A community group for secular TCU students could soon become a reality.

The Secular Student Alliance is affiliated with the Secular Student Alliance, a national organization that helps students create their own secular groups at schools, said junior political science major and group founder Alexis Lohse.

The group plans to provide an outlet for nontheistic students and students questioning religion, she said.

Junior anthropology and writing double major Rebecca Royal said she is excited about the shared community the organization will create. It is harder for nonreligious students to find groups who share their same beliefs and views, she said.

Community service and outreach are major priorities for the group, Lohse said.She said she plans on connecting the group with other organizations to participate in cooperative charity work.

The group allows other students, including those in religious organizations, to realize that morals and compassion are achieved without religion, she said. Secular students and religious students can have similar ethics.

“There is absolutely a moral overlap, there are a lot of things we agree on," she said. "Possibly more things we agree on than we don’t.”

Despite the “Christian” title, the university is an accepting campus that allows people to ask questions about faith, said junior philosophy and economics double major David Shaver.

“TCU does a very good job at challenging people, and encouraging people to learn about their own beliefs and about other people’s beliefs,” he said.

There are no records of an established secular group at TCU.

Lohse organized an information session on Jan. 22 to gauge if enough students would be interested in forming a branch of the Secular Student Alliance at TCU.

Fifteen students showed interest in the group and seven students attended the interest meeting, she said.

Lohse submitted the documents required for the official establishment of the group to the Office of Student Organizations on Tuesday. The group is currently waiting for approval.

Students interested in the group may contact Alexis Lohse at [email protected]