Rita Brodland pauses to take a break during the People’s March at the State Capitol on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. Rita and others with physical disabilities participated in the march. “As much as we want to rest, we can’t. We gotta fight,” she stated.
Matthew Burkhart, Grace Turschak News Editor, Staff Writer
Allotting time for both faith and schoolwork is a challenge many religious students face. But from utilizing prayer spaces to joining student organizations, religious students are discovering ways to integrate their spiritual practices into their busy schedules, fostering community and personal growth along the way.
Nour Makhlof, a third-year studying political science and history and president of the Muslim Student Association, must pray five times a day as a part of her faith. She said she must keep prayer in mind when registering for classes.
“Especially the afternoon prayer and the mid-afternoon prayer, those are the times when I’m on campus, and I try to make sure that my classes are within those time frames where they don’t stop me from attending prayer,” Makhlof said.
Makhlof said another factor to consider is the changing of the seasons and how they affect her prayer times, as prayer times are based on the sun’s position in the sky. She once took a class where her prayer was a considerable time before her class during the winter, but as the spring came, it had to be done 10 minutes before her class started.
“I’d always have this dilemma of, should I just go to my class building and find an empty classroom and just pray in it?” Makhlof said. “I wouldn’t always find an empty classroom, or maybe there’d be people studying in those empty classrooms. It was a little awkward. There were other times when I might be a little late to my class because I was praying. So there’s definitely been times where it wasn’t too easy, but I’ve learned since then to make sure there’s enough of a time gap to allow me to pray even while the seasons change.”
At an institutional level, the Office of Equal Opportunity, or the OEO, offers interfaith resources to students that enable students to engage with their faith on campus.
Sheri Schwab, Vice Provost of Equal Opportunity, said the OEO offers prayer and meditation spaces for students of any faith or spirituality in both libraries on campus, Engineering Building II and in Talley Student Union. Rooms are served on a walk-in basis.
Other resources offered by the OEO include helping students access alternative meal plans that align with their faith, and guidance on how to obtain absences for religious reasons.
“Anytime our office is mentioned, I always hope that there will be an element of the education and awareness side and not just the ‘go here when you have a complaint’ side, but I do want people to know that we are here if someone is experiencing something where they feel they’re not having those rights adhered to,” Schwab said.
Schwab said a large part of OEO’s mission is educating faculty on how to accommodate various religions.
“People think our office is just about investigations when things go wrong, but we really try to do that prevention and education,” Schwab said. “And how can we set up systems that work, that are inclusive from the get-go, so that people aren’t having to come to us on the complaint side. We’d rather just have it be inclusive and accessible from the start.”
Makhlof said all of her professors thus far have been understanding and accommodating with asking for days away from class for religious holidays.
“[During Eid al-Fitr], I haven’t had any problems with any professors about taking a day off,” Makholf said. “A lot of
them even encouraged me to take two, three days off or, ‘It’s okay, we’ll give you an extension for this assignment during that week,’ just to allow us to celebrate and really spend that time with the people that we love.”
Makholf said Ramadan is more than just fasting for Muslim students. On top of fasting from dawn to dusk, Makholf said Muslims often spend late nights at Mosques completing nightly prayer and reading and reciting the Quran.
“I would say that my academic performance or my academic work during Ramadan is less than the rest of the year, so I tend to give priority to attending my nightly prayers, to read Quran, make sure I spend time with family when we break our fast,” Makholf said. “These things do take away time that I would usually dedicate to studying, but I think speaking to your professors prior to our fasting and explaining how that month will go forward for you and this type of schedule that you’ll have makes it easier.”
Keeland Covell, a fourth-year studying communication and a family group leader at Summit College, a college ministry at NC State affiliated with Summit Church, said figuring out where her priorities lie has been helpful in striking a balance between her Christian faith and her schoolwork.
“I think when we stop putting our identity so much in our academics and more in something that’s greater than ourselves, we’re actually going to perform better,” Covell said. “So I think that the strategy that I would say would be to make sure that you have a schedule and that you know yourself.”
Covell said engaging with her faith has helped her manage anxiety, allowing her to better handle personal and academic stress.
Similarly, Sophia Davis, a third-year studying accounting and a Summit College family group leader, said her faith has
helped her navigate through a chaotic, independent college lifestyle.
“The way that I have dealt with [college life] is understanding that I’m not alone in it when there’s a community around me that’s also going through it,” Davis said. “So it’s been really sweet for the Lord to use other people to love on me in that way.”
Davis said one thing she learned from Summit was to not “add things to your schedule, but add people to your schedule.”
Instead of overloading her calendar with events, Davis advises inviting people along with her to places she’s already going.
“Let’s say I’m studying or I need to get some work done,” Davis said. “I would invite one of the girls I’m leading into it, or I would text the family group chat and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be studying for a couple hours at Hill. If anyone wants to join me, I have a study room.’”
The common thread in engaging with both aspects, according to the students, is setting a schedule that ensures time is reserved for faith, as that can often get overlooked in the face of academic stress.
Benji Smith, a fifth-year studying mechanical engineering and Summit College family group member, said devoting more time to his faith has allowed him to excel in his academic performance as a result.
“[Your faith] gives [you] a little bit more motivation for [schoolwork], but also grace in when you do fail, because you will fail … but recognizing that that’s not where your worth is, in your academics, but instead your worth is in the God that you follow, it simultaneously gives you a higher motivation and less stress,” Smith said.
NC State, the largest university in North Carolina, is home to students of many backgrounds, including those who belong to smaller religious communities. Students in these religions engage in organizations, events and practices to engage with their communities on campus.
Kathryn Adams, a fourth-year studying psychology and social work, is the president of the Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry, a pluralistic faith that draws ideas from multiple religions.
“Unitarian Universalism essentially operates under the idea that everyone has the right and the freedom to find out for themselves what they believe,” Adams said. “Some people believe in God. Some people don’t. Some people believe in an afterlife. Some people don’t.”
Adams said it can be odd to practice such a small religion because most people know little about it, but the small group setting can have its benefits.
“I think that it creates better connections, and we’re able to give each other more time,” Adams said.
Within her religion, Adams said community engagement is an irrevocable part of the practice.
