12A KULTURE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2007
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Above: Two KU students laugh on the porch at the Campus Christians house, 1320 Ohio St., as they head home from a night on the town. On Friday nights, Campus Christians serves hot dogs and occasionally hot chocolate from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Below: Zach Bradburn, Lawrence freshman, passes out hot dogs Friday night at the Campus Christians house. Bradburn and other members of Campus Christians braved the cold to share food with late-night guests.
Campus Christians offer late-night hot dogs, spiritual conversation to partying students
BY ANDREW BREDESON
For most University of Kansas students, Friday nights mean deciding which party or bar to hit first and what kind of beer to buy. For the members of the Campus Christians, Friday nights mean five to six hours of spreading the ideals that govern their lives. One way they share their faith is by standing outside their house at 1320 Ohio St., giving hot dogs to anyone that wants them.
"I love this place, I've never felt judged" said Stephanie Bonson, Minneapolis, Minn., sophomore. Bonson said that they could be found giving away free hot dogs on even the coldest Fridays.
The group gives out between 400 and 450 hot dogs on a typical Friday night, and they are out in all types of weather. The funding for the hot dog distribution comes from donations from local churches and community members.
Standing less than a block from The Hawk, 1340 Ohio St., and in the middle of an action-packed student neighborhood, the Campus Christians find that the vast majority of hot dog eaters stop by on their way to or from a night of partying. Martin Hamilton, St. Louis freshman, said that the location allowed them to reach a lot of people.
"It's really good outreach," Hamilton said.
From people driving the wrong direction on a one-way street to fights, the Campus Christians have seen it all. "We've even had somebody throw up in our house," said Tony Bedora, the group's director and a reli-
glious adviser in the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.
Tyler McKee, Holton sophomore, said that the house was there to be a place for people to come and relax.
The hot dog giveaway lasts from 9:30 p.m. until 2:30 or 3 a.m. Visitors have stayed until as late as 4:30 a.m. talking about spirituality, among other things. "If people need someone to talk to, we're here," McKeen said.
Most students who visit the house appreciate the goodwill.
"They're very hospitable," said Bonnie O'Malley, Evanston, Ill., freshman.
Their motivation is simple.
"I love God, God's people and God's world, and we wanted to find a practical way to reach out." Bedora said.
When many students think of interacting with religious groups, they picture group members standing on street corners handing out flyers that are likely to be thrown away. The Campus Christians are different. They encounter hundreds of students every Friday and hope to enhance each passerby's evening.
Bedora said that another goal they had was to break stereotypes.
They want to show students that Christians do not judge others based on the decision to drink and party and that not all Christians push others to change their beliefs. They simply wish to spread the love and generosity that is fundamental to their faith.
Edited by Katie Sullivan
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