In the summer of 1974, Fairfield was forever changed. A long line of yellow buses pulled into town from California, carrying scores of college students. Maharishi International University—now Maharishi University of Management (MUM)—had outgrown its Santa Barbara facility, purchased the former campus of Parson’s college, and relocated here to Iowa.

MUM has never been a conventional university, but in a 1970s small-town Midwest setting its differences were even more pronounced. Back then, a college where all students & faculty did Transcendental Meditation (TM) seemed downright radical.

Today, meditation and yoga have gone mainstream, and MUM has broad appeal among progressive-minded students of all ages from around the world. Enrollment has steadily climbed for the last 4 years, and new programs like Sustainable Living are flourishing. MUM has moved beyond its reputation as simply “Meditation U” and yet… people in Fairfield hear very little about what’s actually happening on campus, whether they meditate or not.

Hence, this new column called “On Campus.” As a graduate of MUM, I’m obviously biased—I had a great college experience, made friends from different countries, and believe in the value of the unique knowledge available here. But don’t worry, this isn’t a sales pitch or public relations ploy. As a lifelong Fairfield resident, my desire is simply to share the cool stuff going on at MUM with our community. Things have changed so much in recent years—even since I graduated in 2003—that it’s tough to keep up if you’re not around campus day-to-day.

Feel free to comment or ask questions on things you’d like to hear about. I’ll do my best to answer in a straightforward way, without hype or spin. Coming up in my next installment: MUM’s commitment to organic, vegetarian dining—a college cafeteria that non-students choose to eat at!