Wicca Becoming More Popular on College Campuses

July 24, 1999

Source: The Plain Dealer

On July 24, 1999, The Plain Dealer published an article on the presence of Wicca on college campuses. Practitioners and scholars agree that college is a gateway for many into Paganism because of the "usual willingness of the young to experiment with the new and unfamiliar." College students are attracted by Paganism's reverence for the Earth and nature and its flexibility and individuality. "I like it because it's a very self-styled religion...There's not very much dogma," said Andee Brown, a computer science major at Smith College who became a Wiccan two years ago. At least 75 college pagan groups have internet web sites and the list keeps growing. "We've seen an explosion of interest...It's really been snowballing in the last couple of years," said Cairril Adaire of the Pagan Educational Network. Although the exact number of Pagans can't be determined, the Pagan Educational Network estimates there are at least 150,000 to 600,000 Pagans in the United States.