Contributed by Jennifer Pierce
CARP and Alain Oliver (center front), Director of the Love and Fidelity Network, take a final photo together.
“The thing I loved most about the conference was the environment. I really felt it was an environment where people did their research and were passionate. They all had the same values as me, and I felt very inspired and comfortable talking to them. It gave me a lot of hope for CARP as well. The talks were very amazing and logical, but heartfelt and filled with love. I felt God has been raising these people.” - Reimi Mizuguchi, Freshman at Bergen Community College
From November 8 to 9th, around 20 CARP members from 10 chapters joined the 12th annual Love and Fidelity Network Conference, Sexuality, Integrity, and the University, at Princeton University in New Jersey. The purpose of the conference was to help students articulate the reasons for sexual integrity, marriage, and family using research-based arguments. It was also an opportunity for like-minded students to interact and network with professionals and with each other. Roughly 100 students, primarily from Ivy League schools and representing different Christian denominations, came to attend the conference.
My highlight was the content in general, but also the feeling that there are people who are willing to go beyond doctrine to affect change in our society. I knew people agreed with these values, but it was nice to know that other people were willing to fight for it alongside others, despite theological differences.” - Mia Taguchi, Sophomore at College of Southern Nevada
This year, CARP hosted a table at the conference to promote CARP’s activities and principles. CARP students volunteered to man the table in rotations over the two days. In preparation for the conference and for the CARP Las Vegas Campus Talk event last week, the National CARP staff put together a pamphlet on CARP’s view of sex. This pamphlet and our academic life planners were available at our table. Get a digital copy of the pamphlet by donating to CARP’s End-of-Year Campaign!
CARP took a picture with Ana Samuel (middle back), one of the presenters.
Some of the topics covered this year were consent in relationships, the impact of the first amendment on pornography, and sharing your values with people who hold different values. Of these topics, our students universally appreciated Ana Samuel’s talk about sharing your values. With the collegiate climate being a tough place to stand for principled values, Samuel’s talk gave an easy four-step process that involved living for the sake of others and investing into relationships with others, more than being an educator or a preacher.
“Being a part of LFN was an amazing experience because it pushed me to develop confidence as a representative of many of the values and organizations that I personally stand for. Initially, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt in this environment. Nowadays, it’s difficult to find like-minded people who are fighting for the same values. It was so easy to bring up these topics that are often seen as controversial, and it was comforting to know that [CARP] wasn’t the only one fighting for these values.” - Yoshika Iwamoto, Senior at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
In between presentations and over meals, CARP members talked to presenters and students from different schools. This was an opportunity to share more about CARP and to connect to people who are standing for values on their campus.
“I would like to continue to build relationships with those I've met at the conference and do more research on the materials and information I’ve received. Especially in preparation for our upcoming ‘Peace Starts With Me’ Campus Event [at Chabot College], I would like to apply what I've learned here.” - Junta Naito, Junior at Chabot College
“Even though it was terrifying at times, I was so grateful to share about CARP to my fellow peers. I want to practice articulating my values on [sexual integrity], whether through club meetings, IGNITE, our campus event, or even a simple conversation. The more I practice articulating these values, the more I can own them as my values.” - Erika Gordon, Junior at Cal State East Bay
“My highlight was definitely getting to know the other participants. It was so surreal for me that I can talk about this topic of family, marriage, sexuality, and faith so openly. I never met people who were as clear on these topics as the ones at this conference.” - Ryota Naito, Junior at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
After dinner on Saturday, a student from Notre Dame University shared about how her club on campus is fighting to place a filter on the campus-wide WiFi to block pornography sites. Hearing about how other students are being activists on their campus, CARP members were inspired to stand for principled values and build principled networks with other principled leaders.
Whether it was the content or the opportunity to network, CARP students made the most of their experience and the nurturing environment created by the conference:
“Recently I’ve been reflecting a lot about religion and how students on campus have a misconception of what religion is. It has almost a negative connotation, but during this conference, I was surprised to see many professional people from different fields come together centered on these topics of sexual integrity and the importance of marriage. They were professional and held on to their faith and values. It really inspired me and showed me that there is much more than just what my university shows me.
Seeing how as religious people they were willing to open the doors and embrace others who don’t agree with them was new and comforting. Even with their beliefs, they are willing to go beyond that to have compassion and love towards others and I think if the students and professors at my school could see this then their concepts about religion could change.” - Sasha Okon, Freshman at Montclair State University
“My highlight was being able to grow my understanding of sexuality and my concept of integrity and how that's related to my life back where I live and go to school. Through the presentations, I was able to think deeply about how issues prevalent in our society are affecting my friends and my family.
Following this conference, I want to deeply think about how I can gather a group of like-minded people to work together and to stand for something meaningful and something needed on my campus. I know that there will be many challenges in the process, but I hope to stand for sexual integrity at my campus in any way, big or small. I also want to share what I learned with my family and friends.” - Keisetsu Nakamura, Senior at New Jersey Institute of Technology
Thank you, Alain Oliver and the Love and Fidelity Network, for hosting the event, and thank you to everyone who supported our CARP members to join this year’s conference.
More photos coming soon!
Help more students have these kinds of opportunities by supporting CARP’s End-of-Year Giving Campaign, especially on Giving Tuesday on December 3rd, by donating at carplife.org/donate.
“Thank you for sponsoring us to go to this event! I think this was definitely an amazing opportunity to not only gain new insights and connections, but also because CARP’s presence was made known.” - Yoshika Iwamoto, Senior at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis