TJC’s Baha’i club has been at TJC for over 10 years. The club is faith-driven and is open to any TJC student.
“Baha’is believe in independent investigation of the truth,” Karen Anglin, the club adviser said in an email statement.
The Baha’i Club is open to people of all faiths and religions. According to orgsync, the club has one rule: no arguing. It’s a free club to join, and students don’t have to meet a minimum GPA requirement to join.
According to bahai.us, the religion was founded in the 19th century. The page mentions how a young merchant heard a message from God that called for spiritual and moral reformation. The merchant shared his teaching for six years and was martyred in 1850.
Additionally, brittanica.com mentions how Baha’is believe in the oneness of humanity. They also devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class and religious prejudices.
“The purpose of the Baha’i Club is to promote the unity of mankind; and to foster understanding, love and fellowship on this campus,” as stated on the Baha’i Club’s orgsync page.
The TJC Baha’i Club’s orgsync page states the Baha’i Club does more than informal meetings. The Baha’i Club holds lectures, service projects, social activities and more.
“The Baha’i Club just means a safe space, to me. I’m not Baha’i faith,” Vice President of the Baha’i Club, Kelsey Dubose, said. “My Christian faith, I’m able to open up in how I feel and how I express my religion.”
Dubose is a business major in her sophomore year at TJC. According to Dubose, she has been a part of the Baha’i Club for a couple of months. Dubose’s role as vice president is to help the club whenever the president isn’t available to help.
Moreover, Dubose mentions president of the Baha’i Club is required to be of the Baha’i faith, but vice presidents and officers are not required to be Baha’i faith. According to Dubose, the Baha’i Club leadership is in charge of making decisions. An example Dubose gave was about stuffed-animals.
“We wanted to have something that was a symbol of something physical that somebody could like, actually keep and touch and stuff,” Dubose said.
As a result of this, the club decided on a llama. Dubose mentions how everyone likes llama’s so the club officials thought it would be the perfect representation of the Baha’i Club. The llama would represent how the officials want everyone to like coming to Baha’i club.
Dubose mentioned she wants everyone to feel welcome at the Baha’i Club.
“You know, no one judges you no one thinks that they’re better than you. We are welcoming. We love one another,” Dubose said. “That’s what the Baha’i is, you know, their whole motto is just world peace. So that’s what they are trying to achieve with their faith is world peace.”
The Baha’i club meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information visit the drumbeat.com or the Baha’i club’s orgsync page.