“In my personal opinion, there’s not really a way to be a Unitarian Universalist without having values of love and community,” Adams said. “There’s not really a solo path that you have to go on like in other religions. It’s an ongoing process that you share with other people.”
Adams said even though most of the campus doesn’t know the group exists, she still feels their impact matters.
“We have our small circle, and we’re able to create meaning and good experiences and value in that small space,” Adams said. “That feels like it’s enough. Like you’re making a small difference, but it’s still a big difference to you.”
Mazin Salah, a third-year studying computer science and the vice president of the Muslim Student Association, said his main role for his religious organization is to plan outreach and charity-based events.
In public schools growing up, Salah said he did not have a large Muslim community or a mosque nearby. Now at NC State, he said that although there are some inconveniences, his experiences have brought him closer to the community. He prays five times a day and shapes his schedule accordingly, and the ritual brings him together with other Muslims on campus.
“Here on campus, there are interfaith prayer rooms,” Salah said. “Usually when I walk in there, I see some Muslims and we all know, ‘Ok, it’s time to pray together.’ That really helps with community building. Eventually I made plenty of friends just by praying alone.”
Through these connections, Salah started going to Muslim Student Association events and local mosque services with fellow students.
“I’ve definitely become a lot more conscious and practicing of my religion as a result of coming to college
and meeting the Muslim community here,” Salah said. Salah said he always appreciates when NC State Dining makes an effort to accommodate Muslim students, and also when professors are understanding of any accommodations he requests.
Sarah Irwin, a third-year studying elementary education and a member of the Lutheran Campus Ministry, said she found it difficult to find people to attend church with until she came to NC State.
“[Community] is important for me because it’s allowed me to work on my relationship with God and get closer,” Irwin said.
Irwin said the community she has found within her ministry has provided a place for her religiously, but also as a general social setting that is inclusive and welcoming.
“This has been a way for me to find friends and have that group where I feel like I belong,” Irwin said.
Dhanush Jamadgni, a doctoral student studying material science engineering, practices Hinduism. When he initially moved to the United States, it was to attend Iowa State University where he had no connections or safety net.
Jamadgni was part of an Indian students association, then joined the Hindu YUVA, which stands for Youth for Unity, Virtues and Action, after attending a few events. This membership helped him when he moved to North Carolina. When he couldn’t get housing because of short notice, Jamadgni stayed at a fellow member’s house.
“That’s when I realized that it’s not just an organization which is there to help people on campus or to promote events,” Jamadgni said. “It’s outside of that, doing help for the community, to other people.”
Being a part of Hindu YUVA also helps Jamadgni maintain cultural traditions, even if they aren’t widely
practiced.
“You realize the essence of how important it is to celebrate your culture when you don’t have it around you,” Jamadgni said.
On the day he was interviewed, he was celebrating a festival celebrating the harvest season called Sankranti. Jamadgni said it is celebrated by making a certain dish, and his roommate and he made a concerted effort to cook that dish for themselves and their community.
“We cooked enough so that we can make sure that everybody gets to eat some. It’s small things like that which help you build a community and make sure that you support each other,” Jamadgni said.
Coming to America, Jamadgni knew it would be different and he has found it best to learn how to make those different belief systems coexist.
“You can’t say, ‘It’s my way or the highway,’” Jamadgni said. “It has to be more, ‘We from our belief system that we come from, here’s what we’ve learned, here’s where we’re living and here’s the belief system of this place. How do we make sure that we can co-exist without having to live in a certain way where you’re not happy?’”
Jamadgni said it’s not only a culture shock for him as a foreigner to American culture, but also for Americans. According to The American Religious Landscape survey by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, only 0.5% of Americans identify as Hindu.
When cultures coexist, Jamadgni said the important thing is promoting understanding and education. Learning about other people’s beliefs, he said, can help inform and reinforce your own.
The representatives from the Unitarian Universalist Ministry, Hindu YUVA, MSA and Lutheran Campus Ministry all emphasized that all are welcome at their events and meetings, to take part in the practice or simply to learn more.
Woodman, Chi Tran Staff Writer, Correspondent
Food is a fundamental part of a culture that can bring communities together. NC State food and dining’s food offerings must reflect and support the student body by providing menu items that align with various religious dietary restrictions.
Lauren Smith, director of nutrition and wellness for NC State Dining, said halal food offerings are some of the most frequently requested items in dining halls and campus markets. Halal foods are permissible under Islamic law, while haram foods are forbidden. Some common haram foods are pork, pork derivatives and alcohol.
Mikhail Reza, a fourth-year in the college of engineering and member of the Muslim Student Association, said halal meat must be blessed at the time of a humane slaughter.
“For Muslims, it’s a way that we go ahead and preserve the sanctity of what we eat,” Reza said. “We make sure that everything that we consume is pure, is healthy, and we have an Arabic term called Tayyib, which means ‘good,’ essentially, which is spiritually good for you.”
NC State Dining has worked with vendors to increase halal meat offerings, provide appropriate certification and adjust menu items and hours during holidays.
During Ramadan, NC State Dining will offer several services to support NC State’s Muslim students. Beginning March 17 through the end of Ramadan, Clark Dining Hall will close at 9 p.m. to accommodate the later sunset.
Another service offered will be the “double swipe,” which allows students to access the dining hall and take a box of food to go or two to-go boxes in one meal period. Students interested in receiving this dining accommodation must sign up.
Menus will also change during Ramadan, including more halal entree options and dates for students to break the fast.
“As of a couple years ago, per a student’s request, we started adding dates on the salad bar,” Smith said. “We don’t typically have them; they’re kind of hard to get in bulk, but during that month, we have dates on the salad bar because that is a very traditional way to break the fast.”
Reza said the community efforts have greatly impacted students.
“We really look forward to positive experiences during the month of Ramadan,” Reza said. “So to see the University try and help us facilitate a good environment to have that on campus really makes us feel more connected to campus and helps us connect the campus with our faith and spiritual practice as well.”
Smith said one of the most important qualities when discussing religious dietary restrictions is clear, concise communication. At NC State, there is a unique labeling system which differentiates between vegan, vegetarian and halal entrees and sides.
However, while dining halls on main campus have rotating menus and a variety of offered foods, Centennial Campus has more limited options.
