A Hindu Home on Campus

While having Hindu clubs on campus is great, the strength provided by a home base for Hindu activities on campus is unparalleled. It would be a living and breathing center of Hindu activity.

[Opinion from a guest writer]

“Entering college was a blind affair for me. I didn't know anyone, didn't know the city, and barely knew anything about the college. And what I did know was only from what admissions had shown me,” said Rohan, a recent graduate of Tulane University. 

College is an exciting time, but it can also be an overwhelming experience. Despite being constantly surrounded by people, it is easy to feel disconnected or isolated. For Rohan, it was the quality of friendships. “It was easy to connect through shared academic interests, activities, and hobbies - and I did make lasting friendships just based on those aspects - but it was difficult to connect on values and identity. The value and identity factor always felt missing to me and was something I had craved throughout college.”

Unfortunately, many college students echo this sentiment across the country. To combat this, there are many social activities that provide a support system for students. These systems include clubs based on hobbies, professional aspirations, and religion. 

According to a study in the Journal of College and Character, this phase of life is important for young adults as they reevaluate their faith and other concepts they grew up with. The study compared college students involved in religious groups versus those who were not. The results of the study show college students involved in religious groups are more culturally aware, are more socially integrated, have better emotional health, and are more spiritually confident. The study says, “Studies have also shown that religious practice and spiritual well-being have the potential to enhance overall adjustment.” 

Many religions have well-established organizations on campus to help students. For instance, there are hundreds of Christian organizations that reach out to college students. This is generally housed under the umbrella of Campus Ministry. These students can interact with other like-minded Christians in campus churches or other locations designed for them. 

At Texas A&M University, a non-denominational Christian organization called Breakaway Ministries holds a Bible study gathering every Tuesday evening on campus. Often, over 10,000 students gather at this Bible study.  According to the Breakaway Ministries website, “Breakaway is in a unique position to reach the next generation of leaders worldwide with the truth and hope of Jesus.” Thousands of students gather to share their religion with each other. There is strength and comfort received through these gatherings. 

The Jewish community also has a well-established organization to provide support to its community on campus. Hillel, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, has 550 chapters across North America. The purpose of Hillel is to build “connections with emerging adults” on college campuses where “students are challenged to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives.” Hillel provides a physical location on campuses for Jewish students to come together, connect with each other, and safely and proudly practice their faith. Impressively, this massive organization is completely funded by donations.

When looking towards the Hindu population, it’s hard not to wonder, where is the Hindu center on campus for Hindu students to practice their faith? Where is the physical location on campus for Hindu students to meet other Hindu students? According to some estimates, there are over 300,000 Hindus attending college in the United States, but without the support system Hillel and churches provide their communities. 

Hindu students need a Hindu center on campuses where they can gather, converse with other Hindus, and practice Hinduism. Hindu students need a center of Hindu activities on campus for strength and safety. Hindu students need to feel they have a Hindu home on campus. Puja, a freshman at Texas A&M said, “Having a Hindu center will make being a Hindu college student more comfortable since we will have a permanent place to call our own.”

One could argue a Hindu center on campus would not help anymore than the existing Hindu clubs across campuses. However, while having Hindu clubs on campus is great, the strength provided by a home base for Hindu activities on campus is unparalleled. It would be a living and breathing center of Hindu activity. 

Rohan elaborated on the difference between a Hindu club and a Hindu space. “Having a Hindu center on campus would be much more spiritually fulfilling than a Hindu club that meets in a shared space. Think of all the nostalgic sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and comforts of home. Transport those sensations to a place right on or near campus.” 

With Hinduphobia on the rise and Hinduism itself becoming misunderstood and attacked, Hindu students need a safe place on campus to find strength in the Hindu tradition and with other Hindus. For example, Hillel has empowered Jewish students to work with campus leadership to address antisemitism in campuses across the country. Hindu students need the same encouragement and enablement to work with universities to acknowledge and address Hinduphobia. A central location of Hindu activities would help this process.

One initiative to tackle this problem is called Vivekananda House. Their vision is to “Create a Hindu Students Center on all major campuses in the United States that will become a central place for Hindu Spiritual Guidance, Hindu Activism, and service oriented activities on the Campus and beyond.” They have a Hindu center in Iowa State University. According to their website, they hold chants, yoga classes, lectures on Hinduism, discussions, and celebrate Hindu festivals together. This is a fantastic first step. Hopefully, Vivekananda House, and others like it, can successfully grow to provide similar support to Hindu students on other university campuses across the nation and receive support from the Hindu community in order to reach its goals.

Ultimately, Hindus are an affluent and vibrant community in the United States. We have a strong network we need to use to provide Hindu students on college campuses a center for Hindu activities. As Rohan said, “A Hindu center would create a 24/7 safe space for Hindus to convene and practice their culture, as comfortably as one would be at home.”

Sources: 

• Alyssa N Bryant (2007) The Effects of Involvement in Campus Religious Communities on College Student Adjustment and Development, Journal of College and Character, 8:3, , DOI: 10.2202/1940-1639.1178 

• https://www.breakawayministries.org/about-us 

• https://www.hillel.org/about/faqs 

• https://www.vivekanandahouseus.org/

Author: Karuna Kankani, Texas A&M 2019