Viewpoints Fellowship are now open. The deadline to apply has been extended to April 6 and selected fellows will be notified in mid-April.

Students can apply at or contact hzaken@elon.edu with questions.

51±ŹÁÏÍű the Viewpoints Fellowship
The Viewpoints Fellowship centers on three core questions: why it is difficult to approach disagreement with curiosity, why it remains essential and how students can build that approach within their communities. By combining leadership development with hands-on application, the fellowship prepares students to lead more effectively in an increasingly complex and divided world.

Throughout the month, Muslim Life, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Elon Muslim Society, the Arabic Language Organization, Jewish Life, Harvest Table, and other campus partners are collaborating to create spaces for prayer, learning and community connection.

“This year, Muslim Life at Elon is excited to partner with Arabic Language Organization, Elon Muslim Society, Jewish Life, and Harvest Table to create our most robust Ramadan programming to date,” said Imam Shane Atkinson. “Leading up to Ramadan and Lent, we had a ‘Pizza and Prayer’ teaching service about fasting at the Ripple Interfaith Conference. Not only do we have two halal dinners at Lakeside Dining Hall, Harvest Table created ‘grab-n-go’ breakfast bags for fasting students.”

Ramadan is a sacred month in Islam marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset, prayer, reflection, and acts of service. Each evening, Muslims gather for iftar, the meal that breaks the fast. At Elon, many of those iftars are organized and led by students.

The month began with a Ramadan Iftar Dinner on Feb. 19 at Lakeside Dining Hall, featuring a street food station with favorites such as adana kebab, couscous, sambal sauce, and roasted vegetables. On Feb. 20, the student-led Elon Muslim Society (EMS) hosted a Chat & Chai Iftar Dinner in the Moseley Center Kitchen, bringing together students for halal food, games, and trivia.

On Feb. 25, Muslim Life and Jewish Life co-hosted an interfaith iftar in McBride Gathering Space, where participants shared a home-cooked Moroccan meal and learned about Ramadan together.

In March, there are a wide range of collaborative programs on offer for the campus community. The Arabic Language Organization will host additional iftars on March 4 and March 11, creating space for fellowship and community education around Ramadan practices and traditions.

A Sip of Sunnah Iftar, a collaboration between Elon’s popular Milk Club and the Elon Muslim Society, will be held March 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. in McBride Gathering Space.

“This Ramadan I’m really excited for Elon Muslim Society’s Chat and Chai Iftar events,” said Adil Qadeer, president of the Elon Muslim Society. “It’s a great time to connect with others from many different faith traditions and backgrounds. It’s also a great time to learn more about this holy month and how Muslims participate in it.”

EMS will host an additional Chat & Chai Iftar Dinner on March 10, continuing their popular student-led tradition of conversation and connection. And on March 16, Lakeside Dining Hall will again feature a Ramadan street food station, serving West African groundnut stew, jeweled rice, and curry chickpea stew.

And finally, an Interfaith iftar on March 17 from 7 to 9 p.m., also in McBride Gathering Space, will invite the wider campus community to experience the breaking of the fast and learn from Muslim students about the meaning of the month.

In addition to special events, Friday Jumu’ah prayers are held weekly at 1:40 p.m. in Room 210 of the Numen Lumen Pavilion. The Long Table in Lakeside Dining Hall is reserved on multiple evenings throughout Ramadan for Muslim students, faculty, and staff to gather for iftar, including Feb. 18, 20, 24, 26, and 27, and March 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17.

The month will culminate in a campus celebration of Eid al-Fitr on March 31 at 5:30 p.m. in McBride Gathering Space. Often called the “holiday of breaking the fast,” Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan with prayer, food, and festivity. The Elon celebration will include dinner, trivia, a henna station, and goodie bags.

With a significant number of programs envisioned and led by students, this year’s Ramadan observance reflects a growing and vibrant Muslim presence on campus, and a broader commitment to interfaith engagement and shared learning across the Elon community.

Twitty will speak on “A New Recipe for a Beloved Community: How Food and Food Knowledge Can Help Repair the Broken,” offering a rich exploration of how food, culture, religion and identity intersect to build understanding and connection.

