U.VA. GROUNDS REFLECT RELIGIOUS INTERESTS AS EASTER, PASSOVER APPROACH Representatives of religious organizations believe University of Virginia students are seriously investigating matters of faith through academic pursuits, attendance at campus ministries, personal activities, and participation in volunteer service. Following are story ideas that tie in with the religious observances of Easter (March 30) and Passover (April 21-28): Strong Academic Interest Enrollments in such popular undergraduate classes as "Faith and Doubt in the Modern Age" and "Religion and Modern Fiction" are strong. "We have about 2,000 students taking religious studies courses this semester," said Harry Y. Gamble Jr., professor and chairman of the department. Student interest in Asian religious traditions and Eastern themes of spirituality appears to be particularly strong, Gamble noted. Department faculty report keen student participation in classes. "Students seem more interested in questions about values and religious issues, as shown by the number of questions raised and the general discussion level in classes," Gamble said. For more information, Gamble can be reached at (804) 924-6714. Showing Distinct Interest in Religion Jamie Ferreira, a religious studies professor who teaches the popular "Faith and Doubt" course, notes a distinct difference in student attitudes. "Students seem to be very interested in finding out about religion, but less concerned about spiritual questions. I'm seeing more and more students who want to know about religion, but they seem less concerned about `meaning of life' issues," she said. Ferreira can be reached at (804) 924-6712. Serving Up Passover Meals As part of his outreach effort to the Jewish community at U.Va., Aaron Bisno, the new rabbi hired last summer by the Hillel Foundation in Charlottesville, has arranged with the University's Dining Services to provide Passover-style meals at on-Grounds eateries. Although the kitchens aren't kosher and can't provide true "kosher-for-Passover" meals, on each day of the eight-day Passover season, dining halls will offer matzo, the unleavened bread that lies at the heart of the Passover story -- when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Other dishes that follow the dietary prohibition against using leavening will also be served. This appears to be the first time a rabbi has led a concentrated effort to provide on-campus, Passover-style meals, making it easier for Jewish students and faculty to observe the holiday. Rabbi Bisno also hopes to build bridges to Christian students on Grounds. Among his plans are conducting a Passover seder, a special meal and religious service that retells the Passover story, with students at the Baptist Student Union on March 20 at 6 p.m. For more information on these stories, call Aaron Bisno at (804) 295-4963. A New Kind of Night Fever Catching On Alex Henegar, a University of Virginia student who describes himself as timid, is surprised to find that he is the creator of the increasingly popular "Tuesday Night," weekly programs that help students explore religious and spiritual issues in an informal, non-confrontational setting. Held at 10 p.m. on Tuesday nights in a classroom (Peabody, room 106), Henegar opens each program, which he describes as a "place for the spiritually homeless," by tossing out warm, freshly baked loaves of bread. As students pass the bread, breaking off chunks to eat, Henegar leads them in discussing a topic. The weekly themes, which graduate students research by reading the Bible, texts and current literature, are addressed according to one principle Henegar states often: "Complete honesty so you have the freedom to be intensely personal." Themes have included friendship, wisdom, passion, fear, compassion, damage and loss. After discussing the week's topic, each session has a period of music, followed by prayer. Although Henegar has never posted fliers to advertise the programs he started last semester, word-of-mouth has caused attendance to soar. At the end of last semester, 50 students were attending; sessions this month have averaged 100. Now a fifth-year student at U.Va., Henegar took a year off to be a carpenter and explore his own spirituality. His goal in creating the weekly programs is to help students explore their spirituality. For more information, contact Henegar at (804) 977-3576. Searching for Inner Truth "It's almost kind of 'in' to be more spiritual now," said Tony Giles, director of undergraduate ministries at the Center for Christian Study, an independent organization that serves as a resource on Christianity to the University. Student attendance at fellowship meetings has increased, and students are asking increasing numbers of questions about religion and spiritual issues, notes Giles, who helps fraternities and sororities to extend Christian outreach. "We had over 1,000 people from the University attend a week-long series that discussed mankind's search for truth," said Giles, who helps students learn about Christian faith by offering seminars and academic programs. He can be reached at (804) 295-2471. Student attendance at campus Christian events has grown by about 10 percent, estimates Kirk Ogden, campus staff member of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Virginia. He serves as a campus organizer of Christian events for students at U.Va., Hampden Sydney College and Longwood College. The organization sets up a booth at a U.Va. activities fair each August. Ogden estimates that there has been a 15 percent increase in student participation at the booth the last two years. He can be reached at the fellowship office at (804) 977-5285, or at his home, (804) 977 5118. Increase at Chapel Wayne Ray, a minister with Canterbury Episcopal Student Fellowship adjacent to the University of Virginia, estimates that there has been roughly a 15 percent increase in student attendance at chapel. The chapel is always at capacity -- about 70 people per service. He attributes the increase to students' need to establish a sense of community and "relatedness." "I think many students have reasons to be discouraged by what's happening in today's society. So they are investigating spiritual questions as a way of being encouraged," Ray said. He can be reached at the ministry, (804) 295-2156, or his home, (804) 971-1338. Picking, Choosing What's Relevant Brian Connell, the student president of Campus Crusade for Christ at U.Va., believes the number of students involved in the organization is lower this year than last year. However, Daniel Schuttinga, also a Campus Crusade member who tries to "share the gospel" with students, is finding more students willing to be part of an evangelical movement now than last year. He estimates that he talks to about 35 people weekly about the gospel. Campus Crusade for Christ sends an annual survey to students to determine their interest in spiritual matters. "On one of the questions asking how much interest students have in spiritual matters, response has been very high," Schuttinga said. As a Campus Crusade representative who conducts spiritual-interest interviews with students responding to the surveys, Schuttinga has found, "Lots of students are trying to pick and choose among aspects of various religions, trying to find what's relevant to them." Both Connell and Schuttinga can be reached at (804) 979-9829. Increasing Student Interest in Prayer "Students are thinking more about spirituality," said Nicole Boone, a student leader in the New Generation Campus Ministries, a predominantly black group devoted to encouraging Christianity and supporting the development of Christian leaders. Attendance in New Generation prayer meetings held daily at 7 a.m. has doubled, she said. Students are showing more interest in praying, and New Generation members are receiving increasing numbers of requests for prayers on behalf of others, Boone said. "Students seem to have more interest in talking about the Lord," said Boone, noting that New Generation members seek out people to engage in discussions about religion. She can be reached at (804) 243-1010. Young Men of the Cloth Rabbi Aaron Bisno and Father Jordan Lenaghan are young men who want to stir things up. Both were both ordained less than a year ago and both accepted their first posts at campus ministries last summer -- Bisno, a Reform Jewish rabbi at the Hillel Foundation, and Lenaghan, a Catholic Dominican priest at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. They were trained in different traditions, but share similar challenges. They're also good friends. For more information on the challenges they face as spiritual leaders, call Bisno at (804) 295-4963, and Lenaghan at (804) 293-8081. Gaining Satisfaction Through Service Still another component of the spirituality quest could be the increased interest U.Va. students exhibit in "finding themselves" through volunteerism. During the past academic year 2,927 students volunteered a total of 115,000 hours -- an increase of 5,000 hours over last year. For more information, contact Cindy Fredrick, executive director at Madison House, the office that coordinates community service at U.Va., at (804) 977-7051. To Gain Other Impressions Other contacts include the Baptist Student Union at (804) 977-8743 and the Wesley Foundation, United Methodist Campus Ministry Center, at (804) 977-6500. ### March 3, 1997