AHA On Bascom Hill

On Tuesday, September 10th, we had our very first Bascom Hill advertisement.  Not only was this event a first for our organization, but to AHA's knowledge, this was the first time atheist messages have ever taken up the advertising portion of Bascom Hill in the university’s history.  These messages reached thousands of students while they walked to classes on the hill. These 4’3’ posters took up the bottom portion of the hill and were put in place to advertise for a new service AHA is offering this year called “Faith Questioning.”

Through faith questioning, we encourage students to examine their religious beliefs, whatever they may be.  Almost everyone can relate to the struggles associated with questioning faith. When faced with religious doubts, individuals can be at risk of straining relationships with devout loved ones, and of mental or emotional stress resulting from the challenges of changing one’s world view.

Because of this, AHA officers are available to talk to questioning individuals at any time upon request. By providing a personal connection to a highly experienced AHA officer, we can help students transition to a new belief system - or reaffirm their current beliefs. We see either of these outcomes as positive, as this person has progressed to a position where they are more comfortable and confident with their religious identity. This fulfills our mission by fostering peer-to-peer discussions of religion on campus, and encouraging the personal development of one’s religious identity. AHA is concerned with conversation, not conversion.

Here are the posters in all of their glory. They were arranged in a way that allowed them to be read in this order while students were walking both up and down the hill.