University of Wisconsin Eau Claire - Periscope Yearbook (Eau Claire, WI)

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 a rocky road cont. 9ANOTI1 Yurkowitz said she was raised with a religious hack ground. Her father is an Orthodox Jew and Yurkowitz and her mother are Methodist. She was active in a church youth group in junior high, she said. “It's not that I don’t believe in God. Yurkowitz said. I just don’t get into organized religion. When I am asked about religion I say that I believe in God but in my own way. I don’t set up specific times for it, it is just a part of my life. It’s a more natural, spontaneous thing. That’s the reason for me not getting into organized religion. It’s coming from my heart, it’s not something done out of habit or duty. While Yurkowitz prefers a non-structured expression of her beliefs, Mary Ellen Rozga has chosen a structured traditional religious lifestyle. Rozga. a fifth-year physical education major, plans to enter the Notre Dame order in Chippewa Falls to become a nun. following spring graduation. She will have up to 12 years to decide if she wants to take her final vows. Left Rev Herbert Pmhl conducts a service at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. lt is gratifying to sec young people grow in their religion and values. Below: Kris Albrecht, Sue Wendorff and Donna Dimoff took 15 minutes to an hour Monday nights to participate in an independent Bible study. I»wer left: Lake Street United Methodist Church bus service makes church attendance more convenient for students 26 Religion

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Musin said there are approximately 20-25 Jewish students who go to the temple on holidays. There may be more though, he said, who may not attend because they arc agnostic. Musin occasionally misses classes so he can attend services. He said most professors understand, but there arc those who cannot comprehend it. Scheduling can be difficult at these times, he said. Musin isn't the only student who's had to make adjustments. For Kris Albrecht. UWEC is the first public school she has ever attended. Her first semester was rough, she said, but she settled down second semester. She realized just because I was on a secular campus, not part of a gospel group, that the Lord was still alive. It's surprising how you meet Christians. They pop up when you need them. Like many students, Albrecht has joined a local church. I love my church. Albrecht said, because the congregation made me feel part of the family. They really accepted me. Albrecht taught Sunday School at the beginning of the year, but stopped because of time conflicts. I wanted to teach. she said, because I had something to offer them, and they had something to offer me. Albrecht plans to become a medical missionary in South America. The Lord has given me so many things.” she “Up here, it’s my decision to make.” said. “I want to give Him my life professionally. Once u week. Albrecht and four to six other girls got together for Bible study. In addition she set aside time for daily devotions. Some students' religious values do not lie with an organized church body. Karen Yurkowitz considers religion a private matter, between God and me. In the four years Yurkowitz has been in school, she has gone to one church service. The occasion was to hear a friend sing.

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.. I believe in God but in my own way.” Above Father Holx-rt Cook celebrates mass In Sacred Heart Hospital's CImpel “Symbols ore important ... for they represent the Joy. Rp iirion 27 Rozga. who has been considering a vocation since high school, made the decision lust winter after applying to the Notre Dame order. While attending a Catholic high school. Rozga said, she went from a rebellious extreme to a religious extreme. She joined a Pentecostal group for a while but decided that it wasn't for her. She said the first two years of college were spent partying and studying. Then she started giving serious thought to her vocation. It hit hardest. Rozga said, when this guy proposed to me and 1 started asking myself, ‘what do you really want to do with your life?' I put in an application with an order but kept an open mind about it. I kept dating, but 1 could see that religion was becoming more and more a part of my life. Living in a (religious) community is very similar to that of a family. Rozga said. When you need someone to depend on. to support you and grow with you. the other sisters are there just as a fumily would be. '“Because I'm going to be a nun doesn't mean that I'm not human. There are no nuns that follow the ten commandments to the letter. O