George Washington University student Crista Cole began her conversion from atheism to Islam three years ago. Under the dimmed lights of the Marvin Center on Tuesday, she shared a meal at a table with three students who identified as agnostic, Christian and Jewish.
They began the evening as quiet strangers, but soon the students chatted openly about their respective faiths—how their beliefs have changed over time and the aspects of their spirituality that they still question.
“I think it’s especially important in today’s political climate to have peaceful dialogue between different religions,” said Ms. Cole, a graduate student in the Elliott School of International Affairs. “No one is perfect. No one is believing perfectly. We have more in common than we have differences.”
Students from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered to celebrate the 13th annual Interfaith Dinner, a GW tradition that began shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, following students’ concerns about negative feelings directed toward Muslims.
That year, the Muslim Student Association and the Jewish Student Association joined to share in the Iftar dinner, the meal that breaks the daily Ramadan fast. The annual event—renamed the Interfaith Dinner in 2009—now includes other faith-based student groups and highlights the university’s diverse religious communities.
“This is a little bit of an oasis here on our campus—this dinner that happens every year,” said George Washington President Steven Knapp. “We get to step aside from the welter of noise and the bustle of everyday life at the university to celebrate this time together.”
The theme of this year’s Interfaith Dinner, “Cultivating Community…Harvesting Hope,” celebrated Native American culture and faith in honor of November’s Native American Heritage Month. Students feasted on three-sisters quinoa salad, lentils and Navajo fried bread while the soft sounds of Native American flute music played in the background. Table centerpieces showcased the names of many of the 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States.
Students mingle at the Interfaith Dinner in the Marvin Center. The student-run tradition began in 2001 following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
During his opening remarks, Timothy Kane, associate director for inclusion initiatives at GW's Multicultural Student Services Center, evoked a Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, saying: “One bowl; many spoons.”
“It expresses the idea that we are all connected in the sharing of our resources,” Mr. Kane said. “It is in this spirit of unity that we convene tonight’s dinner. One bowl symbolizes that we are all drawn from a shared source of spirituality and faith. Many spoons symbolize the unique and personal ways in which we experience and express that spirituality and faith.”
Brian Barlow, a junior and president of GW’s Native American Student Association, explained that when he was asked by event organizers to speak about “Native spirituality,” he felt a bit “split.” While Mr. Barlow hails from Tahlequah, Okla., the capital of Cherokee nation, he was raised in a Christian home.
“My Cherokee beliefs have always complemented my Christian faith, and this is true for many Native communities,” Mr. Barlow said. “Faith is a personal decision. It is a personal relationship between an individual and what they believe in.”
Dinner guests then bowed their heads as Mr. Barlow recited what he described as the Lord’s prayer in Cherokee, a gesture that seemed to symbolize the marriage of his Cherokee and Christian beliefs.
“Aw gi daw da, ga la di ehi,” he chanted rhythmically.
After the meal, five students shared their own stories of spirituality.
Kiana Davis, president of GW’s Jewish Student Association, spoke about the “beauty and power of community.” Ms. Davis grew up in Long Island and found a “second home” at her local synagogue. When she arrived at GW, she thought she would leave some of her Judaism behind. Her religion had defined her in high school, she said, and she wanted to explore her identity outside of that framework.
“But I proved rather quickly to myself that leaving that part of me behind was impossible,” she said. “My story is defined through my Jewish identity. It guides who I am, what I do and how I want to live my life.”
Freshman Victoria Lyu, who is from China and practices Buddhism, spoke about practicing random acts of kindness. Junior Will Bonnett, president of the Secular Student Alliance, stressed the importance of student leaders in GW’s various communities to respect each other’s rights to express views freely.
First-year graduate student Xochitl Watts said she came to the dinner to meet the faith-based community at GW and learn about other religious traditions.
“Faith isn’t something I would always have the opportunity to talk about,” she said. “It’s also nice to hear that some people are still questioning their own faith. Spirituality is something that is always changing.”