Dhanush Udayashankara Jamadgni, a third-year doctoral student studying material science and president of Hindu YUVA, a socio-cultural Hindu student organization on campus, said the two main vegan and vegetarian options on Centennial Campus are a black bean burger and pizza. Udayashankara Jamadgni added that many Hindu students are afraid to eat the black bean burger due to fears of cross-contact.
In the Hindu religion, one of the main dietary restrictions is consuming beef.
“The cow is considered as a god, because it gives you milk, it gives you life, it gives you everything,” Udayashankara Jamadgni said.
“Because we are from an agricultural background, we worship it, because it kind of is the main source of our livelihood.”
While providing accommodations and menu items that support students’ religious dietary restrictions are imperative, it’s also
meaningful to provide students with menu items that reflect the varied backgrounds and cultures in the student body.
“Because there are around more than 2,000 Indian students on campus here, it would be really nice to see if we had more Indian food options on the menu,” Udayashankara Jamadgni said.
Smith said no Kosher meals are available at this time due to the diet’s kitchen-keeping restrictions.
“I think in order to properly, genuinely do a kosher meal or kosher meat, we would need a separate kitchen, so we don’t currently have kosher options,” Smith said.
Instead the focus is geared toward prevention for students that have religious dietary restrictions.
“We keep meat separate from dairy and things like that, like certain rules, but we don’t have dedicated kosher meals,” Smith said. Students with religious dietary restrictions can also go through the Office of Equal Opportunity to see if specific needs can be met. When accommodations cannot be made, students will be granted a meal plan exemption in addition to meeting with a dietician to plan out alternative meals.
“The last thing we want is for them not to be on a meal plan, and then they also don’t have access to the grocery store, or don’t have a car,” Smith said. “So we make sure that they still have a plan or they’ve thought through how they will get their food.”
Ultimately, Smith emphasized the importance of leaving feedback on dining hall and meal plan offerings. Students can do this by texting a keyword, a list of which can be found here, to 55744. For students leaving comments or suggestions related to religious dietary restrictions, utilize the keyword “nutrition.”
Ally Tennant News Editor
Religious studies is one of the 60-plus majors within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, combining disciplines with the philosophy department, to offer one of the most diverse programs at NC State. For 25 years, Jason Bivins, a professor and the director of the religious studies program, has worked on providing spaces and crafting a delicate balance between various religious viewpoints for students.
Bivins said the first thing to recognize about the religious studies program is its ability to not commit to a particular religion’s teachings.
“At a public university, the first thing to know is that the study of religion is not committed to a particular religious point of view or opposed to a religious point of view,” Bivins said. “We think of ourselves as conducting research and teaching in much the same way as any other discipline. We’re fascinated by the enduring human phenomenon of religion. We want to figure out what
makes it tick, what shapes it takes, how it changes and how it stays the same.”
The program first started in the late 1960s as a concentration in the philosophy department that focused mainly on theological practices. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the concentration became more independent, creating its new identity as a separate major.
Today, Bivins said the department is at its strongest ever in terms of the number of faculty and productivity.
This growth drew in Griffin James, a
fourth-year studying religious studies, who started his academic career as an environmental science major. He said the religious studies department offered more diverse skills to help understand the skill of connecting religion to modern-day issues.
“You need to be able to connect, and you need to be able to experience and understand why it is so pivotal for some people,” James said. “And learning how to connect better has been one of the biggest skills.”
DIVERSE PATHS continued page 6
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
Anytime an NC State student or employee logs on to a University-affiliated webpage, they are met with the “Shibboleth Login Service” that asks for their virtual credentials. While students often scoff at the antiquated word and ponder its pronunciation, many likely don’t know the biblical origins of the software’s namesake.
The word “shibboleth” originates from the Hebrew language, with its first known literary usage hailing from the Book of Judges in the Old Testament of the Bible. Judges 12:5-6 details a confrontation between the Gilead and the Ephraim tribes in which the Ephraimites are attempting to cross the Jordan River through a ford, a spot in the river able to be crossed without a bridge, under control by the Gileadites.
When undercover Ephraimites insisted they be allowed to cross, the Gileadites asked them to say one word to prove which region they belonged to — shibboleth.
Jason Staples, a professor of religious studies with a specialization in early Judaism and Christian origins, described this as a password system the Gileadites used to determine who was on their side. Because of the dialectical differences between regions at the time, the Gileadites knew the Ephraimites wouldn’t pronounce “shibboleth” the same way they did, making it the perfect test of identity.
“They devised a scheme where, essentially, they would ask them to say ‘shibboleth,’ and then the ones that said ‘sibboleth’ they knew were from the other tribe,” Staples said. “Then they would kill them. They would execute because clearly they’re from the enemy.”
The word shibboleth has evolved to be somewhat of an idiom independent of its biblical origins. Now, a shibboleth might be asking someone to identify aspects of one’s culture or social circle, rather than relying solely on word pronunciation, to determine if they are part of your in-group.
This new meaning rings true in the world of information technology, hence the Shibboleth software’s nod to the scripture.
Marc Hoit, vice chancellor for information technology, said
continued from page 5
James said the importance of recognizing the program on college campuses is to help define a better understanding of what religion is, which is integral in understanding global issues.
“I would argue it’s especially important not only within CHASS but within the religious studies department itself because religion is a global thing,” James said. “So if we all come at it with the same perspective and understanding of what religions are from a Christian perspective, which is usually the perspective we take when we analyze religions whether you’re a major or not, it helps challenge the established understanding of what religion is.”
Aside from skillsets, James said the department makes it a top priority to consider student opinions and value what is coming next to the department.
“Last semester, we had a faculty member leave the department, so they were looking for a replacement, and they really engaged with the students to see who would be the best fit,” James said. “I can’t think of any other department really doing something similar.”
The department is not set aside for CHASS majors alone. It encourages STEM students to participate in bringing
the Shibboleth software is part of the University’s identity and access management strategy. “Identity” is focused on establishing whether the user is who they say they are, hence Shibboleth’s need for a password, and “access” then determines what information is available to that user based on which groups they are in, which Hoit compared to the Gileadite and Ephraimite tribes. Hoit said the University has thousands of digital groups for everything from the clubs you’re in to which classes you’re taking.
