The gymnasium was dead silent as the student body held its breath, eagerly awaiting the answers to their texted questions.

Set in the format of a Q&A with a faculty panel, Chapel was different on Wednesday, September 23, allowing the students to ask whatever they wanted. Students submitted around 115 questions relating to this years Chapel topic, including the metaphor of “Babylon” and how to confront the real world.

The question that struck a chord with Luke Davis, upper school Bible teacher and part of the teacher panel, was the one about being a “fake Christian.”

“It really gets to the heart of community life here at WCA, the masks we tend to wear, etc. People want to be able to share their doubts and misgivings freely, and that question was an important step in the process,” said Davis.

There was one question in particular that caught the attention of the students: the ever controversial leggings question. Set aside for the end of the Chapel, the question was about the role of male accountability in the dress of women. However, since it was the last question, there was little time for response.

“I personally wish we had a little more time with that question. Mr. Brink probably had some insight into how that decision was made, and I was the only one who had a chance to speak.  It would have been good to address the second part of the question about male responsibility as well. However, time ran out,” said Jennifer Ritzema, middle school history and Bible teacher.

Even though there are disagreements with how the legging situation is being handled, the fact that it is being confronted in the first place is a sign of improvement.

“We want to communicate that this is a safe place to ask questions together. The emphasis is that we are having these tough conversations in community and in relationship,” said Mike Berttucci, Chapel Director and middle school Bible teacher.

“We want this Q&A format to be something we regularly do in Chapel. The number (210-­538-­3757) to text questions is still open, and we plan on using it all year. It might be something where at the beginning of Chapel, we spend 3-­4 minutes answering a question from the previous week. There are lots of possibilities!” said Berttucci.

The new format gives students the opportunity to be heard and allows them freedom to ask things that the whole school is struggling with. So, Westminister, pull out your phones. It’s time to start a conversation.