How are Christians acquired at a California public college?

Credit score: Julie Leopo/EdSource

Credit score: Julie Leopo/EdSource

Abbie Phillips

March 3, 2023

Upon studying that I used to be accepted to and can be attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, one space the place I felt some apprehension was discovering a non secular neighborhood that match me nicely. My early expertise with religion communities negatively coloured my expectations for school; after becoming a member of just a few Christian organizations at my highschool, I got here away feeling as if these youth teams or golf equipment had been a bit unique. 

I additionally am conscious that public notion in the direction of Christians and Christianity might not at all times be constructive on school campuses. For instance, a study at Ohio State College, Mississippi State College and North Carolina State College was carried out to “look at if and the way school college students developed an appreciation of evangelical Christianity over 4 years of school.” The authors famous that “evangelical Christian school college students … really feel a necessity to hide their identification and views on school campuses.”  

Kyle Rachman, a current Cal Poly graduate, understood this detrimental notion, telling me, “There was a balancing act with being open about religion … whereas concurrently looking for to not push away individuals who have been harmed by Christians previously and don’t need to hear something about Jesus.”

That could be the place an incongruence lies. Evangelical Christians are too usually lumped into one group that believes the identical politically, socially and intellectually concerning the world. And traditionally, evangelical Christians have been seen because the oppressors in the direction of minority teams. 

So earlier than heading off to varsity, I talked with individuals at my church about what I ought to get entangled with once I obtained there; my shut pal talked to me about how she liked Cru, a Christian membership at Cal Poly (in addition to at greater than 1,300 different school campuses within the U.S.). I wished to share my religion, however I didn’t need to be part of a gaggle seen as unique or that contributed to detrimental stereotypes. 

I used to be nervous earlier than my first assembly. I heard that 300 college students got here to the membership each week, and I imagined by no means discovering a stable group of pals inside this sea of individuals. I imagined this membership can be simply as unique and cliquey as earlier golf equipment I had encountered.

Nonetheless, I used to be incorrect for the higher.

My expertise at Cal Poly thus far is that I’ve by no means sensed a lot judgment, and I’ve by no means as soon as felt any alienation for being Christian. None of my fellow college students or anybody else on campus has laughed at me or made impolite remarks in the direction of me or my religion. 

Jolie Jannone, a third-year switch scholar, shared related sentiments. She stated, “Being a Christian at Cal Poly has truthfully exceeded my expectations. To date, I’ve not skilled something however positivity.”

I’ve come to imagine that in school, individuals are extra receptive — everyone seems to be looking for an identification, so no matter identification you’ve gotten appears to be extra simply accepted. I additionally imagine we’re an accepting technology that doesn’t appear to be as judgmental about others’ selections.

Speaking with some pals from Cru, I realized how different Christians on campus felt about having a religion background on campus. The impression is that this membership has given many college students an outlet to really feel extra assured and comfy of their identification. 

A pal of mine, Ashley Bartlett, stated that Cru helped her discover “an open area that makes everybody really feel welcome and, in doing so, offers the braveness to not conceal religion round campus.”

Additionally working in a Christian scholar’s favor, in line with the examine talked about above, is time. The researchers decided that tolerance — and even appreciation for Christians on campus — grew as college students spent 4 years collectively. Wrote the authors, “Outcomes from this examine present compelling proof that appreciation of evangelical Christianity can and does happen over 4 years of school by way of a mosaic of experiences.”

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Abbie Phillips is a second-year journalism scholar minoring in Spanish at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a member of EdSource’s California Scholar Journalism Corps. 

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