Coverage of the Bahá’í Faith in the Daily Collegian

The Daily Collegian, the student newspaper of Fresno State University of California, has covered many stories on the Bahá'í Faith. Archives covering three different eras are freely available: 1922–1998, 2002–2007, and 2009–2014. The most significant coverage of the Faith can be found in the earliest of these, mostly before 1982. The 2002-2007 archive never mentions the Baha'i Faith though it mentions religion fairly often, and the 2009-2014 mentions it only once.

1922–1982

Pre-1960s: Background and early mentions

Though mention of the religion happens early in Fresno and Bahá'ís may have lived in Fresno at least since the 1930 and visible in the local papers many times and the archive goes back to 1922 the first known appearance of the religion in the student newspaper doesn't come until 1959 when the Baha'is in Fresno buy an advertisement mentioning a talk by Robert Yazdi in March. Paid advertising of a series of talks continues for some years

1960s: CSUF Bahá'í Club forms

Possibly the first appearance on the campus outside of the newspaper may have been an exhibit on religions by the campus library which included the "Baha'i" in February, 1962. From then some appearances on campus are mixed with advertisements. Clarence Suhm had a talk in mid-September 1962, followed quickly by the first extended story about the religion on campus with coverage of student Ann Lauridsen's visit to the Hopi Indian reservation as part of the observance of World Peace Day. It also speaks of her being "one of several FSC students spearheading the formation of a student Baha'i organization on campus." In October Ruth Brannan is advertised three times for her talk on campus at the "college religious center". In November Eulalia Bobo's talk is advertised and in December Mrs. Clarence Suhm gave her second talk advertised on campus.

In February 1963 the newspaper noted there were seven Baha'i students - Paul McDowell, Mr and Mrs. Kris Lauridsen, Florence Mulligan, Kulwant Sidhu, John Lose, and Richard Twight - who went to a "Great Council Fire" for Indians. In March there was a talk by Fred Littman at the College Religious Center while others off campus were still advertised too.

In March 1966 student James Weinberger wrote a letter to the editor noting an up coming talk given by Adreinne Reeves. The episode "And His name shall be One" featuring the Baha'i Faith from a CBS series was shown at the College Religious Center in April and advertised three places in one issue of the newspaper. In May 1968 William Stover spoke of the religion's presence in Vietnam. Advertised off-campus events continued.

Early 1970s: Increasing activity

In April and May 1972 the Baha'i club had a series of small advertisements interspersed with showings of different films like on Abdu'l-Baha's visit to the United States in CU 310 and "And his name shall be one" CBS documentary in CU 308 twice.

"The Baha'i Club of CSUF" places an advertisement in Nov 1972. The period of 1973-1975 there is serious burst of activity. Baha'i Indian David Villasenor, sand painter, visited CSUF campus in February 1973 and the interview included a description of the religion. According to Collegian staff reporter Susan Good in October 1973, the Baha'i Club of CSUF (in it's first mention of a campus-wide review of religious culture) is a "selective to denomination" group (as opposed to religious study or social religious group)

"designed to acquaint persons to the Baha'i faith(sic) through lectures, discussions and social activities. It centers on the Baha'i faith which upholds the unity of God and His prophets of oneness and wholeness of the entire human race."

Villasenor returned in December 1974 and again was interviewed. A week of activities was planned for late March into early April 1974. Speakers and other events were held - Jules Vautrot, Alfred Neumann, Lisa Janti, Vinson Brown, Gerald Healy, Joan Bulkin and Sidney Bulkin. Janti was interviewed. Then things begin to slow down with a talk by Marc Towers on campus in April 1975.

Late 1970s onwards: Activity fades

There was a bit of a lull then. An advertisement appeared March 1981.

The Club became visibly active again in the Fall of 1982 when the Baha'i Club sponsored a "World Religions" series - Buddhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianisn, American Indian, Christianity, Islam, and Baha'i (apologizing for not getting a presenter for Hinduism) faiths in room 312 of the College Union in October-to-November, 1982. It was noted someone had taken down the posters of the series of talks the night after they were put up. Omid Rahmanian is named as a board member (and a "Karen" for contact info) of the Baha'i club and the membership was 15 students and faculty. Then Human Rights Day activities were sponsored by the Club in December 1982 with a viewing of taped proceedings of a congressional hearing on abuses of human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

However from 1982 through 2008 there is no known coverage of Baha'i activities on campus or advertisements for events off campus. After a long hiatus the religion is mentioned by Alana Garner noting the persecution of the Baha'is of Iran.

See also

• return to Coverage from the Ministry of the Guardian
• Off to College!, by Dale E. Lehman, Appeared: 08/26/2000
• Teaching the Baha’i Faith on College Campuses: Part One, personal blog, 13 December 2009