Ohio Wesleyan Students Serve Others During Spring Break
University’s 2017 Interfaith Service Teams Volunteer at Seven Sites in U.S., Mexico
Nearly 60 Ohio Wesleyan University students spent spring break volunteering on one of OWU’s seven Interfaith Service teams.
Chad Johns, associate chaplain and director of the Interfaith Service program, says the student-created teams incorporate “intentional service and reflection with people of diverse faiths, philosophies, and perspectives [to] deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other, even as we work to improve the world around us.”
Each team also incorporates the “four essential pillars” of restorative justice, transformative reflection, substantive community, and conscientious leadership into their experiences, says Johns, a 2002 Ohio Wesleyan graduate.
“We seek to gain awareness of, show respect for, and build relationships with people and cultures with whom we interact,” he says. “We seek to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in a way that honors and restores the human dignity and sacred worth of all involved. We seek to become agents for justice on our campus and in our world.”
The 2017 Interfaith Service teams, their locations of service, and their team members and advisers are:
LAKOTA NATION, SOUTH DAKOTA
“Building and Rebuilding” team
- Annie Spink, logistics leader
- Cindy Huynh, reflection leader
- Alyssa Clark
- Julie Muhl
- Izzy Taylor
- Julia Anne Caple
- Malory Wolfe
- Karen Poremski, adviser
- David Soliday, adviser
BUCERIAS, MEXICO
“Connecting with the Community” team
- Shashank Sharma, logistics leader
- Blake Andrews, reflection leader
- Sydney Quinn
- Jacquelynn Everetts
- Sarah Rooney
- Truman Haycock
- Avianna Carmoega
- Dana Behum, adviser
- Bob Wood, adviser
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
“Re-New Orleans: Hurricane Katrina Recovery” team
- Dominique Garrett, logistics leader
- Wyatt Hall, reflection leader
- Theresa Schluchter
- Stephen McGrath
- Emma Beale
- Abigale Lyon
- Claire O’Keeffe
- Leslie Alton
- Kathy Gruber, adviser
- Chad Johns, adviser
COLUMBUS, OHIO
“Let There Be Light: OWU-Muslim Service Together” team (with the Noor Islamic Center)
- Olivia Lease, logistics leader
- Mollie Marshall, reflection leader
- Dominic Mejia
- Elizabeth Urbanski
- Julianne Zala
- Ainsley Metayer
- Jennifer Bennett
- Armando Polizzi
- Charlotte Gross
- Mark Shipps, adviser
- Jon Powers, adviser
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
“Repair the World” team
- Areena Arora, logistics leader
- Sashane Williams, reflection leader
- Sophia Bien
- Trent Williams
- Christine Pinder
- Greg Margevicius
- Hanna Cordes
- Alexandria Niemeyer
- Raissa Kanku
- Meredith Dixon, adviser
- Matt Kurk, adviser
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
“Gender, Sexuality, and Immigration: Navigating Overlapping Realities” team
- Lissette Gonzales, logistics leader
- Dalia Lorenzo, reflection leader
- Emma Nuiry
- Quenton Stokes-Brown
- Anderson Molina
- Audrey Castaneda Walker
- Ryan Bishop
- James Murphy
- Jen Owens, adviser
- Jim Mendenhall, adviser
WASHINGTON, D.C.
“Crossroads of the Powerful and Powerless” team
- Larynn Cutshaw, logistics leader
- Jude Fahoum, reflection leader
- Alexis Lease
- Annapurna Pakrasi
- Emma Wong
- Jess Choate
- Abigail Horvat
- Anna Burkhart
- Rosa Escobar
- Sarah Watt
- Susie Long, adviser
- Chris Mickens, adviser
Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Interfaith Service program at www.owu.edu/InterfaithService.