This year’s theme, “A Recipe for Interfaith,” celebrates the conference’s milestone 10th anniversary while inviting participants to consider how both literal and metaphorical ingredients can foster dialogue, learning, and shared community.

“Having Michael Twitty as our keynote speaker is an amazing addition to this year’s Ripple conference,” shared student co-director Rocco Albano ’26. “His award winning work as a culinary historian and author, particularly his exploration of the rich culinary culture of the African-American Jewish community, fits perfectly with this year’s theme of a recipe for interfaith. I’m incredibly excited to have him be a part of the Ripple conference, and to hear what he’s going to share!

Student co-director Lauren Bedell added, “Michael Twitty’s intersectionality gives way to a rich exploration of how cooking, culture, religion and identity all serve as ingredients in a story greater than any single dish, one that invites us to reflect on where we come from, where we are now, and who we can become, both individually and collectively.”

The Ripple Conference, Elon’s annual student-led interfaith gathering, provides attendees from across the country with the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with peers from a wide variety of faith, spiritual and ethical traditions.

Student leaders emphasize that Ripple is built by and for students, creating an environment where participants can learn about interfaith not only from conference events, but from one another.

“Ripple offers a unique opportunity to engage with students from across the country, each bringing their own religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions into a space where learning, curiosity, and unfamiliarity is welcomed,” added Bedell.  “A ‘Recipe for Interfaith,’ sets the table, using ingredients both literally and metaphorically to cook up new connections, deeper understanding, and a shared sense of hope and possibility.”

Registration for the conference has been extended through Feb. 5, 2026. There is also an option to register for Twitty’s keynote address only, which will take place on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 6 p.m.

More about the Ripple Conference

Registration information can be found at .Ìę.

Elon students are eligible for special discounted tickets to the conference – please email rippleconference@elon.edu or conference advisor Hillary Zaken, director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement, for details.

For more information and updates about the Ripple Conference, follow 51±ŹÁÏÍű’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life on Instagram and Facebook, and visit the Truitt Center website or the Ripple Conference page.

Ripple 2026 is co-directed by Lauren Bedell ’26 and Rocco Albano ’26, who see this anniversary year as both a celebration and an invitation.  For the co-directors, this year’s theme frames interfaith engagement as a shared practice rather than a fixed formula, and provides genuine engagement opportunities in a potentially messy kitchen. Like cooking, interfaith it requires curiosity, patience, and a willingness to learn together.

“Interfaith engagement, like cooking, requires curiosity, patience and a readiness to experiment,” said Bedell, who is the student president of LEAF (Lutherans, Episcopalians and Friends). “Ripple is designed to serve everyone, and its cook time is lifelong.” She describes the conference as intentionally hands-on, combining experiential learning, breakout sessions and affinity-based reflection spaces. For Bedell, the conference’s guiding question, “Where will your ripples go?” underscores Ripple’s emphasis on long-term impact beyond the event itself for students at Elon and beyond.

Albano, a second-year multifaith intern at the Truitt Center, highlights Ripple’s role in cultivating both connection and competency.

“Ripple is a rare space created with the intention of fostering connections between students interested in interfaith work while also helping them develop meaningful interfaith skills,” he said. “This year’s theme allows us to zoom out and examine the ingredients that make interfaith engagement effective and how we bring them together in a shared kitchen.”

Programming for 2026 includes a keynote speaker and plenary panel, teaching services on Islam, Catholicism, and Judaism, student- and faculty-led breakout sessions, community and affinity group spaces, service and art projects, and the Sacred Sounds Coffeehouse, featuring music and spoken word. Together, these elements are designed to help participants practice dialogue and collaboration, and deepen their understanding of the diversity of religious, spiritual, and ethical identities and worldview.

Both co-directors emphasize flexibility as central to interfaith work. Albano focuses on collaboration and adaptability, noting that effective interfaith work depends as much on the people doing the work as the space to engage.

“The recipe for interfaith is to me as much about the flexibility of the chefs and the cooking skills as it is about the ingredients themselves,” said Albano.