“We create groups and we populate those groups by adding your identity into that group to say you’re a member,” Hoit said. “We have groups about what department you’re in, what college you’re in — any formal group that we keep track of. What doors you can access, because what building you’re allowed to go in or not is a group. So those groups and those passwords are all linked together with that identity.”
The Shibboleth software was born out of a desire for higher education institutions to be able to collaborate across universities and research labs. Hoit said NC State was one of the first institutions to sign on to the project in the late ‘90s, along with government agencies and other research universities. This led to the development of Internet2, Shibboleth’s home and a national network designed to connect research and educational institutions.
While it’s not the sole defense, Hoit said Shibboleth provides extra security to the University’s cybersecurity efforts.
new perspectives.
“I get a lot of STEM students, but they’re usually highly motivated,” Bivins said. “Motivation is rarely an issue, whether it’s a STEM student or a humanities and I, for one, appreciate the different learning perspectives.”
Bivins said religious studies allows students to delve into several topics and not just the theological framework of religion but the critical aspects.
“This is where you learn the skills of dialogue and understanding, commonality and analysis,” Bivins said. “I genuinely believe that if we can do those things, if we can achieve those goals by studying religion, which is among the more sensitive and controversial subjects, then we’re really well-positioned to be able to do the same kind of thing in society in general. It’s citizenship training.”
The religious studies major also harbors several career choices. According to Bivins, while over one-third of his students are interested in ministry work, the majority achieve accomplishments in fields from law school to academia.
James said the department welcomes numerous religious backgrounds, which does not limit career options and learning. “It’s equally diverse,” James said. “We have various people from various backgrounds coming in to take these courses, which is great because they all bring their perspectives.”
To Bivins, the most crucial factor for the department is
“You’ll know when you go to log into Google, it pops up the Shibboleth page, so it gives us an extra layer of security that we control who has access,” Hoit said. “If a student graduates, we can take that away. If a student’s account is hacked, and we see that your computer is hacked and you’re on our network, we can shut that down. So we have a lot more control to stop bad things from happening and stop it from spreading.”
The original meaning of shibboleth is contested, with some accounts referencing it as an ear of grain, such as corn, or a flowing stream. Staples said literacy levels at the time were likely lower than scripture makes it seem, so it’s possible that the Gileadites pointed to a river or ear of corn and requested the Ephraimites name the object in order to get them to say their code word.
However, if the Gileadites were to have written the word and asked the Ephraimites to read it out loud, there would have been one minor giveaway.
The first letter of “shibboleth” is the Hebrew letter “shin,” which is drawn as a U-shape with a third branch in the middle. The same symbol also stood for the letter “sin.” Staples said in the Middle Ages, the language evolved to denote vowels and consonants more clearly, so “shin” was eventually distinguished with a dot on the furthest right branch and “sin” with a dot on the left. Before that distinction, people had to know the beginning of the word based on context.
“Essentially what they did is they asked them to pronounce a word that begins with that letter, which can be shin or sin, and which one they went with — which was dialectically, regionally based — that determined who was and who wasn’t on our side,” Staples said.
Staples compared this to the English word “sure” which many pronounce with a “sh” sound, but those not familiar with the language or from a different region may simply pronounce with an “s.”
As for how Staples helps his students remember the slight difference?
“It’s easy to remember because the dot for ‘sin’ is always on the left because sin is never right,” Staples said.
not only teaching students how to critically think through primary and secondary texts but to apply these skills beyond the academic scope.
“I just think it’s increasingly apparent that if you want to understand anything about our current world or the past, religion is just always there,” Bivins said. “It’s always been there. It’s always going to be there. The intellectual journey is fun for its own purposes, but we really want to help students understand this fundamental component of human life with the goal that we can all hopefully get out of this place being a little more compassionate.”
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
It’s new, it’s hot and you can’t put it in a box. Spirituality is all the rave, and it looks like it’s here to stay. A 2023 report by Pew Research Center found that 22% of American adults identify as spiritual but not religious and 70% consider themselves spiritual.
But, what is spirituality?
Spirituality can generally be understood as a connection with something bigger than yourself and can include practices like meditation, breathwork, journaling and manifestation. But more important to spirituality than any of those practices is the absence of rituals. Simply, it’s not intended to be confined.
Riley McClanahan, a recent ecological engineering alumni and former president of the Bhakti Yoga Club, said the unique flexibility of spirituality is significant to her.
“Being spiritual in my everyday life now looks a lot like being open to all types of wisdom,” McClanahan said. “I think being spiritual in this day and age can be really confusing because there are no set boundaries, but that can also make it really special. So I think for me, being spiritual looks like kind of creating my own practice. That works for me from that place of being open and just figuring it out and trying new things.”
Charley Baun, a first-year studying horticulture science management, enjoys using spiritual practices like tarot readings and crystal healing to ground her as an individual and connect with her community.
“Spirituality can be a tool for grounding yourself in the moment and just trying to focus on the good and also being in a space with other spiritual people,” Baun said. “You can focus on that community with other people and what brings you together. But I definitely do use spirituality as a grounding thing, to remind me where I’m at in the moment and to celebrate what is good in the world.”
Nathan Lean, a professor of religious studies with specializations in Muslim-American history and religion in American culture, said for college students in particular, the experience of leaving their home environment leads to an opportunity to explore other traditions outside of organized religion — or no tradition at all.
“Not only are you by yourself and able to make decisions about how you fit into any given tradition on your own, but you’re also surrounded by people who are very different than you,” Lean said. “That’s one of the great benefits of being in college, is that you have
classmates and friends and dormmates and acquaintances that share different beliefs. So I think at least the combination of those things, in part, leads us down this road of not really putting ourselves in a silo.”
Spiritual students agree that attending college opens up new opportunities to explore belief systems. Baun grew up attending a Christian church and was especially plugged into her youth group. Soon after she began high school, Baun stopped attending after noticing homophobia and transphobia within her church.
When she began at NC State, Baun started hosting events like solstice celebrations and full moon parties for her friends to foster community and connect with nature.
“I believe a lot of people, especially our age, are so disillusioned with everything going on in the world right now, spirituality can kind of be an outlook for that and a tool for escapism,” Baun said. “I think it can be a thing for college students in general, because that’s a time where you’re experimenting with a lot of things and trying to explore identity.”
