The Ivy Jungle Network
Campus Ministry Update (Aug 28, 2008)

Social Norms to Decrease Drinking: A six year study at the University of Virginia has shown some success for their social norms campaign to curb alcohol abuse. The social norms approach attempts to give students a more accurate idea of how much most of their classmates actually drink. Most students overestimate their compatriots' alcohol consumption. UVA students exposed to social norms approach to curb drinking had experienced fewer negative results of drinking including: missed classes, encounters with campus safety and unprotected sex. (Inside Higher Ed August 12, 2008)

Living in Guyland: Sociologist and gender scholar, Michael Kimmel has published a new book that investigates the dominant male culture on many college campuses where young men engage in binge drinking, hazing, and abusive behavior toward women. In his book, Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men, Kimmel stresses that Guyland is both a developmental stage and a social space (often found on campus). Students are taking up to a decade longer to mature than their parents or grandparents did. He also thinks that men are confused by the equality and success women are finding on campus and many retreat into a misogynistic place where a "guy code" dominates that is anti-intellectual and dismissively sexist. He also states that Guyland is a predominantly white phenomenon as the majority of hooking up, hazing, and binge drinking are perpetuated by white males. He also thinks men need to be challenged to a higher bar of conduct and approach to life. (Inside Higher Ed August 21, 2008)

Bartering Sex: A recent survey of students at the University of Michigan found that a number of undergraduate college students are willing to trade sex for favors or gifts. 27% of men and 14% of women not currently in a committed relationship had offered the gifts or favors in exchange for hooking up - from help studying, to laundry, to tickets to a football game. (CNN August 25, 2008)

Dogmatic Environmentalism: Physicist Freeman Dyson argues that environmentalism has replaced socialism as the new secular religion. Writing in the New York Times Review of Books, Dyson describes environmentalism as a "religion of hope and respect of nature." Environmentalism sees waste as sin and green living as the path to righteousness. While he finds the religious ethic sound, he also fears that the dogmatic belief in global warming as the ultimate threat to the planet may short circuit important discussion. (Touchstone July/August 2008 p. 51)

Younger Evangelicals: Some secular experts are shocked to find schools like Wheaton (IL) taking significant steps toward a green campus. Among the 300 Christian schools in the nation, more and more are finding students want the school to support their own commitments to social justice. Christian college students are very likely to engage in community service and disaster relief. They care about topics such as divorce, racism, and homosexuality. They still hold conservative stances on sex and abortion, but are more open to public discourse on challenging issue once thought taboo in such settings. (Newsweek.com August 18, 2008)

Most College Grads Return Home: According to Collegegrad.com, 77% of college graduates moved back in with their parents last year. That number is an increase from 73% the previous year and 67% the year before that. The economy is often cited as a main reason to move back in with mom and dad. Students today have close relationships with their parents and do not seem to have a stigma around moving back home after college. (San Jose Business Journal August 4, 2008)

Community College Boom: In 2007, more than one third of all college students were enrolled in a two-year institution. While official numbers have not been released for the 2008 academic year, community college leaders expect that last year's numbers are at least 10% higher than the 6.2 million students enrolled in 2007. This year will be even higher. The weak economy, new academic programs, and increased recruiting all receive credit for the enrollment increase. (Inside Higher Ed August 22, 2008)

College Degrees Losing Value: People with a college degree will still earn greater pay than those without their BA. However, after decades in which wages outpaced inflation, salaries for those who went to college did not grow in the last year once figures were adjusted for inflation. Adjusted wages in 2007 did not increase from 2006 and were actually 1.7% below those of 2001. College educated labor is much more plentiful as more students have completed degrees. Those with professional and doctoral degrees have seen their adjusted incomes continue to increase. (Wall Street Journal July 17, 2008 D1)

Religoulous: This fall, Bill Maher will release a "documentary" on religion. The "Politically Incorrect" host has never masked his dislike of organized religion. The film, from the director of Borat, traces Maher as he interviews people about their religious beliefs and challenges their faith. Religulous (a combination of religion + ridiculous) will appear in theaters on Oct. 3. (Boston.com August 26, 2008)

Perspectives of the Class of 2012

Beloit College has posted its annual perspectives, which features the things that the class of incoming college freshmen take for granted. Those of us who serve this group may have a wholly different point of view.

The list can be found here.

