FaithFest turns Dunn Meadow into meeting ground for religions

Dunn Meadow was filled with the faithful Sunday afternoon as Orientation Programs and campus religious leaders presented FaithFest, a program where religious groups from across campus and Bloomington were invited to gather and talk to freshmen about their organizations.

“Your average student that’s interested can meet all the organizations that chose to participate in 30 minutes or so,” said Stephanie Michael, this year’s FaithFest coordinator and leader of the Women’s Ministry of the Christian Student Fellowship.

It’s also a chance for groups to publicize their events for the upcoming year, such as the Lutheran Campus Ministry’s third Annual Campus Cornhole Championship to help fight pediatric AIDS or the Muslim Student Union’s Fast-a-thon, which raises money for anti-poverty efforts.

“(Fast-a-thon) invites all non-Muslim students across campus to fast with us for a single day,” said junior Aasiya Mirza, vice president of the Muslim Student Union, who explained that Ramadan, the Muslim holy month and period of daily fasting, began Monday. “We break our fast together and offer a free dinner to the students who participated.”

The event wasn’t just for freshmen, though.

“Religion is important in my life, and I want to get involved on campus this year,” said sophomore Brittney Sparks, a FaithFest attendee who said she did some work with Campus Crusade for Christ last year.

Of the 19 organizations present, Christian groups were clearly predominant, though groups representing other religions had tables.

Any lack of diversity was a matter of scheduling conflict, rather than any prejudice, Michael said.

“Any group that is not here either chose not to participate or had something else going on,” she said, adding that many groups may not have enough staff to manage simultaneous events. “It’s up to the individual organizations to participate.”