On January 22, the club presidents of Club 4 Christ, the Muslim Students Association, and the Jewish Club hosted a panel discussion titled "Reflecting on Religions: A Community Conversation." Local religious leaders Daniel Lee, College and Young Adult Pastor at NewStory Church, Jason Moss, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, and Jihad Turk, Founding President of Bayan Islamic Graduate School, Former Imam of the Islamic Center of Southern California, answered questions and reflected on the differences and similarities between their religions.

The event was held during community block for 9th graders, who have been studying world religions as part of their history curriculum. "I just hope they learn a few things about each one of our traditions and have a more accurate depiction of who we are as communities, and as people," Rashad E. '26, president of MSA, shared. "Although we are different at our roots, we share a common goal of encouraging people to live ethically and morally."

For Rashad, achieving this understanding starts with addressing misinformation. "The main takeaway is breaking those misconceptions. The point is being able to inform ourselves about communities and about the people who are around us, so we're able to interact and coexist together in a better, more informed manner."

That spirit of informed, open dialogue was evident throughout the panel. "I think it was really lovely to see these people were so open-minded, so knowledgeable about what they knew about, but also really open-minded towards one another," said Sarah Cooper, Associate Head of School and advisor to Jewish Club.

The panel embodied the school's values of curiosity, seeking new perspectives, and bridging differences with understanding and respect. Thank you to all our panelists and student organizers for putting on such a great event.