The Ivy Jungle Network

Campus Ministry Update

March 2008

Trends in Student Ministry, Culture and Higher Education

Gen Y Peaks this Year: This year will mark the largest high school graduating class ever with just over 3 million high school graduates. It will also mark the end of a steady growth in graduating class size that has continued since the early 1990's. The overall numbers will begin to drop next year. However, the demographics will vary widely based on region. The South and West will continue to grow, with a continued dramatic increase among non-white Hispanic high school graduates. The Midwest and East will begin to see a steady decline next year. Nationally, the number of white graduates will fall by 11% over the next 12 years, while the percentage of minority graduates increases, with a "majority-minority" class expected in the West in 2010 and in the South in 2017. (Inside Higher Ed March 20, 2008)

Losing Their Religion: A new study by the Pew Charitable Trust shows that nearly a quarter of Americans now embrace a new religion or opted for no religion since their childhood. That number jumps to almost 45% when switches in Protestant denominations are included. On the whole, almost 80% of the US claims to be Christian. But only 51% now claim to be Protestant. One in four 18-29 year olds claims no religious affiliation. 10% of all Americans now claim to be "ex-Catholics." Only 4% of Americans claim to be atheists or agnostics. (AP February 26, 2008)

Txt Me Pls: Growing Leaders recently spent time with a number of focus groups of young adults ages 16-24 and asked them how they most like to receive communication. Texts first, email last, was the message for the group. In order of preference, their answers showed: text messages; MySpace/Facebook; podcasts; instant messaging; cell phone; cd/dvd; books and then email. (Growing Leaders Leadership Link March 2008).

Parents on Facebook: One of the fastest growing demographics on Facebook are moms and dads of high school and college students. When the college focused social network opened their ranks to anyone with an email address in 2006, it created the opportunity for parents to "friend" their offspring and their friends. For many students it poses a dilemma in how to respond to a friend request from mom and dad. While they are happy to proclaim their personal style, interests and exploits to the world, having mom or dad look in may prove to much. Several "abolish parents" groups have now sprung up on the social networking site. (Chicago Tribune online March 14, 2008)

Google Religion Quiz: The consumer approach to religion expressed by today's generation of young adults is perhaps best illustrated by a recent Google ad for a quiz to determine "which religion is right for you?" Unlike generations before which saw religion as a part of heritage and identity, many young people today see it a matter of personal preference, much like finding a suitable haircut or the best flavor of ice cream. Still, most Americans say religion is important to them, with 60% indicating that it is "very important" to them. (Boston Globe online February 29, 2008)

25% of Young Women Infected: Shocking results from a recent study by the Center for Disease Control show that one out of every four girls ages 14-19 has an STD. That translates into approximately 3 million infected girls - about 40% of all girls who admit to having had sex. The infection rate was particularly high among African American girls. The HPV virus was the most common infection. (AP March 11, 2008)

Hazing Happening on Campus: While almost every college has a formal ban on hazing, more than half of those who belong to student organizations say they have experienced it. From fraternities and athletic teams, to choirs and academic societies, students say hazing is happening on campus. Some forms of hazing such as being forced to drink alcohol or physical harm are obvious, but others regarding public singing or chants, wearing embarrassing clothing, or participating in skits or roasts are not. In fact, 9 out of 10 students who reported participating in behavior that is classified as hazing did not think they had been hazed. The study was conducted by two professors from the University of Maine who studied more than 11,000 students from 53 institutions. (AP March 11, 2008)

Drunkorexia: This new term is being used to describe the increasingly common practice of college students (mostly women) who starve themselves in order to "save" calories in preparation for a night of drinking. While the term has only recently been coined, the problem is not new. Studies show that 30% of young women with alcohol problems also struggle with an eating disorder. Health experts fear the practice of limiting food intake has a number of problems associated with it. In addition to fueling eating disorders, women who drink on an empty stomach are much more likely to become drunk more quickly, suffer blackouts, and could be victim of other physical or sexual abuse in their inebriated states. Most women do not realize that alcohol affects the female body more severely than their male peers. Addiction experts point out that 2 years of excessive drinking has the same effect on a woman as 10 years on a man. (CBS January 23, 2008)

