In spring, the Chaplain's Office worked with Sai Suresh Kannan and the newly formed Hindu Students Council to establish a Hindu shrine within Peale Chapel.  The shrine was dedicated on April 17, 2023, and has already been used for festival celebrations.  At the same time, symbols for other Dharmic traditions, such as Sikhism and Jainism, were also added to the chapel.  

This fall, the Chaplain's Office also partnered with Dr. Mark Allison and Dr. Rich Edwards to establish the new OWU Meditation Circle.  The Meditation Circle meets in Peale Chapel on Fridays at 3:00 pm and is open to all students, faculty, and staff regardless of their meditation experience level. 

Back Row: (L to R) William Hayes, Chad Johns, Ahmed Hamed (OWU alum), Phoenix Ball, Dana Kolesar, Maya Mohanty. Front Row (L to R): Mylah Morris, Grey Kennedy, Malaika Sheri, Rylee Marshall

In August of 2023, 7 students and 2 chaplains traveled to Chicago, IL, for the annual Interfaith Leadership Summit hosted by Interfaith America.  This year's theme was Many Plates Make a Feast and encouraged attendees to learn and practice skills that affirm religious diversity and empower civic pluralism. This year, all 7 students are members of the Interfaith House, an OWU SLU, and used the skills they learned to jump-start their programming for the year.