Religious Society of Friends struggles to gain following on campus
Since its re-establishment in Hendricks Chapel last spring, the Quaker presence at Syracuse University has attracted minimal student interest.
‘We’ve had a hard time getting the word out so far,’ said Justin Murphy, adviser for Quakers and alumnus of the master’s program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Quakerism, also known as the Religious Society of Friends, is based on the belief of a direct, personal communication with God, Murphy said. At SU, the religious group holds silent worship meetings in the chapel in the basement of Hendricks for 20-30 minutes on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.
Quakerism was reinstated as one of 24 religious groups in Hendricks last spring, said Tiffany Steinwert, dean of Hendricks. Although no record of the last Quaker representation on campus could be verified, Steinwert said that the last group dissolved when it became inactive.
‘It is no reflection on a student group if a group is inactive for a year or two. It simply means that there is no constituent, and that’s OK,’ Steinwert said.
Murphy and Kat Dryja, student leader of the Quaker group and doctoral candidate in the College of Law, facilitated the reinstatement.
‘Quaker values, like social justice and peace, align pretty closely with what a lot of college students are often going through,’ Murphy said. ‘We wanted to make sure that there was a welcoming environment for people who just wanted to try it out and see what it’s about.’
The services are open to all faith and nonfaith backgrounds, said Dryja, who self-identifies as Catholic.
‘It’s for anyone who is interested in Quakerism, for practicing Quakers, people who were raised Quaker and want to re-immerse themselves in their religion and people just interested in meditation,’ she said.
As student leader, Dryja is a presence on campus and the liaison between the students, Murphy and the Quaker offices located in New York state. Murphy, as religious group leader, explains the services to newcomers and answers questions.
‘Mostly we explain to people what it’s about and let people experience it on their own as best they can,’ Murphy said.
Quaker services at SU are unprogrammed meetings, meaning that there is no form of clergy. Most Quaker services consist of silent worship with members sharing thoughts and messages aloud when they feel so moved, said Evelyn Kennenwood, clerk at the Syracuse Monthly Meeting.
Syracuse Monthly Meeting is a meeting house at 821 Euclid Ave. that offers Quaker services every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. for the Syracuse community.
‘Instead of listening to what other people have to tell you, you try to listen to what God has to tell you personally,’ Murphy said.
An emphasis on social justice is a core aspect of Quakerism. The Quaker group on campus has plans to organize volunteer activities, Dryja said.
Quaker meetings at SU often attract only one or two students in addition to Dryja and Murphy. Murphy attributes this to a general lack of knowledge about the Quaker presence at Hendricks.
Murphy remains positive about the limited Quaker community at SU as well, and encourages students to become involved.
‘If we have three people in the room, that’s perfectly fine,’ Murphy said. ‘If we have 100, we’ll probably need to find a new room. I’m not worried about that yet.’
Published on November 2, 2011 at 12:00 pm