Bedell points to a slightly different set of essential ingredients for interfaith: ”Interfaith work doesn’t come with a fixed recipe or a precise set of measurements; it’s more about learning how to cook together, even when everyone brings different ingredients to the kitchen. Within this dynamic and ever-changing practice, the key ingredients to interfaith for me include respect, open-mindedness, curiosity, active listening and a willingness to lean into discomfort. Interfaith can be messy, but it can also be generative by creating a space for growth, relationship-building and opportunity to explore shared interests and values.”

Student-Led Interfaith

Ripple is fully student-led, with advising support from Hillary Zaken, director of multifaith programming and engagement at 51±ŹÁÏÍű. The conference serves as a model for student-driven interfaith leadership development within higher education.

“Ripple is a rare opportunity for student leaders,” said Zaken. “Students are trusted to shape the conference, make real decisions, and lead from start to finish. That level of ownership is what makes Ripple exceptional. It is genuinely student-led, which means it’s an authentic interfaith experience for everyone who attends.”

Bedell concurs: “How often do students from different universities have the chance to attend teaching sessions on various religious traditions? To participate in unique breakout sessions led by students and faculty? To collaborate on art and service projects that transcend religious boundaries?”

The Ripple Conference: A Recipe for Interfaith

Now in its 10th year, the Ripple Conference remains a cornerstone of the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life’s multifaith work. Ripple brings together college students and young adults from across the country to build community through active interfaith engagement.

Ripple is all about connection, curiosity and understanding. It’s a celebration of how individuals with diverse religious, spiritual, and ethical identities come together in pursuit of kindness, learning, and community.

This year’s theme, A Recipe for Interfaith, invites participants to explore the ingredients that make interfaith connections possible, both symbolically and tangibly. Together, participants will look at how food and shared meals create space for connection, and how sharing recipes, stories, and traditions can help us build understanding across religious, spiritual, and ethical identities and worldviews.

More about the Ripple Conference

Early Bird Registration is now open, with special discounts for early registrants.  Elon students are eligible for special discounts – email rippleconference@elon.edu for details.

Registration information can be found at .

Elon students, faculty, and staff are invited to reach out to conference adviser Hillary Zaken or co-directors Lauren Bedell or Rocco Albano with questions, and for codes for discounted participation for Elon students, faculty and staff.

On the conference website, you can register, apply to lead Breakout Sessions or Affinity Groups, perform at the Sacred Sounds Coffeehouse, and view other conference details as they become available.

For more information and updates about the Ripple Conference, follow 51±ŹÁÏÍű’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life on Instagram and Facebook and visit the Truitt Center website or the Ripple Conference page.

This annual Elon tradition invites students, faculty, staff, and neighbors to explore the wide range of religious, spiritual, ethical and cultural traditions and worldviews represented at Elon through interactive and educational stations spread out across campus. The evening encourages guests to come together, learn something new, and experience the richness of the diverse campus community in a hands-on way.

This year’s theme, “Many Lights on One Night,” brings together the largest number of participants in the event’s history, with a record 36 stations: 24 educational tables, seven entertainment stations, three refreshment areas, and two informational tables.

“The Festival of Lights and Luminaries invites our community to pause, breathe, and remember that even in the busiest and darkest moments of the year, light continues to guide us. This celebration creates space for reflection, connection, and the sense of peace we often struggle to find as the semester quickens,” said University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Rev. Kirstin C. Boswell. “As we walk the paths illuminated by thousands of lights, we are reminded of the strength that comes from gathering together, sharing hope, and allowing ourselves to be uplifted by beauty. It is a moment that calls us back to one another — and to the enduring light within and around us.”

Thousands of lights and luminaries will transform the historic neighborhood, the Lambert Academic Village and Under the Oaks. Guests are invited to stroll through campus, enjoy educational crafts and activities, live music, sip hot chocolate and cider, and connect with one another.

“This year’s theme, ‘Many Lights on One Night,’ celebrates how each of us brings our own light, our own religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural traditions and worldviews, to this shared event,” said Hillary Zaken, director of multifaith programming and engagement. “At the Festival of Lights and Luminaries, those individual lights come together to create something brighter than any one of us could offer alone.”

