NOLA Wesley offers inclusive venue for students

The+Labyrinth+on+Sept.+11%2C+2019.+They+offer+affordable+food%2C+and+a+substance-free+and+inclusive+venue+for+students.

Cristian Orellana

The Labyrinth on Sept. 11, 2019. They offer affordable food, and a substance-free and inclusive venue for students.

Khushi Wahi

While Loyola is surrounded by venues with alcohol and partying, The Labyrinth engages students in a different way.

The Labyrinth, run by NOLA Welsey, offers affordable food, and a substance-free and inclusive venue for students.

Rev. Morgan Guyton has been the primary organizer, as well as a Reverend at NOLA Wesley and The Labyrinth for 5 years.

“We’re a place where inclusivity is a primary value for us,” said Guyton.

Guyton tries to help and influence students of many different backgrounds by throwing events such as movie screenings, music performances and food parties — in addition to offering a quiet place for students to study and relax.

He plans on continuing and deepening these relationships with students this year by coordinating yoga and meditation classes.

When it comes to engaging with college students, Guyton said their plain is to have music shows on a weekly basis.

“We’re gonna kinda change it up,” Guyton said. “We’re gonna have karaoke one week, have open mic one week, have poetry night one week, and just kind of balance it between different concepts. And then movies will definitely be in the mix.”

The Labyrinth also hires students through campus Work-Study Programs. To further strengthen campus engagement, NOLA Wesley now has a marketing team, which will be the main engagement on campus.

Along with the marketing team, they have a management team made up of students who have experience in coffeehouse management, and who will be helping Guyton run things at The Labyrinth.

“I’m hoping that the marketing team will be able to expand our target market beyond just students and really try to get into the neighborhood, maybe some high school kids,” Guyton said.