Student’s ‘Divine’ accomplishment

Friel to present, attributes achievement to Honors Program and professors

LAUREN REILLY NEWS EDITOR LMR722@CABRINI EDU

Honors club president Chris Friel, a junior religious studies major, will be attending this year’s National Collegiate Honors Conference (NCHC) in November to present a research paper she wrote under the guidance of religious studies professor Dr. Leonard Primiano and Academic Dean, Dr. Charles McCormick.

Friel’s paper, “They Came to Arrest God: The Past and Present Reality of Father Divine,” is to be presented along with two other students, one from Long Island University and the other of Armstrong University, as part of a student research panel. The paper, which was originally written as a class assignment for religious studies professor Dr. Leonard Primiano’s sects and cults course, peaked her interest and eventually grew to be an extensive erudite research paper. “Primiano makes faith interesting; every faith tradition and style becomes inspiring and unique,” Friel said.

Primiano applauds Friel for her accomplishment, not just for her academic work, but for the example she has set for others. “It is a mark of distinction for her, but also for our college that she has been selected to present her scholarly research at the National Honors Conference in New Orleans. I think it is especially important as a model that other students strive to repeat, especially as an opportunity to present critical thinking, writing and