A response to Rut Etheridge’s article, “Standing Next to the Skyscraper” regarding the gift of the RPCNA college, Geneva.

In August 2013, Indiana University (IU) student Rachael Fiege fell down stairs at a drunken party. Her friends left her alone because they thought she was sleeping, and she died of her injuries a few days later. The incident appeared in the campus and city newspapers, but most students and employees like me weren’t affected. In March 2015, Geneva College student Jonathan Antonishen died suddenly of a heart problem. Administration supported his family and friends, and a sense of loss pervaded the campus, reaching staff like me who’d never heard of him before. That week’s chapel service was replaced with a memorial service in which the gospel was preached as part of the consolation process.

I don’t want to suggest that IU is heartless or that Geneva is perfect, but these incidents are typical of these institutions’ cultures. Whether as a student, an alumnus, or an intern, I have always known Geneva to be a place where a strong sense of community prevails, where individualism (rampant at IU) generally gives way to love for one’s neighbor, even if one doesn’t know that specific neighbor. Institutional size plays a part, but the focus on following Christ causes the culture.

Bloomington RPC and other faithful Indiana churches serve as a refuge from IU’s antichristian atmosphere, while interaction with Beaver Falls-area RPCs and other faithful churches bolsters Geneva’s spiritual life.

—Nathaniel Pockras / Belle Center, Ohio