Every Spring, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ students are invited to present their written work or recite memorized texts from their classes in the Student Symposium. This day-long conference fosters student public speaking, scholarship, and insight.
The audience¡ªfellow students, faculty, alumni, and friends of 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ¡ªare encouraged to raise questions and comments in response to the students¡¯ presentations. To quote Dean of Academics Martin Verhoeven, ¡°Shared inquiry is not complete without inspired sharing.¡±
Victoria Pang, MA ¡®25, shared with us her experience of participating in the symposium:
The Symposium is like a jewel being refined after sedimentation; all the flurry of transformations experienced as a result of deep reading, shared inquiry, and personal cultivation emerge in a unique and personal Symposium presentation. From group classical poetry recitation to humorous reflections on the exact location of the heart, each presentation is as heartfelt as it is eye-opening, and evidence of the interpenetrating effort of professors and students¡¯ conjoined wisdom in the form of creativity and introspection.
In illuminating each individual or group exploration of ¡°truth¡± and ¡°compassion,¡± I saw how our paths actually overlapped often and uplifted each other¡¯s inquiries. One student¡¯s reflections on Mencius¡¯ process of contemplation¡ªsi¡ªmay be elaborated by another¡¯s questions on detecting pride and arrogance. The essence of another student¡¯s speech on bodhisattva vows may be understood better alongside the musical performance of a group chorus singing the Avatamsaka Syllabary. These interweaving conversations map out the expansive web of ideas the campus enriches with one shared inquiry at a time, and is an unforgettable reminder of our shared humanity and the beauty of inquiry.?
