Chris Daniel is a common sight at the Common
Cup on Main Street, but he does not work there.
Daniel, the campus minister for Reformed University
Fellowship, said he goes to the local hangout to talk
to students, find out ways he and his wife can share
in their lives and invite students to events.
“Chris has been helpful … he is very quick to get
involved in people’s lives,” said Robert Denison, 19, a
computer science sophomore who has attended RUF
meetings and events. “Chris is definitely someone I
know I can call with questions.”
The Presbyterian Church in America sponsors RUF.
Daniel said he appreciates PCA’s support because it
welcomes not only Presbyterian students but provides
a context to create a community of faith in God for all
Christian denominations. A wide variety of students
attend RUF, including Baptists, Presbyterians and
non-denominational worshippers.
With more than 31,000 students, VCU has more than
30 religious organizations, such as RUF, the Muslim
Student Association and Hillel, the Foundation for
Jewish Campus Life, that boast a conviction to create
a diverse but close-knit community within their faiths
and on the campus.
“Our goal is to reach the Muslim community on
campus … for me, some goals I’d like to achieve
(are) … to work with more organizations and (to)
collaborate,” said Zaynah Qutubuddin, president of
the Muslim Student Association.
Qutubuddin, a senior English major with a pre-med
concentration, has watched MSA grow into a large
group,with about 200 active members, during her years
at VCU. While MSA prides itself on its big-family
feel, Qutubuddin said, the group wants to pull in new
students and make them feel welcome.
MSA holds weekly events for Muslim students,
including halaqas, study circles that gather to discuss
religious topics, and Friday Jummah Prayers, held in
the Commons at 1:15 p.m. The organization also
hosts special events to reach out to the non-Muslim
community.
One of the largest events is Fast-a-Thon, which
tries to get non-Muslim students to fast for one day
and promote hunger awareness, among other things.
Qutubuddin works with organizations to get $2 donations
per fasting student.
“We get pledges. We get sponsors,” Qutubuddin
said. “(Fast-a-Thon) lets people know about hunger
awareness and Ramadan in general.”
Fast-a-Thon hosts a large banquet at the end of the
fast. Qutubuddin, who has participated in Fast-a-Thon
for three years, said it has grown from a meeting that
fills just the Commonwealth ballroom to one filling
both the Ballroom and the Richmond Salons. People
were turned away last year because of such high
attendance.
Not only does this event help to pull a large number
of students, Qutubuddin said, but it also helps draw
together different campus organizations as she works
to find donors.
Hillel, the foundation for Jewish campus life at
VCU, also strives to promote a core community on
campus.
Megan Stewart, president of Hillel, said the organization
currently has 20 to 30 active members, and
its goal is to “create a comfortable setting for Jewish
young adults.”
Stewart works with three other board members
to create events, both social and religious, generally
based around Jewish holidays. They currently don’t
have weekly meetings, but have homemade Shabbat
dinners at least once a month, as well as two other
events. Hillel also provides transportation to local
Jewish services.
Stewart has seen Hillel grow into “a good Jewish
group” since last year, when there was low attendance.
Hillel, Stewart said, is for anyone who wants to have
a Jewish faith and community on campus.
Hillel co-sponsored an event last year that showed its
determination to draw students of other beliefs. MSA
and Hillel together sponsored “Stand-up for Peace,”
a comedy show that featured a Jewish comic and a
Palestinian comic. MSA and Hillel held the event in
a lecture hall on campus, and between 200 and 300
students of all religions attended.
“We were hoping it would create a lighter atmosphere
between the students of different faiths on campus,”
Stewart said.
This year, Stewart hopes not only to increase the
size and influence of Hillel but to create a setting where
people really get to know each other. Stewart said the
most helpful tool so far to gain new attendance has
been the Internet.
“Facebook,” Stewart said. “We have gotten so many
new people from Facebook.”
Daniel said his group’s most prominent tools to
develop a Christian community on campus and to
reach out to students of other faiths have been weekly
Tuesday night meetings and inviting students into
his home.
“It’s just the regular large group … (and) having
students (come) into our home … I think that’s meant
a lot to students,” Daniel said. “Just loving them and
welcoming them into our home. I think that’s been
really powerful.”
Daniel and his wife entertain students twice a month
to eat dinner in their home and spend time talking or
playing games together.
RUF also co-sponsored “Give Me an Answer!”, an
event featuring Cliffe Knechtle, a Christian worldview
lecturer, on the Commons Plaza for four days last
year. The event saw a large turnout, and Knechtle is
returning to VCU Sept. 10 to Sept. 13 from noon to 4
p.m. This event, and others, reveal Daniel’s mission to
reach the campus and a diverse group of students.
“Any student looking for campus ministries, I invite
and encourage them to come to our large group, or to
visit the Web site or just call me,” Daniel said.
Stewart also encouraged students to be engaged.
“We encourage people who haven’t even gotten the
chance to explore Judaism (to attend),” she said.
Qutubuddin stressed MSA’s inclusive environment.
“We like to involve and include everyone.”