The following was an article written by Shayna Elliot for the Yale Daily News about the experience of being an LDS Student at Yale University. To read the full article, click here.Â
Rather than feeling confined and self-conscious about an identity that could prove out-of-sync with their peers and roommates, many Mormons at Yale feel excited about sharing this little-known distinctiveness.
âYou get lots of interesting questions when you come from a unique background,â Claire Thomas â19 said. They are presented with the opportunity to dispel stereotypes and reestablish peopleâs understandings of their religion. Sam South â18 echoes Thomasâ feelings: âYale cultivates the sharing of differing opinions.â
Even adults who are members of the LDS Church resonate with these messages about the Universityâs accepting culture: Yale is ânot a hypercompetitive or confrontational environmentâ according to Stuart Campbell, an associate professor for biomedical engineering and cellular and molecular physiology.
âI have always felt that people are deferential about beliefs at Yale. Academically and philosophically, itâs a really safe place,â he added.
The small size of the Mormon community here has allowed it to turn into a family. Like each student who belongs to a specific community within Yaleâs large institution, these members of the Latter-day Saints Students Association spend time together â in class, at church, at dinner â feeling comfortable and reassured among familiar faces. âItâs really nice to have multiple communities all at once,â Hunter Craft â20 said, verbalizing a sentiment that many Yale students share.
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Beyond the intimacy and community that the LDSSA provides for these students, additional things delineate a Mormonâs Yale experience. In a place where drinking and hookup cultures are pervasive, Mormonsâ inability to join their peers could be ostracizing. But, this has not proved to be the case with these students.
To read the full post on the Yale Daily News, click here.Â