91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Hosts Its First ACTC Conference
Student Scholars Gather at 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Early this month, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ hosted for the first time the annual Student Conference of the , an organization which supports liberal undergraduate education through the study of core texts. The ACTC¡¯s annual Student Conference gives student scholars from Great Books-style programs and universities the opportunity to share their work, ideas, and insights and make connections in the broader liberal arts community.
The theme of this year¡¯s conference, ¡°Happiness in Connection,¡± encouraged the student scholars in attendance to consider the importance of community in our increasingly isolated world. The conference itself put this principle into action, as dozens of people came together over a sunny spring weekend to celebrate genuine scholarship, which goes beyond the rote academic to form bonds of collaboration and care.
As Charlotte Thomas, Mercer University professor and executive director of the ACTC, said in her opening remarks on Friday night, ¡°If you¡¯re sitting in front of an open book with an open question, you¡¯re our people.¡± With an open heart, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ welcomed fifteen scholars from other universities, including three international scholars: one from Canada, one from Mexico, and one from Brazil, who is on a year-long exchange in the United States. These visitors joined ten 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ students to share their scholarly work with each other and the 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ community.
Keynote speaker , founder of , opened the conference on Friday night with an inspiring talk about service. In our modern attention economy, many forces conspire to keep us self-involved. Service shifts our attention away from ourselves and toward the whole, where we can see ourselves as part of something bigger. Then compassionate action comes naturally.
On Saturday, the main day of the conference, six panels of student scholars presented their papers and engaged in dialogue with each other and with the audience. After everyone had shared their work, the group visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to tour the 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Classroom Building and the Buddha Hall. Then they made a trip to Montgomery Woods, where many visitors got to enjoy the peace and beauty of the redwoods for the first time.
On Sunday morning, as visiting scholars said their goodbyes over breakfast, gratitude and cheer prevailed. Though sad to see our guests go, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ looks forward eagerly to the next time we can host such a gathering of inspiring young thinkers, friends from near and far.