Baun said her experience with Christianity gave her a negative perception of organized religion. She now considers herself spiritual and is particularly drawn to the Wiccan tradition, which is not considered an organized religion.
“My views toward Christianity are complicated in a way because in the way that my family practiced, it wasn’t necessarily negative, but the way I’ve been surrounded by so many negative principles and practices of it just kind of completely turned me away from it overall,” Baun said. “I do notice spiritual-
ity is not as restrictive as organized religion normally is.”
McClanahan said the differences she notices between spirituality and religion boils down to acceptance. She said in the Bhakti Yoga Club, there’s no pressure to believe in a god or follow rituals to a tee. And as a gay woman, she feels more welcomed when practicing spirituality.
As for the similarities, religion and spirituality both place an emphasis on community.
“Humankind needs community, and right now we have a lack of it like we’ve never had it before,” McClanahan said. “And I think that spirituality buzzword is enticing because people are like, ‘Oh I could have a community of people who want to speak more deeply, who care about my day-to-day.’”
Sumedha Somayajula, a second-year studying biology and social media manager for NC State’s Bhakti Yoga Club, finds more flexibility in how she identifies and doesn’t reject religion entirely despite her spirituality.
Somayajula grew up connecting with her family’s Hindu beliefs but eventually began to view herself as spiritual. After training to become a yoga teacher, she’s more open to Hinduism again and thus the idea of labeling herself as religious.
“I feel like it’s been this fundamental redefinition of who I am,” Somayajula said. “I felt like I was being taken apart and just pieced back together. And now in my everyday, I think spirituality to me means embracing that coming apart and coming back together as it happens from day to day.”
Somayajula said she once resented the concept of religion, feeling as though it was the
cause of hatred and division. Now, she has a more nuanced perspective on religion and the role it plays in the world and her own life.
“I feel like it’s gotten so misconstrued along the way,” Somayajula said. “Right now, at least, it’s been a process of trying to redefine that for myself and find freedom in that term, as opposed to being limited or constrained by it.”
While college can be a time to explore different religious traditions, Lean said data supports the idea that this drift toward spirituality is not limited to college-aged Americans and very likely carries into adulthood. He pointed to a 2017 Pew Research Center report that said 27% of adult Americans identify as spiritual but not religious — an even higher percentage than the 2023 report — as an indication that the religious curiosity students find in college is not merely a phase. He’s also hesitant to chalk it up to a generational divide. While Generation Z might be known for their progressive ideas, Lean doesn’t find Gen Z’s affinity for the spiritual to be a hallmark of their generation but rather a hallmark for college students overall.
“I think what we’re talking about is something that may not be necessarily unique to any generation that we would define as Gen Z or Millennials or whoever they are, but in a looser sense, young adults who are entering into the world on their own for the first time,” Lean said. “It varies for different people, but people who are now sort of at the precipice of this brave new world that is before them and are faced with having to make decisions on their own, having to really think about who they are as individuals.”
Lean said there’s a few misconceptions about people who identify with spirituality, one being that spiritual people are straddling the fence.
“I think that’s a wrong way of viewing religion,” Lean said. “Religion is not necessarily about fitting in a particular space with a particular group upholding a particular identity. That’s part of it for some people, but the group that we’re talking about, I think, has historically been committed to a spiritual path, this general sense of openness.”
Somayajula’s advice to those struggling with a spiritual label for themselves is to lean into that openness and don’t judge the journey it takes you on.
“I think we spend so much time trying to force ourselves into labels that we’re uncomfortable when there’s the absence of one,” Somayajula said. “That ambiguity can be very difficult to grapple with, but I think the most special insights and revelations and important aspects of your spiritual being are found within that ambiguity.”
can explore similar thematic concerns and shared ideals.
Art thrives on the tension between opposing forces: desire and restraint, justice and injustice, vice and virtue. From Giotto’s frescoes to the silver screen, stories like “Nosferatu” and “Babygirl” engage with these conflicts, offering critiques of societal norms and explorations of the human condition.
Giotto’s 14th-century chapel frescoes, a spatial and architectural medium, present the seven vices and virtues as allegorical figures. These panels, a distant ancestor to modern film, share a thematic lineage with Shakespearean drama and contemporary cinema. For example, Giotto’s “Inconstancy,” precariously balanced, mirrors Macbeth’s descent into chaos, both embodying the destructive nature of unchecked ambition.
This connection highlights how different mediums — painting, theatre and film —
The interplay of vice and virtue often hinges on the concept of desire and makes one wonder if desire is inherently destructive. Religious traditions, emphasizing virtues like chastity and wisdom, offer a moral framework for interpreting narratives as both cautionary and redemptive. These virtues such as prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice resonate across cultures and faiths.
Prudence, wisdom and knowledge are universal virtues that manifest differently across traditions. Hinduism’s viveka, discernment when translated to English, and the goddess Saraswati embody this ideal, while Buddhism’s prajna, wisdom, on the Eightfold Path emphasizes understanding reality. The Quran speaks of hikmah, wisdom as divine guidance. Giotto’s “Prudentia,” holding a mirror of self-knowledge, connects introspection to prudence and wisdom.
This resonates with the arcs of female
protagonists facing societal constraints. Ophelia in “Hamlet,” and the heroines of “Nosferatu” and “Baby Girl,” grapple with inner desires versus external expectations. This pursuit of balance connects these characters across time and medium.
Temperance, self-control and balance find expression in Taoism’s harmony with the Tao, Islam’s taqwa, self-restraint, and Buddhism’s Middle Way. Giotto’s “Temperantia,” embodying measured action, parallels Prospero’s journey from vengeance to forgiveness in “The Tempest.” In “Babygirl,” the protagonist’s navigation of stigmatized female sexuality embodies this struggle for balance. Conversely, “Nosferatu’s” vampiric figures, driven by unrestrained desire, serve as a cautionary counterpoint, highlighting the dangers of unchecked impulses.
The specter of gynophobia, the fear of women, casts a long shadow across these narratives. Shakespeare’s “Othello” reflects this fear, as does the predatory Count Orlok in “Nosferatu,” who embodies societal anxieties surrounding female autonomy. This
connects to the stigmatization faced by the protagonist in “Babygirl.” Giotto’s vices, like “Despair” and “Inconstancy,” further illuminate the double bind imposed on women.
