New Housing Community Focuses on Racial Reconciliation

The Residential Life Office and the Office of Multicultural Development have collaborated to create the Shalom Community, a new housing option for Wheaton College students. During the 2013-2014 academic year, this alternative housing option will serve as an intentional living and learning community focused on racial reconciliation.

As stated on their application, Shalom is “a Christ-centered intentional, multi-racial living-learning community that seeks to cultivate a biblical framework for diversity, cross-cultural restorative dialogue, and self-awareness through residency, academic curriculum, educational programming, discipleship and worship.”

Scott Barrett, resident director of campus apartments and houses, expanded on this in an interview, saying that the Shalom Community is “not just centered on racial reconciliation, but a kingdom community living in the way God has called us to.”

College campuses across the nation have instituted living-learning communities that gather students with common interests to live in one residential area. Following suit, Wheaton will institute its first diversity-focused community with Shalom.

“The Shalom community is a living-learning community ... built upon the idea of students living together around a common goal, thought or idea,” Barrett said.

The Community has two houses located at 510 and 520 Sears Lane that will house eight women and eight men, respectively.

To be eligible to live in the Community, students must be rising juniors and seniors who will commit to live together for a full academic year.

Barrett said they are “looking for students who desire to impact each other, the campus and the outside community. Students who want to learn and grow.”

In the fall of 2013, Shalom residents will be required to take professor Henry Kim’s sociology class “Racial and Ethnic Relations.” In addition, the residents will meet once a week for two hours to participate in various activities that will range from meals to field trips to the planning of campus events. In order to expand to the outside community, students will attend a diversity conference at North Park University.

The Shalom Community aims to not only spur on conversation and action centered upon racial reconciliation within the houses alone but also to bring the campus and outside community into the conversation.

“These houses should not be the only place on campus where racial reconciliation is talked about,” Barrett said. “The intent is not to make people feel uncomfortable. The intent is to reflect a community that is kingdom centered and kingdom minded.”

In response to the suggestion that the Shalom Community is “too facilitated,” Barrett emphasized the desire for this community to be as student-led as possible.

Since the coming year will be the first for the Shalom community, there will be flexibility in what the community will look like, as it will be shaped entirely by the students who live there.

Barrett said this is the only way for effective action and true change to happen.

Barrett explained his excitement about this new housing option, hoping that students will see it as an “opportunity to create and change culture. Be a part of something that is new and unique to Wheaton. Make it their own. We would love to be as hands off as possible.”

Residence Life is still accepting applications for Shalom, and they can be picked up in the Student Development office. The deadline has been extended to Tuesday, Feb. 19.

More information and additional applications are available online at scottbarret7.wix.com/shalom.