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Swarthmore College students find challenges to conservative lifestyle

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(U-WIRE) SWARTHMORE, Pa. — After a long week of work, the people Swarthmore College student Jen Stevenson ‘06 lives with usually prepare to find a campus party. But while her roommates get ready to go out, Stevenson usually chooses to watch movies, hang out with friends or go out to eat in Philadelphia. She is one of the many students at Swarthmore who, for religious or personal convictions, is reluctant to frequent social situations where she knows alcohol will be served.

Many students believe we have a strong minority of students with socially conservative lifestyles. While these students’ personal beliefs vary widely, they are often characterized by strong religious values and abstinence from alcohol, drugs and sex before marriage. Many feel that, as a result of this lifestyle, they are marginalized in the Swarthmore social scene.

Some say their social lives are largely determined by religious values, which have been challenged at Swarthmore. Maki Sato ‘06 said that, after having attended an all-girls Catholic school for years, coming to college challenged her religiously and left her “kind of confused.”

“Not having the reinforcement of my moral values is difficult. It changes how I see myself and my relation to the world,” she said.

Adil Nure ‘05 said that the intense academic atmosphere at Swarthmore also challenged him to remember his priorities. “My mind is distracted by other obligations,” he said. “I forget the purpose of my existence, which is not getting an A or making money. I am a Muslim before I am a scholar.”

Others said their values had actually grown stronger by coming to college. Rozina Ali ‘06 said that, as one of few Muslims at Swarthmore, she has come to value her own beliefs more. “My beliefs have definitely been questioned in coming to college, but it has helped me appreciate my values. It makes me want to be more religious,” she said.

Devi Ramkissoon ‘06, who describes herself as a relatively conservative Hindu, shared the feeling that coming to college had strengthened her beliefs. “It’s easy to have strong beliefs when I’m at home and everyone shares them. Coming to college and seeing the ways others choose to live their lives helps me see why I hold my values,” she said.

Nure also said Swarthmore had strengthened him religiously, not because of the diversity but because of the religious networks he has formed. Referring to the Muslim Student Association, Nure said, “I’ve formed tight-knit bonds, and we’ve helped support one another religiously.”

These bonds, he said, formed not through planned activities but rather through close friendships. Scott Birney ‘06 agreed, saying he had found a religious community in the Swarthmore Christian Fellowship. “Practicing Christians are the minority here. It’s different from home,” he said, referring to his Texas hometown. “But at the same time, the small group of us has become close because there aren’t as many of us.”

As a result of their religious values, some find it difficult to fit into the social mainstream. Sato said she avoided social activities that would expose her to activities not in accordance with her lifestyle, such as drinking alcohol. “It’s just not a part of my reality, not that I deny it exists here,” she said.

“I probably don’t socialize as much as I would if people here had the same values I do,” Ramkissoon said. “Instead, the people I find myself getting close to are the ones who do share my values.”

Other students, however, felt that not drinking alcohol did not have a large effect on their social life. “I do what I want and what I can within the acceptable confines of my religion,” Nure said. “I’ll go to a party but just make sure not to drink.”

“It’s not that I am unaccepting or that I alienate myself from those that do choose to party,” Stevenson said. “I just don’t hang around them on the weekends. I haven’t really found it to be a huge problem,” she said.

Birney said religious values did not prevent him from enjoying the Swarthmore social scene, but they did have an effect. “I’m not opposed to drinking, but I don’t get drunk. It’s hard to have fun with people who are plastered when you’re not drunk,” he said.

He often experienced difficulties sharing his perspective with others, who “don’t understand why I choose not to socialize on Saturday nights so that I can wake up early to go to church on Sundays.”

While Swarthmore’s campus is still very liberal, some feel that conservative-minded students should speak out more. “While students with conservative lifestyles are not the majority, I feel that they are a vital part of the Swarthmore community,” Ali said. “We need a vocal conservative presence.”

But Ramkissoon said that would be easier said than done. “In such a liberal environment, it’s hard to speak out more. I feel like if I put these things out there, the Swarthmore community would judge me,” she said.

Stevenson also felt that her desire to share her religious beliefs was not readily accepted.

“The main challenge I face at Swat is a personal challenge concerning how vocal I should be with my values and beliefs,” she said. “How can I share what I believe so deeply with someone in such a diverse melting pot of religions that Swarthmore represents?”

Most students interviewed thought it was important to recognize the students’ rights to make individual choices.

Ramkisson said she did not want to impose her beliefs on others, and Nure agreed. “I’ve learned to accept other people and not criticize,” he said. “My religion teaches me to tolerate others and their differences.”