This fear, whether rooted in classism or a broader anxiety surrounding female power, is a recurring motif across these works.
From Giotto’s frescoes to Shakespeare’s plays and modern cinema, cultural narratives evolve, repurposing ancient symbols to address contemporary issues. The vampiric nature of power, where one’s rise necessitates another’s fall, echoes across these mediums.
These stories, guided by universal religious values — humility, charity, forgiveness, prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice — compel us to reflect on our own moral struggles, reminding us that while the medium may change, the fundamental themes of the human experience remain eternal.
Emmy-winning TV series “Severance” premiered the first episode of its second season this past weekend, and after a breathtaking season finale and three-year hiatus, it’s no surprise fans were eagerly awaiting the show’s return.
“Severance,” a dystopian caricature of the workplace, follows the lives of four “severed” Lumon Industries employees: Mark, Dylan, Helly and Irving. The severance procedure they’ve undergone surgically splits their consciousness and memory for the purpose of achieving work-life separation.
It leaves behind two distinct personas: an “innie”, who is perpetually working, and an “outie,” who enjoys a work-free life as a result. With no sun, no sleep and certainly no freedom, innies are trapped both within the severed office floor and the rigid theology of Kier Eagan, Lumon’s revered founder. “Severance” thus follows the employees’ striving for justice as they attempt to uncover Lumon’s shadow operations.
It’s obvious that “Severance” is a meticulously-crafted commentary on the modern workplace and its demands. Though marketed toward employee convenience, the procedure is ultimately a strategy for maximizing productivity, and the price for efficiency is not only half your consciousness but the corporate enslavement of your surprisingly autonomous second self. How ironic that invasive brain surgery is posed as the “convenient alternative” to an eighthour workday, and how miserable that individuals in this universe actually concur.
To deliver this commentary, “Severance” uses cryptic religious symbolism that anchors Eagan as Lumon’s God and the innies as his dutiful disciples. The show is chock-full of Christian allusions, including Compliance Handbooks that mirror the exact layout of Bibles and characters who frequently quote Eaganas scripture. Eagan’s nine core principles are also eerily similar to the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians, and like the Christian God, Eagan, too, calls his followers “children.”
Religious symbolism appears in design choices within Lumon as well. Against the building’s minimalist interiors, wall paint-
ings depicting Lumon folklore are striking and evocative. Visually reminiscent of 18th century Romanticism, these works are dynamic, depicting emotional themes like Eagan’s taming and medical ailments with contorted bodies, diagonal movement and dramatic lighting. It is no mistake that many Christian masterpieces employ the same artistic principles as a way to mythologize and historicize religious scenes.
The reason for this imagery is best said by Eagan himself: “No higher purpose may be found than this,” Eagan says in the show. Lumon’s unyielding religion of work offers a sense of loyalty and purpose to innies who belong nowhere but the very office they were awoken in. Surely Lumon’s workplace brutalism can be justified for achieving Eagan’s revolutionary vision.
Parallels can also be drawn between innies and Christian figures. Moments before
she is first awoken, Helly is seen lying face down on a conference table, resembling “the Sacrificial Lamb” in Josefa de Ayala’s titular painting. Later, Helly’s outie is revealed as Helena Eagan, the heir of the Eagan throne who underwent Severance to promote the procedure to public audiences. While Helena is seen as a traitor — a Judas, if you will — Helly becomes the sacrifice, her identity compromised as she realizes her outie is the very antithesis of who she is.
More vividly, Dylan assumes the role of Jesus Christ in the show’s final moments. After the egg bar, akin to the last supper, Dylan sacrifices himself to stay behind to activate overtime contingency while the others escape Lumon perimeters. He is then seen straining to hold the activation mechanism with his arms outstretched like Christ on the cross.
Perhaps such extensive symbolism is
merely an artistic choice, or perhaps it’s a subtle commentary on religion. Irving, who begins as a devoted follower of Eagan and goes on to declare, “Let’s burn this place to the ground,” represents the futility of faith. Just as the boot-licker will never become the capitalist, despite how hard we strive to appease God, we will never actually get any closer to him. And then there’s the procedure itself, which separates a being into a childlike, reborn entity and its former, wounded carcass.
If Severance is akin to salvation, whereby the pure is separated from the impure, then the result of two separate personas means that one cannot be saved without losing one’s identity. Maybe our sins are what makes us who we are, and by removing our impurities, we become someone else altogether.
Jordan Birkner Staff Writer
Nearly a third of the world identifies as Christian. Subsects within the faith, known as branches or denominations, have distinct trends and beliefs that impact their practice. Even here in North Carolina, a state within the conservative “Bible belt” region, there is significant variety between churches. The diversity of Christianity is often harmfully ignored through stereotypical conception of uniformity.
In discussions of controversial religious topics, I usually encounter criticism of Christianity as a whole. In response, Christians may assert that conservative stances on race, LGBTQ+ rights and abortion have biblical ties, but some believers have different interpretations.
Neither progress the conversation.The issue isn’t whether certain discriminatory stances and views pertain to “all Christians.” Instead of lambasting the religion as a whole, people need to take the time to understand distinctions within the faith.
While Christians have commonalities through the Bible and Jesus Christ, approaches to practice have diverged significantly since the religion began. Instances of war, homophobia and slavery have been practiced by some Christians and clearly condemned by others.
Differences within the faith became evi-
dent nearly 1,000 years ago when the “Great Schism” split the church into Catholic and Orthodox. Then, the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s led to another branch of the Roman Catholic Church. Christianity only began 2,000 years ago, yet the Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox branches have been divided for centuries.
Diverging views are exemplified in the over 45,000 Christian denominations currently recognized. Within Protestantism, there are modern assumptions regarding many of these groups. Stereotypes have labeled Lutherans “old people,” Presbyterians “robotic,” Methodists “hippies” and Baptists “hat[ers of] all fun.”
I was raised under a Protestant denomination as a Methodist. I genuinely don’t know anything about the practice of Catholicism or Orthodox Christianity that isn’t from television or movie depictions. Honestly, I don’t have much experience with Protestants either, aside from denominations popular in my community. I can only comfortably discuss two churches, Methodist and Baptist.
