Since Thrasher has been at Reinhardt, he has tried to increase cultural diversity in two very important ways. The first is through the Justice and Human Dignity Film Series he organized during the spring of 2016 that focused on diversifying students’ minds. He showed different documentaries about controversial topics and then allowed for a time of deliberation and for students to question the world around them.
He pauses for a moment, looks out the window, and then shares that the other way he tries to help with cultural diversity throughout our campus is by connecting people. He wants people from Falany to be friends with people who play sports, for example. He feels that making these connections across “invisible boundaries” will allow for our campus to become more diverse.
When it comes to social injustices on campus, Reverend Thrasher is quite frustrated about two things. He believes that students aren’t politically engaged enough and are too unaware of the extent of gender inequality. He feels that, as students, we aren’t riled up about anything except that “Netflix is too slow, there is too much chicken in Gordy, and there aren’t any fraternities.” He would like to see more involvement on campus as well as more gender equality. He believes that our campus puts girls and boys in separate boxes. We are told that we can only do this and only do that. We don’t blur the lines between genders enough.
When asked how we, as students, can improve our campus, Reverend Thrasher says, “The Number One thing is to get engaged.” As students, we need to stop waiting for something to happen to start changing things. “Go out, do things, create things, and build things!” he urges.
Sophomore Keren Morales, an intern with Reverend Thrasher, has a lot to say about this man. “Reverend Thrasher is one of the greatest humans I’ve met. He is so encouraging, incredibly intelligent, humble, and genuine. He’s been a tremendous help to my spiritual life and also to my life as a student. I have nothing but good things to say about him.”
Sophomore Analicia Blanco, who is very involved in campus ministry as well as singing in the worship band, agrees. “Reverend Thrasher is an encouraging, brilliant vessel in our community. He has a unique way of making everyone feel welcome and creating an environment in which those around him can grow and learn more about themselves and the others around them. He’s a great chaplain and mentor, and I feel blessed that he is our chaplain!”
Although he will be returning to full-time ministry this coming summer, Jordan Thrasher will always be remembered for the spunk he has added to campus ministry at Reinhardt. He is an exceptional example of how religion can not only change our lives, but our campus as well.
5 Fun Facts with Reverend Jordan Thrasher
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4. I love hip hop music--about which people think I am lying, but I’m not.
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