A Haven for All: Peace Pole at the Collegiate Religious Center (CRC)
Like any idea, Peace can come from anywhere. Why not start in front of the Collegiate Religious Center?
In November of 2021, the undergraduate student staff in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) dreamed about a project that might provide an “excellent connection to our earth and the world”. These students wanted to make an impact on campus, throwing ideas into a shared google document in-between working shifts.
One student employee wrote, “Peace Pole installations serve as some sort of symbol of unity and collaboration between diverse groups of people. The easiest space would be the front Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) lawn”.
Two years later, a newly installed Peace Pole and vibrant Community Greenhouse are the first visible symbols at 19 Schussler Road, beside the Collegiate Religious Center (CRC). Many of those who have lent some sweat equity to these projects, which is one of the tasks specified in WPI’s sustainability plan , have been more than years in the making. WPI’s inaugural assistant director for religion and spiritual life believes symbols like these will close the gap between science and religion allowing the university’s primary interfaith space, the CRC, to serve as a natural place to put community efforts into action.
A call for peace is a tall order for this moment. Our students’ have a tenacious way of reminding us to believe in an array of possibilities. Like most revolutions, we start here with a symbol. And with the installation of the Peace Pole, I hold space for the possibility of peace prevailing here and everywhere on Earth
-Rev. Kalvin Cummings, Emeritus Campus Chaplain
The Peace Pole project displays languages most widely spoken within our diverse community. In collaboration with the Office of International Student Life, Gujarati, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, English, Arabic, Swahili, Greek are the (8) eight languages proclaiming the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth”. For more information on how to install a Peace Pole in your corner of our campus community contact the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) and/or Facilities Office.
The Collegiate Religious Center (CRC) provides a space to WPI students, faculty, staff, and community members for the purpose of religious exploration, devotions, worship, prayer, education, administration, and fellowship. Our team of Campus Chaplains serve as spiritual advisors for students, and can offer support and guidance irrespective of students' primary religious traditions. As spiritual advisors to the WPI community, Campus Chaplains counteract the inequality of varied expression(s) of religion, spirituality, and any form of meaning-making practice and support student meaning-making expression to tend with systems of oppression as well as any other stressors. This center includes several reservable spaces to suit both spiritual and non-spiritual needs, including a Multifaith Meeting Space, Islamic Prayer Room, and Multifaith Worship Space.
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees all student facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.