When the announcement for the “Epic Bible Talk” club is sounded over the intercom, the reaction that arises is often one of incredulity. At Ashland High School, because there is a culture of non-judgement, we tend to feel uncomfortable about the mention of any secular religion. We associate organized religious institutions with an attitude of nonacceptance; however, when I walked into Epic Bible Talk at lunch on Thursday, everything suggested otherwise.

The desks in Mr. Huard’s room, H33 on the top floor of the humanities building, were rearranged in a tight circle. This was the first thing I noticed about Epic Bible Talk. Most clubs have students facing the front of the room, listening to officers speak. The circle of desks gave the club an open, discussion-like atmosphere, not at all like the lectures of morning classes. At the front of the room sat two, steaming pizzas and a huge bottle of Sprite. I walked in with the last group of kids to arrive; to my surprise, fifteen or so kids were already piling their plates with pizza, sitting down in desks.

James Skinner, president of Eipc Bible Talk began the discussion with an open ended question: what is love? The pages of Bibles rustled as they were turned. No one had to talk; a few short thoughts were shared. Much of the next 20 minutes passed this way.

Despite the clubs obvious Christian theme, it seemed open to anyone regardless of religious affiliation, or lack thereof. In Epic Bible Talk, all that is required is a curiosity about the Bible and what it means. And of course, liking pizza is a must.