2008 Woodie Awards
Religious freedom abounds at affiliated schools
Julie Strasser
Issue date: 12/9/04 Section: Focus
Wheaton College has a completely different atmosphere than CUA. It is not associated with any one denomination, but is an evangelical Protestant school whose motto is "for Christ and His Kingdom." Jackie Sleeth, who is a junior at Wheaton and an evangelical Baptist, says that the school's deeply religious nature is obvious in many ways: "faculty must be Christians; we attend chapel three times a week; we have to take some theology classes as part of our general education classes; faith is usually integrated into our other classes; there are several ministries on campus." The student body is essentially completely Christian, and mostly Protestant, though some students at Wheaton are Catholic.
As someone who is part of the majority, Sleeth is comfortable in her environment. The fact that Wheaton was a Christian school was an attraction for her because she said "going to a college with other Christians would help me grow in my faith." Wheaton's religious ties are a huge factor and have a prominent, significant affect on students' lives.
Brandeis University is a completely different style of school as compared to the College, CUA and Wheaton for the fact that is not Christian-based but, as stated by its website, a "nonsectarian Jewish-sponsored university." The only Jewish-sponsored school in the nation, Brandeis' holds this title proudly and indeed is home to many Jews, but it welcomes and has people of all faiths attend. Laura Yenchman, a junior at Brandeis, says that "I easily forget that I go to what is 'labeled' a 'Jewish school,'" because she is not a strict observant Jew. Though Yenchman does say that the "Jewish population is more pronounced and represented here on campus" and that the "orthodox community is extremely prevalent," she also says that those who are not Jewish have the access and means to practice their religion as they wish. She calls Brandeis a school where "people are free to live their own experiences;" the fact that the school is Jewish-sponsored appears, at least from a student perspective, to be a non-issue.
Taking CUA and Brandeis into consideration, it would seem that how Muhlenberg's religious affiliation functions in the present age is quite common. Like Muhlenberg, CUA and Brandeis are proud of their religious heritage, but it is generally not an all-encompassing feature as it is at Wheaton. However, as is evidenced by these four schools, a religious affiliation is not another word for exclusion; no matter the background, people have the opportunity to attend the school of their choice and have the experience that they want.
As someone who is part of the majority, Sleeth is comfortable in her environment. The fact that Wheaton was a Christian school was an attraction for her because she said "going to a college with other Christians would help me grow in my faith." Wheaton's religious ties are a huge factor and have a prominent, significant affect on students' lives.
Brandeis University is a completely different style of school as compared to the College, CUA and Wheaton for the fact that is not Christian-based but, as stated by its website, a "nonsectarian Jewish-sponsored university." The only Jewish-sponsored school in the nation, Brandeis' holds this title proudly and indeed is home to many Jews, but it welcomes and has people of all faiths attend. Laura Yenchman, a junior at Brandeis, says that "I easily forget that I go to what is 'labeled' a 'Jewish school,'" because she is not a strict observant Jew. Though Yenchman does say that the "Jewish population is more pronounced and represented here on campus" and that the "orthodox community is extremely prevalent," she also says that those who are not Jewish have the access and means to practice their religion as they wish. She calls Brandeis a school where "people are free to live their own experiences;" the fact that the school is Jewish-sponsored appears, at least from a student perspective, to be a non-issue.
Taking CUA and Brandeis into consideration, it would seem that how Muhlenberg's religious affiliation functions in the present age is quite common. Like Muhlenberg, CUA and Brandeis are proud of their religious heritage, but it is generally not an all-encompassing feature as it is at Wheaton. However, as is evidenced by these four schools, a religious affiliation is not another word for exclusion; no matter the background, people have the opportunity to attend the school of their choice and have the experience that they want.