There are several new tables this year, including Tikkun Olam, Spectrum, the Spanish Club, and Pagan Life. The expanded lineup reflects the importance of this beloved campus tradition and reflects the growing range of voices, stories, and identities shaping Elon’s multifaith community. Each brings its own perspective and set of traditions, adding even more depth to the night’s offerings and reflecting the growing range of voices and stories shaping Elon’s multifaith community.

For the 11th year, the festival will honor Elon’s generous donors by featuring their names on luminaries across campus. The tradition symbolizes the thousands of donors who help light the path forward for future generations. Donor luminaries will be displayed Under the Oaks, in the historic neighborhood and throughout the Lambert Academic Village.

The festival’s success is a collaborative effort, with contributions from the Truitt Center, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Facilities Management, Technology Services, Catering, Student Involvement, University Advancement, University Communications and the Office of the Vice President for Student Life. Together, they aim to create a welcoming space where all feel connected and inspired.

For 13 years, Elon’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life has hosted Diwali to deepen understanding of diverse religious and spiritual traditions and to offer a sense of belonging and meaning for Hindu students, faculty, and staff.

“Coming to Elon, I knew that because there is such a small South Asian population on campus, I wanted to find others who could share similar experiences as me,” shared Surtal President Anita Bhat ‘27. “Surtal has been the perfect way for me to meet others with similar backgrounds and to do it through one of my biggest passions, which is dance.”

The evening featured an engaging presentation by Multifaith Interns Bella Kuperman and Omar Khamis, storytelling by Assistant Professor of Marketing Smaraki Mohanty, Priyal Sanathara ’29, and Bhat, and a lively dance performance by Surtal, Elon’s Bollywood dance group. Guests enjoyed authentic Indian cuisine from Taaza, an interactive trivia game, intricate henna (mehndi) art, and glowing LED wands that lit up the celebration.

“On the surface, Diwali is about spending time with your family and eating lots of good food, but there’s more to it than that,” shared Priyal Sanathara ‘29. “It’s about getting in touch with a more interpersonal side of you and reflecting on the year that’s passed and the year that’s to come. It’s about celebrating your accomplishments alongside the people you love, and I can happily say that I’ve been blessed to have been able to do that.”

Diwali, a five-day Hindu festival marking the triumph of light over darkness, takes place on the new moon and ushers in the Hindu New Year. Elon’s celebration is organized by the Truitt Center’s Multifaith Interns and Director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement, Hillary Zaken.

Kuperman and Khamis spent weeks preparing for the event, engaging with Hindu students and learning about the festival’s deeper meaning.

“My favorite part about planning Diwali was hearing stories from those who celebrate it. I enjoyed meeting with students who educated me on Diwali’s history of restoration, triumph and compassion,” shared Kuperman. “It was such an honor planning such a beautiful celebration that guides the synergy between our souls and bodies. I loved learning about how our own spirituality can guide others in times of darkness.”

The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life works to engage the campus in the wisdom of the world’s religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions. Annual programs such as Diwali, the Green Tara Sand Mandala, Lunar New Year, Purim, Holi and Eid al-Fitr invite the entire community to celebrate, learn and reflect on the diversity of faith and meaning at Elon.  And they also provide a much needed sense of community for students celebrating significant holidays away from their families and home communities.

“This year has been hard, my first Diwali away from home,” shared Sanathara, “But I’ve found community in different ways here on campus: through my friends, Surtal,and through the Truitt Center. To everyone here celebrating Diwali away from home, I hope this is your reminder that we can bring light and celebrate wherever we’d like, no matter if you’re with your family or not.”

At the end of September, 51±ŹÁÏÍű hosted the pilot cohort of the Viewpoints Fellowship for student leaders from Elon and Dartmouth not just to reflect on their own leadership, but to explore ways to bridge differences and imagine bold changes to their campuses.

The retreat centered on one key idea: when students lead with curiosity, everything changes. Through structured exercises, case studies, and facilitated dialogue, participants practiced listening deeply, questioning assumptions, and stepping into perspectives different from their own.

This collaboration with the Viewpoints Project exemplifies the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life’s commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue across difference and cultivating thoughtful, inclusive experiential co-curricular learning. The Viewpoints Project is a student-led nonprofit empowering young people to approach disagreement with curiosity. Through the Viewpoints Fellowship, students build the skills to navigate hard conversations and strengthen civic culture from the ground up.

