Religion at North Central
A sociology classroom filled with about 20 students was given a simple assignment — list the top 10 priorities in their life. The choices ranged from family, wealth, education and other common things that surround someone’s life. One of those choices was religion.
The students then took a moment to list the priorities in their life. Only two of the 20 students put religion in their top five. Many chose family, wealth, friends and other things that everyone would find important. The two that did value religion said that their spiritual life makes all of the other topics happen and they trust in their faith to make those other values better.
Considering that North Central is a private college that practices religion, some may find it odd that it does not play a more prominent role in student’s lives. North Central affiliates with the Methodist religion, yet there are few Methodists that reside at the school, in fact, many don’t have a religious belief at all.
Not all private schools focus on religion, many focus heavily on academics, especially those with a liberal arts education. Religion can be just another resource or provision for a student, but they do not mandate it in their campus community. North Central may not mandate religious practices, but they do give the resources for students to practice their faith.
According to The Office of Faith and Action, there are various student organizations on campus that allow students to practice their particular religion some include FOCUS, Catholic Cardinals, the Muslim student organization and Young Life. Certain students find these organizations very helpful in growing their faith and have developed friendships that share similar goals when it comes to religion.
There are other schools, however, that do implement religion into the curriculum and the daily life of the student. According to the Rev. Eric Doolittle, North Central used to have this type of atmosphere in its earlier days but later changed to welcome and attract more students of different cultures and other religions besides just Methodist. There are few schools that mandate religion well and North Central thought it was best to just make it a part of the many activities of student life.
Since then, many religions have found their way onto campus and all are welcome to practice the way they wish.
Students and religion on college campuses
Heavily religious colleges that do demand religious practices from their students provide a different college life and classroom atmosphere. An example of this campus lifestyle would be Wheaton College. Anna Parker, who is a junior at the college, describes what separates Wheaton from other private colleges.
“One thing is definitely making chapel mandatory and three times a week…the professors always open class in prayer as well,” said Parker.
Many religious schools also provide a chapel for their students, but few make it mandatory like Wheaton does. Though this may sound like a headache to some, students at Wheaton find it fulfilling and essential for their growth in faith.
“(Wheaton) has developed me a lot…I’ve taken a ton of classes that revolve around spiritual formation and the process of becoming a better Christian. Being immersed in this is just the best and it has helped me grow a lot in my faith,” said Parker.
Wheaton College has a heavy focus on religion, but as great as it sounds to some, many may be hesitant to make the leap into that type of atmosphere. Some students may not have an all-in attitude with religion coming out of high school, which is very normal today.
“It’s definitely not for everyone. I remember when I first got to Wheaton and they washed our feet in the chapel. I thought it was very odd at first, but I came around to everything happening here and I could not imagine being anywhere else,” said Julia DiBiase, a junior at Wheaton.
For some, an atmosphere like Wheaton is exactly what they are looking for. Macie Kosch, ’21, is transferring to Wheaton for the religious life that she did not get from North Central.
When it comes to picking a college, some common questions students ask includes tuition, academic success and location, but for students that look to grow spiritually as they enter adulthood, the religious community is a bigger part of their decision.
Students pray over each other during Young Life gathering.
Naomi Hill, ’21, explains her search for colleges and what a religious community meant to her campus life.
North Central may not implement religion in education quite like Wheaton, but the Office of Faith and Action still works to help students that would like to grow in their faith to achieve that goal. North Central looks to make that possible for everyone and not just Christians.
Doolittle discusses that responsibility.
Although resources are always available for students that have a religious background, some still don’t think it’s enough to reach out to more students who have not found their faith.
Practicing religion and the judgment of others
As North Central will most likely never go back to mandating religion the way they once did, some still feel that there are ways to help students grow spiritually. Some believe that can be done by reaching out to students that don’t usually practice religion to give it a try.
Kosch said non-religious students can get involved and possibly try and find faith with very little pressure to stay if they decide otherwise.
Diversity has always been a goal for North Central and that not only goes with cultural clubs, but also religious clubs. This is essential now because the religious demographics at North Central is very similar to the demographics of the general population.
Many religions exist on North Central’s campus, but some may still feel judged if they are to practice their religion freely around some of their peers.
North Central continues to make an effort to integrate students in all social aspects. As it continues to be a trial and error process, there will be mixed feelings about accommodating students cultures, especially when it comes to religion.
