Christians on campus carrying their faith

At the beginning of every fall semester, new students flood campuses of colleges around the country. A major challenge of this stressful environment that often goes unnoticed: The struggle of young Christians entering a secular campus, with temptations and difficulties along the way.

At a military school such as Norwich, these students face a different set of challenges, according to the Norwich campus chaplain.

Reverend William Wick has been the campus chaplain of Norwich for 22 years. He provides religious services for all denominations, as well as counseling of individuals.

Wick said tat the number of Christians on campus can change, based on the definition of a true practicing Christian. "There are approximately 200 seriously practicing Christians on campus, who are serious about their faith," Wick said.

This is a significant group of students who are taking on the religious challenges that a small military school has to offer.

A large challenge that every student, Christian or not, has faced is the peer pressure that comes with a large group. This is magnified in the atmosphere of the Norwich Corps of Cadets.

Wick refers to this as the "herd mentality." He said that this is the purpose of the corps: To build a team. It is great to solidify a team dynamic, he said, but dangerous for a growing faith going against the grain.

"A herd mentality is to follow the flow of the group, rather than be an individual. We (the Corps) are supposed to break down the individual to make a team, but when that individual stops thinking … the greatest danger is that they will not be accepted by the group," Wick said.

Ben Cottrell, a 19-year-old sophomore communications major from Annapolis, Md., said: "It's hard going to a school where a majority of campus is not concerned with the practices of a serious Christian."

The challenges of a young Christian are not limited to members of the Corps of Cadets. Traditional students can also deal with conflict against their religion.

Tim Morrison, a 20-year-old junior architecture major from Alfred, Maine, was raised in a Christian household. Growing up, he attended church and youth groups regularly but he also went to a public school. Morrison was "used to not being in an entirely Christian group."

A major difference that Morrison encountered was that for the first time in his life; he was on his on his own.

The gap between a Christian fellowship at home, and a school-based fellowship was short lived: "I met someone in Norwich Christian Fellowship and he invited me the first week of school," Morrison said.

According to the Norwich Christian Fellowship's academic advisor, Professor of biology and physical education Carlos Pinkham, "This is the first time that a large majority of these students have been away from their parents for an extended period of time."

Pinkham has been the Norwich Christian Fellowship's academic advisor for 28 years.

The Norwich Christian Fellowship is a Christian support and fellowship group on campus which organizes times for Bible studies, volunteer trips and regular off-campus Church visits.

The numbers in the group dwindle after each year. This year the group has 58 freshmen, 23 sophomores, 34 juniors, and only four seniors, according to Pinkham.

Pinkham said that there are many reasons for this attrition. "Some of them may have, realistically, lost their faith," he said.

Wick has also seen student attendance at the Chapel diminish over the course of a semester. Due to the change of numbers, he is able to focus on the serious practitioners: "During the end of the first semester and beginning of the second semester, that's where you find the people that are serious about what they're doing."

This strong central core of Christians on campus leads many people who grow in their faith during the first couple years, contrary to other Christians who may falter in their faith.

Cottrell said; "I came here a moderate Christian, and over the past year and a half, I have become an even stronger Christian, even though there are always temptations on campus."

Cottrell said that he has support from some of his close friends and "the Rev" (Reverend Wick). Pinkham agrees, "I see people come to school with a strong faith and they strengthen it further with time here."

The military lifestyle and "Honor Code" are contributing factors.

"With the structure of the military; the sense of commitment, honor, and integrity, it might be easier than at other "vanilla" schools without a sense of ethics," Wick said.

 "I think the population of Norwich is somewhat more protected then the students at larger schools," Pinkham said. "There is a little bit of a guiding factor in the military outlook, which contributes to the conscience of the students."

This makes for a very moral driven campus regardless of religion, which has a population that holds a moral standing higher than that of other schools. This has helped many Christians keep their faith intact, even when they are tempted to fall away.

The "survival" of a young Christian on any college campus is less about the support groups, and more about the foundation that the individual has. In other words, one's faith is entirely dependent on the person, not the campus support.

Those with a loose foundation seem to wither in faith, while those with a strong foundation seem to grow.

Wick said, "If they are coming in, holding an opinion that they got from their parents, they are sure to fall by the wayside. Unless they have the conviction of faith in their heart. They find out one way or another, in their first year."