With the issues encompassing the many aspects of our nation, it has been difficult for many people to maintain the religious faith, and with the ongoing pandemic many individuals have struggled with their practices altogether. However, in the midst of all of these political and economical issues, one campus-club is determined to uphold their beliefs. 

Cru-Club is a religious, youth organization that focuses on the doctrines  implemented within biblical texts. The infusion of biblical-philosophy within the curriculum has allowed students to better understand the necessities for spiritual growth. 

‘It was the summer of freshman year, and I felt a call of God telling me to start something on campus,” junior and founder, C.J Colette said. “There are plenty of opportunities off- campus, but I feel like being on campus– especially in such a large school–you can have a greater outreach with all of your friends, so I figured it was a good time to do it.”

Cru-Club, under the administration of Spanish teacher, Emily Gasper reinforces the spiritual values established within the Word, teaching club-members the importance of love, forgiveness, and the necessity of worldly outreach. In addition to these teachings, Cru-Club exposes members to issues outside of its regular curriculum,  preaching on topics such as racism, discrimination, and other political and social matters.  

However, due to Covid precautions, Cru’s membership has been limited to 20, slightly hindering the club’s aspirations to expose many more students to these concepts. 

“I was really looking forward to this year to just like, expand Cru, but then Covid kind of hit, and it just kinda changed everything,” Collette said. “We can only have 20 people in the club, and so it’s a lot more difficult to do that. But I still plan on expanding Cru. We have underclassmen that are involved in Cru, so we still have plenty of opportunities to grow.”           

Albeit its prohibitions, Cru-Club has managed to transform the many spiritual relationships the students have with God, prompting numerous individuals to return back to their former religious practices. 

“I haven’t been to church since March, and my parents have left my church.” sophomore Mckenzie Keim said. “So to finally see other Christian youth coming together is amazing, and I think I finally started to reconnect with God: like, I started reading my bible over the weekend, I started praying a lot more, I started wearing my necklace again… like, I’ve been showing my Christian side more, I guess.” 

Cru-Club has not only affected the spiritual-lives of its members, but also its administrator, Mrs. Gasper, who’s a firm supporter of this outreach.

“I think that it’s super important, and I think that it’s great that we are in a place where we are allowed to do that,”  Gasper said, “I became a believer when I was in high school, and a lot of it had to do with the people I met in my classes who were walking out there faith in a real way. Where I was before, they were great people around me, but they weren’t people who talked about faith, and it wasn’t until I was surrounded by people my own age, talking in a language that I understood, that it really became real in my life. So I’m really excited that we have this here.”