Change Up

As much as I like writing in the narrative form (something I am actually surprised I even like doing) I feel that if I continue to write that way I will not be providing what I need to establish that I am getting what I should be out of this project. So from now on I will be discussing what I have read to inform my voice and my experiences in informing my voice.

So far my attempts to inform my voice by way of students who live the voice have been unsuccessful. Emails sent to the presidents of the Hillels at BGSU and Rutgers University have not yet been returned. An email sent to the Chabad House at Rutgers has not been returned either. I will continue to look into these resources. I feel that once I make those connections I can give my voice more authenticity. Until then, I will continue to inform my voice by way of articles related to Jewish students and the college experience.

This week I wanted to talk about the overall experience of a college student. I feel that there are many opportunities for students to develop and degenerate while in college. It is these experiences that produce the person that walks across the stage at commencement. Having experienced many successes and taken many backsteps as an undergraduate, I can definitely relate that experience. However, as someone who is not very religious, I wonder how influential the presence of a sense of religion is on the positive and negative decisions a college student makes. I sometimes believe that if I had taken religion more seriously I would not have made some of the mistakes I did. But I also believe that some things are inevitable and help you make better decisions later on in life.

I guess i am saying all of that to say I am curious to see how Caleb's devotion to his family and religious practices will impact his decision making while in college. All of the child-rearing in the world does not always prepare a child for what college can bring to a person's life. Will he succumb to the pressures of his peers and being away from home? Or will what he has learned in life thus far keep him on the straight and narrow path? Will being away from home make him think more or less about his faith? Will Caleb continue his practices from home or will he find new ones? Will his experiences in college lead to a disconnect from his parents?

Abraham D. Lavender (1971), in his study of Jewish college students, stated "That Jewish identity is affected by the college experience is generally accepted, but there is considerable disagreement over the extent and direction of this effect. He then goes on to present opposing viewpoints on the subject. In the first, Irving Greenberg describes college as "disaster area for Judaism, Jewish loyalty, and Jewish identity". He also states that an availability of positive models of Jewishness on college campuses could offset the negative effects of college on Jewish students. Conversely, Mansoor stated that many Jewish students enter college lacking committment to the Jewish faith and leave with a better understanding of their faith as a result of taking courses in Hebrew and Jewish culture.

There are a multitude of paths available to Caleb within the college environment. It is important foe me to be aware of all of the avenues available to Caleb and make sure that I find articles taht speak to a variety of experiences a Jewish male may encounter on a college campus. I am curious to see if I can find more articles related to religious attrition during the college years.