Twelve students shoveled in bundled in coats, scarves and mittens into Forum 2 on Jan. 12, as the first and only, real snowfall of the season to-date swirled around the city. Students gathered together at 8 p.m. for the Secular Student Alliance.

The Secular Student Alliance is one of the few clubs on campus pertaining to religion that is not Christian based.

Co-founders Jacob Adams and Marian Yoder created the group in November with the intent to create an environment where people could gather together and discuss what they believe in, without bashing or not tolerating differing opinions.

“We’re a friendly group,” Adams said at the beginning of the meeting. “We’re not bashing other religions and we’re not here to offend people.”

The Alliance drew a crowd of varying majors and religious backgrounds. Yoder asked each student to identify themselves, their major, year and religious beliefs if they are comfortable discussing.

Majors ranged from philosophy to computer science while the majority of students identified themselves as either atheist, agnostic or secular humanist.

The co-founders said the club hopes to host an event with three major religious groups, if possible though they haven’t worked out details yet they have high hopes.

The Secular Student Alliance is currently waiting on a grant to be approved by the Student Government Association to attend the Reason Rally in Washington D.C., which promises to be the largest atheist gathering ever with a possible turnout of 30,000 people.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t religious, especially in college and a lot who decide not to follow the religion of their parents,” Yoder said. “It’s nice to have a group to belong to that think the same way as you.”

Yoder, who grew up in an Amish community in Topeka Town, Ind., understands the awkwardness of not fitting in because their religious beliefs.

“I didn’t let people know that [I wasn’t Christian] because I know that it would have ruined me,” Yoder said.

Although she went to a public school she recalls that there was a lot of praying and Christian beliefs being taught to her, which often made her feel isolated .

“We’re here to create a group for ourselves,” Yoder said. “We’re not here to fight religions.” 

Yoder said the group hopes to work closely with other religious groups on campus on volunteer projects in the future.

Senior Bill McCarel, Pagan Student Union president, said he agrees with the need to create a group for like-minded individuals.

“Personally, being of alternative faith is really difficult at times,” McCarel said. “It’s hard to find truth in something that most other people don’t. It’s rewarding to find a place to go to just be yourself.”

Walker Byer, Pagan Student Union vice president, describes Paganism as a “earth based religion,” which is often Polytheistic and as an individual who is involved in any religious act, practice or ceremony that is not Christian.

The Pagan Student Union is in its fourth semester of meetings. They first began when President McCarel, who has been of alternative faith since he was 17, transferred from Ball State University, where he was involved with its earth-based group, to USI.

“It was supporting and accepting and very socially rewarding. I sort of came into my own,” McCarel said.

Noticing USI didn’t have such a group, he set out to set one up.

McCarel describes a typical meeting includes social time, discussing a topic prominent to pagan religion “such as the Metaphysical and world events,” presentations and open discussions.

Like the Secular Student Alliance, the Pagan Student Union hopes to work closely with other religious groups on campus.

The National League of Pagan Students plans to host its event March 24 in Carter Hall. It will be a leadership and education conference with leadership workshops, seminars and activities aimed toward alternative faith. However, it is open to everyone.

“People of alternative faith are just like everyone else,” McCarel said. “We get up in the morning, put our pants on one leg before the other and go to work.”