Elon’s student leaders left the retreat with new insights and practical tools to bring back to the clubs and organizations they lead. Sasha Stanley, president of Divine Embers, highlighted the “Most Generous Argument” exercise, which encourages understanding before disagreement: “Don’t be afraid to hear different viewpoints and ask questions to foster a deeper understanding.”

Nailah Ware, president of Limitless, noted the value of courage in dialogue: “Instead of being quick to dismiss, I want to ask questions with the intention of understanding,” she explained. “I learned to show up with courage, having an open mind is beneficial to disagreement or dialogue because I am allowing myself to step away, listen to others, reflect on my beliefs, and speak.”

Milk Club President Jacob Bradshaw reflected on the importance of civil conversation over perfection: “In order to discuss something, I don’t always have to be an expert on it or have a perfect argument. It’s more important to have civil discussions with room for error than to not have any discussions at all.”

Hannah Wager of the Sierra Student Coalition added that the retreat helped her face conflict confidently: “This retreat made me realize that I’m really not as scared of conflict as I thought I was.”

Across all reflections, one theme stood out: curious, courageous dialogue doesn’t just improve communication, it strengthens leadership. By embedding these practices into the student groups where fellows already lead, the Viewpoints Project, and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, ensure that conversation grounded in curiosity, respect, and empathy shapes campus culture.

For Elon’s Viewpoints Fellows, Fatmata Bah of the Elon Muslim Society; Jacob Bradshaw – Milk Club; Sasha Stanley of Divine Embers; Omar Khamis of the Arabic Language Organization; Madeline Mitchener of Students for Peace and Justice; Aiden Prucker of the American Studies Club; Nailah Ware of Limitless; and Hannah Wagner of the Sierra Student Coalition, the retreat is just the beginning. Elon’s fellows will spend the fall bringing the philosophy of curious disagreement back to campus, inspiring conversations and actions that extend far beyond the weekend.

By equipping student leaders with the skills, practices, and mindset for thoughtful engagement and dialogue across difference, this work with the Viewpoints Project helps the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life ensure that productive conversation grounded in curiosity, respect, and empathy remains central to the Elon’s campus culture.

MLTI aims to empower student leaders to navigate difference and disagreement with curiosity, empathy, and integrity, skills vital to strengthening democracy and reducing polarization on campus and in the world.

51±ŹÁÏÍű is one of only two institutions nationwide selected to pilot the program, alongside Dartmouth University. The fellowship will be supported on campus by the Rev. Kirstin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, and Hillary Zaken, director of multifaith programming and engagement.

The 2025–26 51±ŹÁÏÍű MLTI Fellows

Aiden Prucker – American Studies Club

Omar Khamis – Arabic Language Organization

Fatmata Binta Bah – Elon Muslim Society

Hannah Wagner – Sierra Student Coalition

Sasha Stanley – Divine Embers

Jacob Bradshaw – Milk Club

Nailah Ware – Limitless

Madeline Mitchener –Students for Peace and Justice

These students were selected for their leadership potential, commitment to fostering dialogue across difference and dedication to building a more connected and resilient campus community.

The MLTI is a nine-month, stipend-supported fellowship designed to train and support student leaders in fostering campus environments that embrace constructive disagreement and collaborative problem-solving. The program begins with an immersive retreat in the fall, followed by student-led implementation projects within campus organizations, and concludes with a winter retreat and spring capstone projects designed to broaden the fellows’ impact.

“After a robust application process, 13 fellows from 51±ŹÁÏÍű and Dartmouth College were selected,” said Shira Hoffer, founder and executive director of the Institute for Multipartisan Education. “They bring rich leadership experience, a commitment to their organizations, and a clear vision for how curious disagreement can serve their clubs and their campuses. We are so excited to kick off our work together in May.”

The Truitt Center and the Institute for Multipartisan Education invite the campus community to support and follow the work of these student fellows throughout the year as they model respectful dialogue and lead transformative initiatives that bring bridge-building and curious disagreement to student organization programming in the 2025-25 academic year.

For more information about the MLTI Fellowship and upcoming opportunities to engage with the 2025–26 cohort, please contact the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.