I think in any society people will always hang out with people that they have things in common with, so in that sense you cannot avoid there being cliques.
But, having said that I've always found durham to be a v friendly place esp if you make an effort to get to know local citizens and to do something in/for the community rather than just treating the whole town like an extended campus.
I think that it is cliquey, but from my point of view, the cliques are based on friendship groups, rather than on race/backgrounds/subjects etc. You end up always going back to your trusted buddies, but there are friends all around.. so it's pretty cool.
I'm not a fan of the christian union at all ever since they had posters everywhere suggesting that if you wern't christian you were inferior to those who were
But ususally they're not great thologians, and so their defense of their religion can be crushed with ease. Which can be fun. Especially the folks who think the earth is 10,000 years old or some ****.
They're nice folks, just don't get them started on "God" and you're cool. That or casual sex.
Personally, I've been attacked a lot by the CU because I'm Catholic.
It's weird, because I'm an international student, and have always lived in a Muslim country - where I assumed that religion would be a bigger issue - but I'm not even a practising Catholic and people keep trying to 'save' me from the perils of my religion.
My girlfriend is catholic and I'm a confirmed heathen. No real issues there. Not even on the old 'contraception' front. Which is good.
Some CU people are rather evangelical, which makes them both scary and wrong. I dislike the uni ChristSoc's annual "push" to try and convert people. Almost as bad as bloody Jehovas
Nah I've got a little bit more about the CU hehe...funny story...
There was this woman coming to Durham, like some Christian-charity woman who travels around doing stuff for Christianity. What do you call them again? Can't remember...anywho, the CU had to find somewhere for her to stay...so the "committee" apparantly prayed to God who told them that a friend of mine, Katie, would be "the one" to give the woman accomodation.
Anywho...a few days later the woman turned up and got to live in Katie's room at Trevs, and Katie had to move into a spare room (the only room in Trevs which has no sink!).....seriously...we were laughing so much at this! How they ALL prayed and God said "Katie" to them all - and then the woman couldn't just stay in the spare room...no she had to move into Katie's room!!
Seriously...some stuff that the CU comes up with is crazy! Hehe
As far as I'm aware there isn't a Christian Union clique in my year at Castle.....maybe I just haven't noticed
the christians at castle are one of the more blatent cliques, admittadly i only know those in the 3rd yr, cant be bothered with them, let alone anyone from other years. they aint just the normal christians either, they are fundamentalist christians. utterly sickening stuff. check out the back catalogues of yearbooks in the lowe library for their actitivies. also brac gives them £400 + so a dozen of them can have a non alcoholic holiday together. i hate them all, the self righteous b*stards
Haha. I'm from Johns... where the CU is pretty darn strong.
And like you, I'm not a great fan of the stringent doctrines of Catholicism - I just like having a faith, rather than follow the man made rules of the Church.
What makes many of the CU extremely funny is their insistance that the earth was created 10,000 years.
Man, those arguments are extremely fun! As is going to some ultra-fundementalist talk on why evolution is wrong, and heckling. loudly. And correctly. IT's great.
I'm probably coming across as some kind of anti-christian chap here. Not at all! I hate all religions equally.