Being Pagan in College.

[Danustouch]

The writer of this article was attending a primarily Christian College. Being an alumni of a SIMILAR school, I can sympathise with her. Of course, I wasn't Pagan when I attended this college, I was however, relatively open minded. Anyway...for those of you who are currently IN college, or who will be soon entering college, this article could prove useful.
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http://www.schnoggo.com/win2/archive/speak1.html

[EasternPriest]

Well written and thought provoking.

[Faery-Wings]

She made some really good suggestions. I graduated from an all girls Catholic college. (well first I went to a state school for three years, dropped out, moved back home and then had to find a good school with an excellent teaching program that was in commuting distance.:woah: )

I was required to take a Religion class as well as "pray" before many classes. But the nuns, for the most part, were very cool and open minded. I wasn't Pagan at that point, but I was not a practicing Catholic by any means. I do remember questioning some things in Religion 101 and was answered nicely. However, a big difference is I lived in a very multicultural area and there was such a wide range of people and ideas and beliefs represented at the school, which was heavy in commuters and continuing ed's.

At any rate, the article made a great point of "doing something" and I think that follows through to any environment, be it school or work or family. I am in the closet but when I hear someone being closeminded, I will say something, even if it simply to say, "Hey that is not the only way to think about____."

Chris

[vocis noctis]

taken from the site:
...among them the fact that it is a private Lutheran school.

What's a Lutheran school?

[Illuminatus]

Her experience is very unusual. College, for most individuals, is the prime time to broaden horizons, meet new and interesting people, and break down more of societies walls, expand horizons etc...

I went to a Catholic school (well, a private university with catholic roots)... and there were all sorts of people there. Granted, most fit into the cookie-cutter stereotype of Frat Rat and Sorority Girl, but even among those you found exceptions (such as myself). Granted, the most interesting types turned out to be locals from the city around, but that is another story for another thread.

Most Arts colleges are practically knee deep in liberal kids, I wonder why this girl decided to go to a school with with the stigmata of a "St." in front of it.

Anyway, if she wants a more open and tolerant forum for discussion, send her a link to MW. I promise I will keep my big mouth shut, at least for a few threads!!

- Illuminatus!

[Danustouch]

Awwwwwww..Illum...that's just cuz you saw her pic. And you think she's cute...heheheh.

Actually..the reason she chose to attend a school with the word "ST" in front of it, she stated in the first couple of paragraphs of the article. Because it was the best place to be (probably closest to her area..and most affordable)...for the teaching program she wanted to enter.

As for this being an exception to the rule....I think it really depends on Where you are attending college. I'm sure some of the midwestern colleges are not quite so open minded, or some of the colleges in the deep south. And I know for a FACT that Christian colleges can be VERY narrow minded. I was a born again christian, while I was in college. And yet, because I wasn't a "Nazarene" (which is the denomination of the college i went to) life was very difficult. You had to go to Chapel three times a week. In your first year, you must join a "flock" group, which is kind of like a biblestudy/support group. You DID have to take certain prerequisite courses having to do with the Bible. On top of that...as far as what she was saying about racial differences in the school...

In mine..I think we had a total of EIGHT black people. In the whole school. Possibly, the same number of Asians....and about two hispanics. I don't think that anyone there was deliberately excluding them....I just dont' know why it wasn't more ethnically diverse. Furthermore...a true indicator of how..intolerant and narrow the school was..was always the cafeteria. On ONE side of the salad bar..you had the minorities, the "geeks", the outcasts, those who were "spiritually differen't". and on the other..you had the "Preachers Kids,"...the "Jocks"...the "Cheerleaders"..the "preps". Etc. We had a conferance about it one time. There was a panel of people picked from among student leadership committees, and a the school chaplain (who actually wasn't such a bad guy)..moderated it. Anyway..I was there with a bunch of my friends, in the audience. The question the forum was supposed to address, was How to break down some of the cliques in the school, and have people be more diverse. The people ON the panel..were mostly the cheerleaders, Jocks, and preachers kids. (oy!). They offered suggestions of rotating seating in chapel. Of making sure that the "Flock" groups were integrated. And of course..PRAYING for God to make us more tolerant. :rolleyes: My friend Matt (bless his heart)..a very "differen't sort of guy"....gets up and butts in..and says.."I've got an idea. If you REALLY want to integrate the social groups in this college, how about removing the salad bar in the cafeteria. That salad bar may as well be an ocean full of sharks. Because people NEVER try to cross it to get to the other side. Remove the salad bar, put nothing separating those two.."Groups" of people...that might go a little way towards acheiving the goal.

Funny..but..for a while, you'd see the prim and proper cheerleaders sitting at the table with the RPG guys. Now..that ..was always hysterical. LOL..anyway...that's just my experience.

[slvr_phoenix]

I think the simple fact that it was a PRIVATE and RELIGIOUS school explains everything. **L**

I mean it becomes pretty obvious what you'd expect out of the school. Those who applied to attend there and REFUSED to accept the way the PRIVATE school handled itself (such as requiring religious classes) are, well, either just really stupid, or intentionally trying to be trouble makers. Either way, you get a bad result.

I mean honestly, why would anyone apply to a private religious school (that even had the St. in front of it) if they weren't prepared to accept the religion?

So it's no surprise that the there were so few people with open minds attending. But then, people with open minds are the minority anyway. He he he. :)

[Myst]

I have to agree with Slv. Certain things should be expected....