Unofficial St. Patty's Day: Because St. Patrick's Day so often fell over Spring Break, a number of bars near the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign began to host an unofficial St. Patrick's Day to capitalize on student drinkers before they left campus. Concerned over the increase in popularity, campus and city officials have begun discussing steps to force bars to keep out underage patrons, wait until later in the day to open and/or serve alcohol, and limit how drinks are served. For the second straight year the university has sought parental help to curtail drunkenness, by sending letters home encouraging parents to talk with students about their conduct during that weekend. (Inside Higher Ed February 29, 2008)

Spring Break Gone Wild: The popular image of spring break on MTV and other media outlets portrays spring break as a constant mix of alcohol and sex. For those who go on such trips, that can be true. The Journal of American College Health estimates that men who go on such trips consume an average of 18 drinks a day while their female companions drink 10. 83% of women report that they have friends who drank a majority of the nights they were on spring break. 59% report they had friends who were sexually active during that time with more than one partner and most said they had friends who had unprotected sex on spring break. (Total Life Counseling Update March 12, 2008)

Spring Break at Home: Despite the ubiquity of coverage on MTV, less than 100,000 college students visit Cancun, Acapulco, Jamaica and the Bahamas over Spring Break each year. That number may be even smaller this year as passport regulations and a struggling economy make it more difficult to travel. A growing number of students are opting for school sponsored service trips, are staying on campus to work, or just going home. (AP March 22, 2008)

Campus Violence On the Decline: Northern Illinois and campus murders in North Carolina and Arkansas have grabbed headlines and created a sense of unease on campus. However, police statistics show that crime is actually on the decline on campus. Violent crime dropped by 9% from 1994 to 2004 (the latest period available) and property crime fell by 30%. Even so, a survey after the murder of the student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill showed that one in five students reported that they did not feel safe on campus. (Inside Higher Ed March 20, 2008).

Campus Footbaths: The University of Michigan has come under fire as it joins more than a dozen other colleges with footbaths in some public restrooms. The fixtures will accommodate Muslims who practice ritual foot washing as part of their daily prayers. Separation of Church and State groups have decried the measure and some conservative groups have protested the "Islamification" of college campuses. University officials have defended the practice saying that the footbaths are available to all students, not just Muslims. (First Things March 2008)

Prison and College: Five states in the US now spend more money on prisons than colleges. A report by the Pew Charitable Trust shows that Vermont, Michigan, Oregon, Connecticut and Delaware all spend more money on incarceration than high education. (Inside Higher Ed February 29, 2008)

Guns on Campus in OK: The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow students who hold conceal and carry gun permits and have undergone special training to have their weapons on university campuses. The Senate is now considering the measure which gained support after a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Northern Illinois University. College administrators remain opposed to the idea of having more guns on campus. The state does have a concealed weapon law, but current restrictions prevent licensed gun owners from carrying their weapons on campus. (AP March 14, 2008)

More Students Seeking Aid: Over 66% of students at four year private institutions apply for federal financial aid, compared with 59% at public schools, and 34% at two year schools. However, in terms of increase in applications, community college applicants far outpace their four year school counterparts. Since 2001, applications from those attending community colleges have increased by 37%, compared with an increase of just 7% for private schools and 10% for public schools. (Inside Higher Ed February 22, 2008)

Watch Ben Stein's Movie: Perhaps the most famous thing he ever said was, "Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?", but former speech writer, game show host, and commentator Ben Stein has joined the ranks of Michael Moore in challenging the establishment in a new documentary, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The movie, which opens on April 18, explores what it considers the dogmatic rule of evolution in science education. While school boards at the elementary and high school levels have debated the role of intelligent design in curriculum, the movie asserts that any break from evolution is not allowed in the world of higher ed. Ben Stein, a Jew, narrates and stars in the film which investigates professors who lost positions for their stance on intelligent design and hopes to invigorate further discussion on college campuses. (Inside Higher Ed March 24, 2008)

Trends in Campus and Ministry Culture

The following excerpts are from the Ivy Jungle Network's "Trends in Student Ministry, Culture and Higher Education"

September 2007

Beloit Freshman List
Beloit College has published its annual list about this year's freshman class. Here are some of the highlights regarding the class of 2011, born in 1989:

