ETSU has a number of religious organizations on campus, and in general, students appreciate the selection.
Some of the most popular of these organizations are The Well, The Wesley Foundation, and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
Junior student Shae Littleton has attended both the Well and the Wesley Foundation and thought selection was important.
“It’s a lot harder to connect with people there because it’s such a large gathering,” Littleton said about The Well.
Smaller organizations like the Wesley Foundation offered a little more, making it easier for people to make friends.
“I really, really loved the Wesley Foundation,” Littleton said. “They are a truly wonderful group of people who genuinely care about others.”
ETSU also has one Muslim student organization and one Jewish organization.
While there’s satisfaction to be found in the current organizations, there are also students who practice their religion in the privacy of their homes.
Ayah Alhashim said she is one of these private worshipers. While there is indeed one organization relevant to her faith, she does not join in because Islam, like Christianity, has many branches.
“We organize in different places, what you would call a graveyard, and pray for our ancestors,” Alhashim said. “People from other religions think we worship them.”
Alhashim’s religion contains minute differences that are not shared in the current Muslim organization.
However small the difference, she abstains from all religious organizations on campus.
Islam, a religion with over one billion followers, is in the minority here on campus.
Some ETSU students aren’t interested in simply learning about or subscribing to one religion. Some students feel inspired by the respectful environments that the Unitarian Universalist church offers.
One such student is Tabit Momani, an aspiring doctor from Jordan.
“Radical open-mindedness, leaving your self-identity at the door,” Momani said, using these words to describe a dream organization.
He envisions an organization that is inclusive of all religions, philosophies and ethnicities, and that is open to a variety of ideas from a variety of people.