Despite conservative tendencies, the Bible belt shows clear differences between major branches of Protestantism. Baptist and Methodist denominations have opposing stances on faith practice. This separation ranges from important traditions, like baptism, to the concept of Christian salvation and interpretation of the Bible itself.
Baptists believe that the ritual of bap -
tism is a significant profession of faith that publicly declares oneself as a believer. This ceremony shows a commitment to following the Bible, which is seen as divine scripture guiding the Christian faith.
Most Methodists disagree in all of these respects. Individuals become members through a ritual known as “confirmation,” where they choose to publicly profess their faith after their baptism — a ceremony that can occur for Methodist infants. This view also asserts that those who proclaim themselves Christian need to continuously act according to the faith to achieve salvation. Methodists also believe that because the Bible was written by humans, who are imperfect, the scripture can have flexible interpretations. This diverges from the Baptist approach of understanding the scripture literally.
The two practices also disagree on war, alcohol, divorce and the concept of congregation. The divisions continued; each denomination experienced conservative and liberal views on slavery and LGBTQ+ issues, leading to major splits.
The United Methodist Church has nearly 10 million members worldwide. It is considered one of the most “liberal” Christian denominations, even in Southern congregations. In May 2024, the UMC General Conference voted to remove all bans preventing LGBTQ+ individuals from being ordained or appointed within a United Methodist Church.
However, not all modern Methodist churches have the same progressive stances. Conservative views have led to a quarter of congregations leaving the UMC, primarily due to its LGBTQ+ tolerance. The more conservative Global Methodist Church was formed as an alternative for these groups in 2022.
Baptists became notably divided into the Northern and Southern Baptist churches during the 19th century due to disagreements on slavery and race. The Southern Baptist church did not publicly denounce its previous defense of slavery, opposition to the Civil Rights Movement and lingering racism until 1995.
There are over 15 million Baptists in the United States, the largest of any Protestant denomination. Assumptions that all Baptist congregations supported the past actions of the Southern Baptist church vastly misrepresent the divided community’s actual historical values.
If someone has a bone to pick with Christians, I get it. The dangerous practice of gay conversion therapy, the excessive violence of the Crusades and the church’s racist history can make Christ’s followers as a whole difficult to embrace. Regardless, it’s not individual Christians that diverge from religious norms on controversial issues; standard views vary drastically within the faith itself. In order to effectively support progress and accountability, we need to understand distinctions within Christianity.
Sophia Robertson Staff Writer
Religious participation is dying, especially among young adults. Globally, adolescents are becoming less religious than their older counterparts according to Pew Research Center. If this trend continues, will religion eventually become obsolete?
Ultimately, we cannot allow this to happen. The benefits of having faith are unmatched, and to the modern college student, they’re essential.
In a chaotic, ever-changing world, faith is an important stabilizing force that helps create a sense of purpose, promotes physical well-being and provides ethical guidance.
It’s important to note that when I refer to faith here, I’m referring to belief in God; a belief that a higher power exists. I’m talking about spirituality and affiliation with a particular set of religious beliefs.
One of the most significant benefits of
faith is its impact on physical and mental health. Physiologically, prayer has been found to lead to a state of relaxation characterized by a lower heart and breathing rate. Among adolescents, religious affiliation has also been linked to better overall physical health and less risk-taking behaviors.
In addition, several studies have suggested a relationship between religious participation and mental health. Believing that God will provide comfort helps ease stress and encourages mindfulness. The belief in an afterlife, for example, can provide reassurance during a time of grief.
Maybe you’ve experienced these emotional effects firsthand. Have you ever had one of those moments when you’re panicking, but a prayer or quote of scripture brings you a sense of peace? At a time like this, you feel reassured and grounded.
It’s no coincidence — the mental and physical benefits are real.
Relatedly, the United States is in a mental health crisis, and adolescents are experi-
encing some of the worst effects. Although youth have had relatively low rates of suicide historically, this has changed in recent decades. Each year, approximately 24,000 American college students attempt suicide.
Research suggests that religious affiliation can prevent people from acting on suicidal ideas. Additionally, belief in God has also been linked to lower rates of depression. Of course, faith and spirituality are not perfect solutions to the mental health crisis, but they’re good starting points.
Not only is religion beneficial to health, but it often fosters a sense of community that can’t be found in many other places.
Cru, The Muslim Student Association, Christians on Campus and Hindu YUVA are just a few of the organizations on NC State’s campus that bring students together to bond over their shared faith.
Almost all college students have times when they feel isolated, and religious groups can help create strong friendships and support networks in addition to a sense of be-
longing.
Moreover, many faith traditions emphasize serving others by volunteering and giving back to the community. People who are active in religious groups tend to be more civically engaged and happier overall.
Volunteering as a college student — whether that be anything from serving at food pantries to fundraising for a good cause — has benefits at both personal and social levels. Even aside from the broader impact it has on the community, volunteering is also valuable at a more personal level. It can boost self-esteem and create a sense of purpose.
Being away from home, taking difficult classes and balancing a social life isn’t always easy, so embracing religion whenever you can is an essential tool for navigating the modern college experience.
Jacob Smith Staff Writer
In many rural churches, the warmth of the gospel’s message runs cold when it is met with the unfamiliar. This tribalistic mindset directly contradicts the core teachings of Christianity and alienates those seeking the love and acceptance promised by the faith.
A key component of Christian thought is the concept of hospitality, which is often referred to in both the Old and New Testaments as a virtue that is both commanded and commended by God. However, this virtue seems to be limited in rural churches, stopping at the edge of the congregation’s social comfort zone.
What good is Christian hospitality if it only extends to people who look, think and live exactly like us? This contradiction is not just a failing; it poses a threat to the sanctity of the institution itself.
In the past several years, Christianity as the dominant religion has continued to face a rapid decline as people across the United States, especially in the South, continue to feel alienated from the religion.
The alienation by rural churches is often targeted at those who do not share common perspectives, backgrounds or features with those already invested in the church. This could be on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs or economic status; the list goes on and on.
Rural churches often display that they function as one close, tight-knit community. However, this often devolves into an exclusive group — one in which outsiders tend to feel unwelcome.