• Born the year the Berlin Wall fell.
• Humvees have always been available to the public.
• Have never "rolled down" a car window.
• Have grown up with bottled water
• Nelson Mandela has always been free and a political force in South Africa
• Pete Rose has never played baseball
• Russia has always had a multi-party political system
• The year they were born a Harvard Law Review editor named Barack Obama announced he might some day run for office.
• U2 has never brought to mind a spy plane
• They first met Jack Nicholson as "the Joker"
• Fox has always been a major network
• Time has always worked with Warner
• MTV has never featured music videos
• They are more informed by John Stewart and Stephen Colbert than the newspaper
• The world wide web has been an online tool since they year they were born
• Dilbert has always been ridiculing cubicle culture
• They learned about JFK from Oliver Stone and Malcom X from Spike Lee
• Class mates include: Michelle Wie; Jordin Sparks; and Bart Simpson
  
  

Young Not Abandoning God

A poll conducted by the Associated Press and MTV indicates that young people who consider themselves religious are happier than those who are not. The survey of 13-24 year olds , indicates that 44% of young people say that religious beliefs are at least very important to them. Only 14% said that it was not important at all. 80% of those who said that spirituality was the most important thing in their lives said they are happy. Only 60% of those who do not consider God important at all indicated happiness. Sociologists say the results confirm the importance of the sense of community found in most religions. (AP August 29,2007)

Spending Power

College students today spend more money than students in any other era. Discretionary spending by this growing demographic is $63 billion, up $10 billion since 2002. Food accounts for the largest chunk of that spending (37%); followed by clothing and shoe purchases. Technology is also very important to these students. Laptops now outnumber desktop computers among all students (63% have a laptop - up from 42% in 2005). Digital cameras, MP3 players and portable game systems are also popular items on campus. (Harris Interactive Trends and Tudes vol. 6. Issue 6 Aug. 2007)

Online World

More than half of college students visit social networking sits (i.e. MySpace; Facebook; etc.) every day. These sites are the preferred mode of communication for more than a quarter of students, whether communicating with friends on campus or staying in touch with friends across the country or around the globe. Online gaming has increased significantly in the last five years from just 2% of students in 2002 to nearly a quarter today. (Harris Interactive Trends and Tudes vol. 6. Issue 6 Aug. 2007)

Playboy Social Networking Hits Campus

The parent company of the infamous magazine has launched a social networking site aimed exclusively at college students. Playboy U resembles the functions of Facebook and signed up several thousand members in its opening weeks. The magazine has continued to lose money and readers over the last number of years. (Chicago Tribune August 23 sec. 1 p. 6)

College Students and Sleep

It may be early in the semester for students to have begun pulling all-nighters, but mid-terms will arrive soon enough. Like generations before them, today's college students will likely load up on caffeine and stay up all night cramming for tests and writing papers. A study by St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY confirms that sleep deprivation causes performance to suffer. In addition to slower recall and more frequent mistakes, a separate study by Stanford University demonstrated that college basketball players who slept 10 hours the night before a game ran faster and made more shots than those who slept six hours or less. (USA Today September 16, 2007)

Txt to Win

Radio stations have discovered text messages as a way to conduct contests and communicate with listeners. Stations have only just begun adopting the practice, but with 76% of mobile phone users texting (over a quarter of them daily), it will soon be common practice across the country. Stations are now developing databases with mobile numbers so they can send announcements and contests directly to their phone carrying listeners. ( Reuters September 16, 2007)

College Students Want Money

According to a study funded by the Pew Charitable Trust, 81% of 18-25 year olds list "getting rich" as either the most important or second most important goal in their lives. Many believe that if they pursue money early in their careers they will later be able to pursue the other things that make them happy and fulfilled. They would do well to heed the words of Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary under President Clinton and current professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy a the University of California Berkley who says, "Any young person who believes they can make loads of money first and then pursue their dreams afterwards is fooling themselves. The pursuit of money as its own end can cause dreams to disappear. (MSNBC September 16 ,2007)

Student Assisted at Bridge Collapse

The Minneapolis Star Tribune included an article this morning about a local student, Jenny Graves, who assisted at last week’s bridge collapse. Jenny is an active member of Grace Church in Roseville. To read the article, click here: http://www.startribune.com/10204/story/1352423.html.

Response to 35W Bridge Collapse

Our hearts go out to all those who have suffered loss and injury due to the collapse of the 35W bridge. We are praying for you and ready to help where needed.

