Axelroth said he used to go to temple with his parents and had Shabbat dinner at his grandparents' house on Friday nights in his Alabama hometown. Cults haven't been a problem for me, but people who are extremely evangelical have made me uncomfortable, so I think I've tried to stay away from it. The fact that I'm not with my family has led me to be a little more active with the Hillel. Axelroth said he comes from a community with about the same small Jewish population as Vanderbilt's, so he feels as comfortable here practicing Judaism as he did at home. On the other hand, Axelroth said he thinks the discovery of other religions should be a personal decision, not one forced by the university.
Some students do actively explore a variety of religions in search of meaning.
Emil Wong, a junior, is agnostic, which he explained is not a religion, but more of a frame of mind. Most agnostics would say that there might be a higher power. Wong said he is not sure if he should believe in anything. He also said, however, that it is not a matter of whether he experiments or not. I listen at Bible studies, and I enjoy religious studies courses.