Since Club Rush is over, students may have noticed a wider variety of clubs offered on campus, ranging from academic, social to ethnic and religious.
There are currently 35 active student-run clubs on campus. Four are religion based.
The Latter Day Student Association, Christians on Campus, Christians United for Israel and InterVarsity are active religious clubs.
Intervarsity is the newest to join the lists of clubs.
“Our Bible studies are a place where anyone can come and study God’s word with us. It is not a place where only Christians come and talk about the [Holy] Bible,” said Andy Miller, a club leader.
Latter Day Saints Student Association is a Mormon-based group seeking Mormon students or those interested in the faith.
Christians on Campus holds Christian faith Bible studies for students, faculty and staff.
Christians United For Israel (CUFI) is part of a national organization that strives “to inspire Christian student leaders to advocate for Israel and the Peace of Jerusalem on college campuses across America,” According to the cufi.org website.
InterVarsity believes “that when students and faculty are transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, their campus is transformed, and ultimately society as a whole comes to more closely reflect the priorities of the kingdom of God. That is why we invest ourselves in the lives of students and faculty, wherever they are on their spiritual journey.”
While a separation of church and state exists, these clubs exist as part of antidiscrimination laws set forth by state and Federal governments.
So religion-based clubs exist at Delta despite the campus being publicly funded.
The college policy states “the District does not discriminate, and prohibits harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, mental disability, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), medical condition (Cancer), or marital status, or sexual orientation.”
The InterClub Council, the student organization that oversees campus clubs, follows this policy and allows the students to have a wide variety of clubs including religious clubs on campus.
They are not the only clubs based on religion that have been on campus. There have been Muslim based and other eastern religion based clubs in the recent past.
“As long as they’re not in my face they can do whatever they want,” said Keiko Kaneichi, Delta Student.
Giving the students the ability to join a group of like minded students or seek information about differing topics can be seen as an education experience and may enhance the college experience overall.