Students Get Religion at College

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Students Get Religion at College

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/living/7321127.htm

 

MIAMI, U.S.A, November. 22, 2003: Religion has become one of the

hottest areas of study in campuses across the United States. Since the

late '90s, members of Generation Y (see next paragraph for a

definition) have been taking classes to help explain the world as well

as find themselves a religion, often by mixing and matching beliefs.

Universities are responding by offering more religion classes, from an

overview of the world's faiths to concentrated looks at each. The

University of Miami's enrollment in religious studies classes has

almost doubled in less than five years to this fall's 921 students.

Nathan Katz, chairman of Florida International University's Department

of Religious Studies, sees the increased enrollment as a sign of the

resurgence of spirituality in the last decade. Why are Generation Y'ers

interested -- they seek religion classes out of curiosity and a need to

understand current events. "It's also a way to find yourself," says

Matt Oglesby, a 21-year-old transfer student from California who says

he grew up with no religion. He is now enrolled in a Florida

International University Buddhist class and is thinking of earning a

master's in Buddhism. Many students are also on a pilgrimage to learn

about their family faith -- the rituals, customs and traditions their

Boomer parents may have abandoned.

 

HPI googled "Generation Y" and came up with these definitions of recent

American generations provided by the "Department of Translation

Studies" at Finland's University of Tampere. These terms are commonly

used in the advertising industry. HPI does not attest to the blanket

accuracy of the characteristics...

 

Baby Boom Generation (1943-1960) or (1946-1955) or (1946-1964)

The current 36-53- year-olds. "Boomers" have a strong set of ideals and

traditions, and are very family-oriented. They are fearful of the

future, politically conservative and active and rather liberal

socially.

 

Generation X (1961-1981) or (1965-1976)

The current 15-35- year-olds, who live in the present, like to

experiment, and expect immediate results. Xers are selfish and cynical,

and depend a lot on their parents. They question authority and feel

they carry the burden of the previous generations.

 

Generation Y (1979-1994) (1977-1994) (1989-1993)?

Currently age 14 and younger, very materialistic, selfish, and

disrespectful -- but also very aware of the world and very

technologically literate. They are trying to grow-up too fast, and have

no good role models to look towards.