The Truitt Center held their first Winterfaith Lunch and Learn event of the semester at the Elon Community Church today, Jan. 8. The series, which takes place every Wednesday during winter term, allows the Elon community to come together, enjoy lunch and challenge themselves to learn about more about religions.
"The ultimate goal is to bring together students and the community in dialogue around interfaith topics," Rev. Randy Orwig, the senior pastor of Elon Community Church, said.
The focus of this week's luncheon was on the religion of Islam. Elon students, Nada Azem and Toorialey Fazly, and Elon faculty, Shereen Elgamal and Eesaa Wood, each spoke about their spiritual traditions. Afterwards, they answered questions from members of the community about their religion.
After attending the event, sophomore Shelby Lewis said the event was able to educate others about various aspects of religion.
"You can learn about religions in a classroom, but you can't learn how people experience it until you come to something like this," Lewis said.
The next Winterfaith Lunch and Learn event will be held on Jan. 15. It will take place in the community life center at the Elon Community Church, which is located on the corner of Haggard and Williamson avenues at 11:45 a.m. The topic of the luncheon will focus on Pagan and earth-centered traditions.
The event is $5 for faculty, staff, and community members, and is free to Elon students. Reservations are suggested, but not required. To reserve a spot, email Jan Register at jregister@elon.edu.