Athens area has diverse religious offerings for incoming freshmen.
Athens and Ohio University have a diverse number of religious organizations and institutions that offer students an outlet for spiritual life on campus. Incoming students can expect to find groups studying and practicing religions from around the world.
Here are some religious offerings in the area:
Athens KTC Tibetan Buddhist Center
“You can be Christian and practice Buddhism,” Sue Erlewine, co-founder of the Buddhist center, said. “There is no (requirement) to join or become anything.”
According to the center’s website, Athens KTC meets every Sunday at 10 a.m. at 37 Ohio Street for meditation and study. After 50 minutes of Shinay meditation, the group breaks for coffee, tea and snacks. The focus then shifts to a discussion of texts from Tibetan Buddhism’s Karma Kagyu tradition. On the first Sunday of each month, the group chants the Chenrezik Sadhana, a prayer of compassion, according to the center’s website.
Erlewine said meditation can be useful in gaining perspective. It can influence how individuals react in daily life by helping them to see difficult situations in a new light, she said.
“It is all about being compassionate and having a good heart,” Erlewine said.
Cru at Ohio University
As a Christian organization on campus, Cru’s purpose is to connect people to Jesus Christ through compassion, Emily Selway, a 2013 Ohio University alumna and Cru member, said.
Cru holds weekly Bible studies called Community Groups. These groups meet in dorms on each green to “study the Bible and build friendships,” Selway said in an email.
In addition, Cru has a weekly meeting, called 180, in which worship music is played and students can speak about their relationships with God. Selway said fall and winter retreats, conferences during Christmas break and spring break and summer missions trips are also offered.
“Cru is one of the most active student organizations on campus with around 400 students involved, almost 40 weekly small group Bible studies, a weekly meeting and various different events throughout the year,” Selway said in an email.
Selway said participation in Cru changed her life.
“Becoming a part of Cru was the best decision I made when I came to OU. Cru was where I made lifelong friends, had tons of fun, and grew closer in my relationship with God,” she said in an email.
Hillel at Ohio University
Hillel at OU is one of the organizations on campus that serves in areas of Jewish culture, education, history, social service, Israel advocacy and communal experiences, according to the group’s website.
As a home to several independent student organizations, such as Jewish Women of Ohio, Bobcats for Israel and Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, Hillel offers a way for Jewish students to become leaders and explore their Jewish identity.
On Fridays throughout the academic year, Hillel at OU hosts services in which students can be involved. Students can lead prayers, offer a D’var Torah, which is also known as a sermon, or perform music. Students can also experience Shabbat on campus at Baker University Center, and several times a quarter, kosher Shabbat dinner follows services. The dinners are free for students, according to Hillel’s website.
Muslim Students Association at Ohio University
Representing more than 25 countries, the students of MSA come together from diverse backgrounds to share their religion, Hussein Abu Jeib, the president of MSA, said.
The group aims to “portray the peace message (Muslims) carry,” Abu Jeib, a graduate student studying electrical engineering, said.
To overcome negative media, Abu Jeib said, MSA looks to bring an awareness of Islam to campus.
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Muslim students gather for Friday prayer at the Islamic Center of Athens on 13 Stewart St, Abu Jeib said.
“We try to tell (students) about how they can continue their life as Muslims,” Abu Jeib said.
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