If you happen to peer into room 3001 on any given Friday afternoon, you will see a group of teenagers poring over biblical text. Intellectual right? Intellectual indeed.

Staples Vision is a religious fellowship group with a variety of exploratory and volunteer opportunities. According to their club leaders, their mission is to build godly people in an inclusive Christ-centered community through biblical exploration and servant leadership. Club presidents Spencer Yim ’23 and Asher Dahlke ’23 came up with the idea for Staples Vision in their freshman year, where they sensed the lack of an inclusive community to express their faith.

“That was a big sticking point for us, was having a vision for the future and a vision that is dictated on our personal beliefs,” Yim said. “It’s super important to all the students out there who have that background […] but also for students who maybe are looking for different religions, are looking to explore.”

Both presidents also highlighted their focus on inclusivity, whether it be in terms of different faiths or in terms of different degrees of religious commitment.

“In our conversations, we have levels of people who have read most of the Bible, to people who have not even read more than a page,” Dahlke said. “We’re all there to help each other out and learn more from each other and each other’s perspectives.”

In the past decade, the U.S. has seen a major increase in youth atheism. According to a 2018 study done by Barna, a Christian polling firm based in California, the percentage of teenagers who identify as atheist (13%) is double that of the general population (6%). Both Yim and Dahlke agreed that this disconnect from faith has only grown, and it has been a goal of Vision to provide a safe space for members to explore their personal relationship with faith.

“Studies have shown that church-going folks, but also people of various faiths, have a sense of community when they gather with others who have that same belief, people who support them,” Yim said. “So, it’s that kind of relationship, that kind of bond we’re hoping to bring to Staples.” 

Dahlke added that the discussion of various faiths brings new perspectives to light and can promote the same sense of community that Vision aims at nurturing.

“I think religion can be a really enriching thing, and whether or not you decide that someone else’s religion is correct or that you want to believe in it, I think looking at all the perspectives is so important,” Dahlke said.

According to club advisor and science teacher Alexandra Krubski, Vision has been successful in fostering a safe and uplifting environment for all of its members.

“It has been really awesome to see students come together that I don’t think would have crossed paths otherwise,” Krubski wrote in an email. “The sense of community that has come out of Vision, both between the students, and in their works of service in the greater community has been a blessing and something I am proud to be part of.”