Students, campus groups united by faith, fellowship, new friends

As the 10th annual Faith Fest descended upon Dunn Meadow Sunday, freshmen, upperclassmen and residents alike visited the many religious organizations that had tables set up with informative literature, cookies and pizza.\nKen Larson, campus director of the Navigators, a Christian group, and member of the Campus Religious Leaders Association, which sponsors Faith Fest, said the event will make it easier for new and old students to decide on a religious organization.\n"This is an opportunity for students to come to IU to find a community that they connect with," Larson said. "The most valuable services the event provides are the ability to ask questions and pick up literature, which also helps make the campus feel smaller for the new student." \nLarson said Faith Fest is a "one-stop shop" and credits IU for scheduling the event during the orientation week prior to the first week of classes.\n"We have between 14 to 20 faiths represented here today," Larson said. "The coordination with orientation gives students a fun and exciting way to find out about what is going on campus."\nFreshman Ashley Elskus said she feels being allowed to come to IU five to six days before school begins and attending Faith Fest has helped in the transition from high school to college.\n"It would be very overwhelming to come to college with no time to adjust before school starts," Elskus said. "Faith Fest is a good way to find out what IU has to offer and to also find a nice Christian community to join."\nThe InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, one of the many organizations holding a booth at Faith Fest, bases itself on small groups -- which is helpful to the many students looking for an organization to join, according to their literature.\nSenior Holly Carey, small group coordinator for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, believes Faith Fest will show students the cultural and religious diversity found on the Bloomington campus.\n"Students are welcome anywhere, we are excited to have them here," Carey said. "Their membership doesn't depend on their background. We promote social justice and racial diversity, while offering Bible study and worship."\nRecent graduate Stephanie Michael, head of women's ministry in the Christian Student Fellowship, said the reason she got involved with the organization was because she found out about a meeting from a sidewalk chalking.\n"I was praying all summer before my freshman year, and when I came to IU, I wanted to find people that shared the same beliefs as me," Michael said.\nMichael also said students will benefit from joining any of the organizations represented at Faith Fest because they will allow students to connect to other students and the University.\n"Students will meet people from all the ministries," Michael said. "They will find something that they might be interested in, but most importantly, meet people they wouldn't have if they hadn't come to either Faith Fest or joined an organization." \n-- Contact staff writer Eric Tash at etash@indiana.edu.