Thanks to all from around the country and the world who have contacted many of us to see how we're doing and offer encouragement. Please keep our city and our campus in prayer.

Trends in Campus MInistry & Culture

The following excerpts are from the Ivy Jungle Network's "Trends in Student Ministry, Culture and Higher Education"

Faith Gaining on Campus: Having joined the faculty at Harvard in 1970, Professor Peter Gomes may have some reference for his comment about the campus saying, “There is probably more active religious life now than there has been in 100 years.” Harvard is not the only place where faculty and administrators say they have seen a rise in religion on campus. Many professors say the enrollment in religion courses is up and more students are majoring in religion than any time in recent decades. A UCLA study showed that 80% of incoming college freshmen believed in God in 2004. Explanations for the rise of religion vary – from the insecurity of the Iraq war and the 9-11 attacks, to an increase of “red” state students at elite universities and an increase of international students on many campuses, to the children of baby boomers exploring a subject that was not forced on them by their parents as in previous generations. UC Berkley (hardly a bastion of conservative ideals) now boasts more than 50 Christian groups on campus. Some attribute the increase in community service to a spiritual longing in students. However others remain skeptical that student attitudes toward religion have really changed, but religion professors generally agree that they have at least seen greater enrollment in their classes. (NY Times online May 2, 2007)

Increasing Interest in Social Justice: As the election cycle heats up, both parties are taking notice of the increasing interest of younger Christian voters in a number of issues related to social justice. AIDS, poverty, and the environment are all of interest to a demographic long associated only with abortion and homosexual issues. One indicator is that evangelical Wheaton College (IL) boasts the second most active chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign – behind Harvard. Coupled with greater involvement by a number of campus ministries, today’s students see a very real connection between the gospel and social engagement. (Daily Northwestern April 25, 2007)

InterVarsity Back on Georgetown Campus: Last year Georgetown notified a six evangelical campus ministries, including IVCF that they had been “disaffiliated” as the university streamlined its “Protestant” ministries. After reconsidering the move, InterVarsity has now been readmitted. IVCF president Alec Hill is grateful – not just as a ministry leader, but as a parent of a Georgetown student too. (Christianitytoday.com May 9, 2007)

Cracking Down on Piracy: This spring hundreds of students at more than 60 schools received letters from the Recording Industry Association of America, informing them they had the choice to pay more for songs they had pirated over their school’s networks, or else they would face a lawsuit. At least 500 have paid the fines, some reaching into the thousands of dollars at a price seven times more than had they simply used itunes. Many of the culprits are now urging their schools to warn students about the cost of illegally downloading music. (Chicago Tribune May 14, 2007 sec. 1 p. 3)

Fat with an “F”: Surprising results from an ongoing study of the health of college students shows that nearly 50% of male students and 30% of female students are considered obese or overweight. The results, shared at a meeting for the American Physiological Society, attribute the increase in waist lines to both the college diet and lack of exercise. The survey followed 800 18-25 year olds and found that on average men consumed about 2700 calories a day, women about 1800. The nutritional content was lacking as well – 80% were not getting enough potassium, and most were low on vitamin D and calcium. 95% of men and 70% of women consume too much sodium. More than 1/3 of the students were “inactive” reporting less than 30 minutes of even mild physical exercise a day. (MSNBC.com May 14, 2007)

Taking Courses, But Not Ready for College: Twenty-four years ago, the Department of Education recommended a core course curriculum for students desiring to go on to college. This month, a new report shows that only about one quarter of the students who take the recommended courses are ready for college level work in all four core subject areas. Almost one in five are not ready in any area. The report by the ACT testing group demonstrates that while many high schools offer these courses, the quality may not be up to par for truly college preparatory work. (New York Times May 16, 2007 A21)

Passion Goes Global: Labeled by Christianity Today a the “most influential annual gathering of young evangelicals,” the Passion conferences have grown tremendously over the years with leading artists like Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and Charlie Hall and gifted communicators like Louie Giglio, John Piper and Beth Moore. After more than 10 years of conferences, the most recent of which topped 20,000, movement leader Louie Giglio has announced that they will not have a Passion ’08 conference. Instead the group will take their message of the sovereignty and glory of God global. Exact details are still be formulated, but Passion tour stops will move from US college campuses to groups in places like Singapore, South Africa and Norway. (Christianity Today April 2007 p. 29-35)