20 | MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008
AROUND CAMPUS
Religious groups welcome incoming students
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Miranda Spini receives a cross on her forehead during an Ash Wednesday service at the St Lawrence Catholic Campus Center. The center is one of many religious groups for students on campus.
BY GRETCHEN GIER
ggier@kansan.com
As part of their back-to-school preparations, religious organizations sent e-mails and posted Facebook messages to potential synagogue
and church members. Cultivating a relationship with students before August is as important as welcome barbecues and Sunday School.
Jay Lewis, executive director of KU Hillel, said his goal was to contact 200
ence at Naismith Hall, where many Jewish students live, during move-in and a welcome back BBQ on traditions night.
"Hawk Week culminates in a crimson and blue Chabad, a big kickoff dinner, to welcome and connect
"We want to make the transition from their home communities to the KU community as seamless as we can."
JAY LEWIS
Executive director of KU Hillel
Jewish freshmen during the summer via e-mail and Facebook.
"We want to make the transition from their home communities to the KU community as seamless as we can." Lewis said.
Hillel will also have a strong pres-
freshmen to the KU community. Lewis said.
Beseau said that St. Lawrence reached out to incoming freshmen through Facebook, and that the Catholic Center would be present at orientation.
Father Steve Beseau, director of St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, said he wanted to make students happier and healthier by creating a space for them in the Catholic community.
"In a situation like KU, which is so large, it's a place where people can
feel at home" Beseau said about the center.
The center plans to use its opening barbecue during Hawk Week to encourage Catholic students to contact St. Lawrence and get involved.
Lutheran Campus Ministry pastor, Shawn Norris, used e-mails and phone calls to let freshmen know they had a Lutheran link to the University.
Norris said Lutheran Campus Ministry would help new students with move-in day, and invite them to an end of Hawk Week barbecue.
"We're down-playing beer at the welcome barbecue because it excludes freshmen," Norris said.
Lutheran Campus Ministry's ultimate goal is to help freshmen explore their faith tradition and develop relationships.
"We're not beating-people-over-the-head-with-a-baseball-bat Christians," Norris said. "We want them to know we're here, and how we can connect to them."
Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
Religious Organizations available on campus
American Baptist Student Fellowship
Amitabha Buddhist Association Athletes In Action
Baha'i Campus Association
Beta Sigma Chi Christian
Beta Sigma Chi Christian
Sorority, Inc. Gamma Leviticus Chapter
Campus Christians (Inter-deminational Christian Student Fellowship)
Campus Crusade for Christ - CRU
Chabad Jewish Student Group Christian Legal Society Ecumenical Christian Ministries (ECM)
Exit 29
Fellowship of Christian Athletes Footprint Radio Broadcasting Ministry
Grace Collegiate Ministries (College Ministry of Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church)
Greek Impact
Hawks for Christ
Hillel, KU
ICHTHUS
Inspirational Gospel Voices
International Friends InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/International
J. Reuben Clark Law Society Kansas University Religious Advisors
Korean Christian Fellowship KU Cauldron
Latter-Day Saint Student Organization
Lawrence Chinese Evangelical Church
Limited Leadership (LLF)
Beyond Campus Ministries
Lutheran Campus Ministry
Lutheran Student Fellowship
Midwest Student Ministries
Muslim Student Association
Nation '2' Nation
Navigators, KU
Orthodox Christian Fellowship
Renaissance Church
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus
Center
UNight
University Christian Fellowship
University Church
Vintage Church
Weslev KU
THE UNIVERSITY DARRY KANSAN | WWW.KANSAN.COM