University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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RELIGION er tnA,cnt ' fi driana Yugovich Students lived in the here-and-now, forever focus- ing on that next task. But for many these obligations did not alone complete or define their lives. There ' s no place like college for living inside your head, but the belief that there ' s something else out there, something beyond ourselves, provided an important framework for many students surviving at the University. Religion could play an im- portant role in student ' s daily personal lives. As Ed Pauls, a junior Business school student, explained, My religious back- ground has a bearing on a good number of my moral and ethical decisions, such as in reporting my hours as atutor to the Athletic Department. When students ar- rived on campus, they became newly independent, solely respon- sible for our their actions and decisions. Students depended upon our personal philosophies to guide us, of which religion can play a major role. Sometimes student ' s experiences at the University helped redefine and shape a belief system. As Chris Zent, a senior chemical engineering major, remarked, So many things used to frustrate me. I took joy in temporal things rather than in something that ' s al- ways here. Zent then joined one of the many religious groups present on campus, Campus Crusade for Christ, which he described as great resource for people. It ' s not just a fellowship group, but one centered on helping you Adriana Yugovich The First Congregational Church on the corner of State Street and East William welcomes in- coming and returning students. Many Christian students continued their worship at school in various student chaples. AYlA grow in a personal relationship with Jesus. Reli- gious groups or associations on campus helped bring students together in search of spiritual com- munity. The multitude of such groups also re- flected the religious diversity present at the Univer- sity. That diversity flowed in part from the University ' s nondenominational status. Lack of an official religion certainly did not lead to an absence of spirituality, but rather to an abundance of committed faiths. As Chris Olsztyn, a junior history and German major, described, If you get to know people, reli- gion plays a large part in their lives. I don ' tthinkwe ' re afraid of religion here. People think we ' re really ambivalent, but I think, across all religions, we ' re really connected to our respective religions. Kevin Cooney, an LSA third year English and History major, also felt religion played a powerful role, Religion is for the most part invisible on campus, which makes it so powerful and invasive. It be- comes not so much about the outer form as the inner essence. Religion, whether practiced pub- licly or privately, played an important role in the lives of many students at the University. College proved to be a time not only about learning to do laundry and pulling all-nighters, but also about exploring and building upon spiritual beliefs. Religion 101

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In the annual Festival of India parade, students pull a large float honoring their God. The parade began in front of the Union and continued up State Street to end in the Diag. A preacher spreads his beliefs on the Diag, shouting his views while students circle around him. The Diagwas apopu- lar place for religious debate. 100 Voices I ' eltT Xieb

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A homeless man searches through a plastic bag of his few belongings. Many of Ann Arbor ' s homeless found refuge under trees and scattered places on Uni- versity property. An Ann Arbor homeless man, thankful for the warm temperatures, sleeps on church stairs in the afternoon. Ann Arbor ' s homeless relied on local churches or the Huron Street shelter for a place to stay. 102 Voices