Religious groups spread message of faith at festival

Attendees at FaithFest were out to prove that despite IU’s party-school reputation, students have a variety of different religions and many have strong convictions in their faith.

“A church will help me focus,” freshman Shelby Melton said. “The goal is to find a support system that keeps me focused, and not fall into partying. ... I want to get involved with this to have a backup for when there is more temptation.”

Many IU students discovered their religious organization in a similar way.

Students represented organizations including the Muslim Student Union, the Baha’i Faith Community Center, Campus Crusade for Christ and Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry.

Groups set up booths, gave out food and played “punch pong” Saturday afternoon in Dunn Meadow.

Full-time CRU staff member and IU graduate Brian Beesley got involved with the organization his freshman year after going to its first meeting of the year.

During his freshman year he  said he didn’t know many people and didn’t feel any serious ties in any of the relationships he had formed.

His college experience changed after he got involved with CRU. The relationships Beesley formed have grown since his freshman year.

“These relationships have a lot more purpose,” Beesley said. “They are a lot more directed. We hold each other accountable. These relationships have developed over time.”

Beesley, a Kelley School of Business graduate, turned down a job offer in Chicago where he could have been “rolling in the money,” he said. Instead, he chose to be a full-time staff member for CRU.

“I wanted to give a year back,” Beesley said. “In the end, this is what I would rather do.”

To Beesley, faith is one of the most vital parts of his life.

“All students are here to form knowledge to go get a job, but when you think about it, many people don’t use their majors when they go to the workforce,” Beesley said. “By pursuing a faith, by pursuing spirituality, what you are really investing in is something that isn’t going to go away. It will stay with you for life and through the afterlife.”

The Impact Movement, a branch of CRU for students of African descent, has had a positive impact on its members, including junior and leader Chelten Carter.

“I went to Impact myself my sophomore year and my spirit has grown,” Carter said. “I grew up in the church and learned the Word, but was never really living it. And I was amazed at these people here. With everything going on around them with the partying, I was shocked there was a group of people looking for the Lord.”