This extreme sense of unity often disguises itself under the excuse of “protecting tradition” or “preserving the community.” It can lead a church to no longer serve one of its core purposes: to be a refuge for all. The institution then seems to take on the role of a “social club,” one that requires some sort of spiritual “membership card” to be welcomed in.
This new role for rural churches often leads to missed opportunities for ministry. Rural communities nationwide struggle with declining populations, economic struggles and growing diversity.
In the face of these changes, many rural churches fail to seize the opportunity to extend their reach to those struggling within their own communities in favor of
protecting their inward-looking identity. By closing themselves off from their communities, these institutions not only fail in their mission to spread the gospel but also risk survival in an ever-changing world.
Religious exclusion doesn’t just harm outsiders. It also poses threats to those stuck within the unhealthy culture that plagues the rural church.
When overly focused on the prioritization of tradition and the maintenance of cultural norms within the church, members of the congregation can become spiritually stagnant as they lose focus on the key objective of communal worship: to engage with and further understand the teachings of the gospel, which is often supplemented and enriched by the diverse perspectives a community fosters.
An additional troubling consequence might be that younger members of the congregation, due to exposure to and association with diverse cultures and perspectives in an increasingly interconnected world, may become alienated from their church or religion. This disconnect could lead to the eventual withdrawal of the individual from the church or religion altogether.
While the prospects of this may seem grim, it is never too late to begin to work to mend these toxic practices. Many urban churches, like the Common Thread Church in Raleigh, strive to step outside of their social comfort zone, welcoming people of all backgrounds and perspectives into their place of worship.
Many of these urban churches post signage outside of their chapel to reassure firsttime visitors that they are happy to have them there, further reinforcing the “all are welcome” mentality and reaffirming Christian hospitality.
While Raleigh itself has many spaces available for people seeking to find their community in faith, the same cannot be said for its surrounding rural areas. Many cities outside of the Triangle area stay stagnant in their exclusionary, clan-like ways, and show no initiative to change any time soon.
Coming from a rural area, I have seen the effects of exclusion within churches. Outreach within the community becomes less prevalent, and many groups struggle to feel comfortable joining fellowships with the fear of being ostracized.
At one point, this led me to become alienated from the religion as a whole, as I could not bring myself past the stereotypes that
are often associated with Christianity — stereotypes that these communities perpetuate, further contributing to the reputation that the religion holds.
However, living in an urban area, one in which churches strive to teach inclusion and value the insights of those who do not “fit in,” has opened my eyes to the true nature of Christianity. My hope is that rural churches come to recognize this disparity and begin to follow in the footsteps of their urban counterparts.
To curb these harms, leaders and members within the church must confront its exclusionary nature head-on. They should create spaces for fostering open dialogue, encourage openness to diverse perspectives and strive to act in accordance with the gos pel’s message of love and inclusion. By doing these things, rural churches can wash themselves clean of the clan-like stain that contributes to their decline, transforming themselves into a vibrant and life-giving community.
EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN
Ethan Bakogiannis Managing Editor
The only thing my friends and I could push out of our near-frosted mouths was one word. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t feel our feet or that we had a 99.9% chance of a miserable walk back to our cars.
With wind whipping around us, a rumble of cheers drowning out our cries, my friends and what seemed like the rest of the residents of section seven howled: “Believe.”
It was as if NC State football kicker Chris Dunn heard us. Dunn sent his onside kick bounding in front of him and as NC State recovered, Carter-Finley Stadium erupted.
The rest was history — a pair of miraculous NC State touchdowns courtesy of quarterback Devin Leary and wideout Emeka Emezie erased UNC-Chapel Hill’s nine-point lead and its near-100% chance to beat the Wolfpack on Nov. 26, 2021. We soon found ourselves down on the
field, soaking up every part of what I only later realized was one of, if not the best sporting moment of my life.
Four years later, my life and career revolve around sports. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience nearly every up, down and in-between NC State sports has had to offer in those years, plus enough personal sports-watching moments to last me a lifetime. I’ve seen a lot, but nothing as powerful a moment as that night at Carter-Finley in my freshman year.
I always loved sports. But at that moment, I realized sports was so much more, for so many more, than just kicking around a ball. I realized sports are powerful.
I’ve found that for many, sports operates as a religion. It has the power to unite us, to inspire us and to make us believe in something much bigger than ourselves. Very often, it has us believing in something that’s not even realistically possible, such as NC State’s unlikely comeback against the Tar Heels that night.
As you go deeper, you’ll see sports start to permeate every part of our lives in a similar way to religion. We carry around our teams with us on hoodies and hats, check in with them on our social media apps and engage in group chats and hangouts centered around them.
In turn, sports even have ritualistic qualities we often find in organized religion. Events such as the Olympics are ceremonial — between oaths, anthems and the highly devoted athletes that center their lives around their practice, we’ve started to treat sports similarly to religion.
That’s not to say it’s a replacement to organized religion or should actually be classified as one. However, sports have the power to be as ever-present in our lives as religion because of the emotional and societal connection we’ve made with them.
We’ve put sports on a pedestal nearly as central as religion because of the power it brings. Few things other than international competitions such the Olympics or the World Cup bring together people
from all over the world like they do. Even if it’s not one of these monumental events, nearly everyone can identify with sports as a universal love language. While it unites us as a society, sports have the opportunity to provide emotional consistency and support similar to that of religion. Rain or shine, our favorite sports team or league is there for us.
Most importantly, sports are uniquely intertwined with the concept of belief. Like religion, sports have developed an intangible, ethereal quality to them. We often use phrases like “believe” or “keep the faith” when discussing our teams. There’s a reason we often associate sports with so much more than just our brains and brawn, but also our hearts. Sports inspires an unending love in both the athletes that play it and those who watch.
Sports inspires a belief in something bigger than ourselves — sometimes in things that we can only describe as miraculous. What’s more religious than that?
Colby Trotter
Sports Editor
Every year it seems like college coaches have more and more responsibilities placed upon them. From managing NIL and revenue sharing to concocting practice schedules and game plans, coaches have a lot to deal with.
With all that responsibility falling on the coach and the rest of the staff, sometimes they don’t have as much time as they’d like to connect with their players on a personal level. If a player is going through a slump or having mental struggles, their coach isn’t always available to talk.
With that in mind, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes recently hired Julie Brooker as a character coach to work with NC State softball and other sports on campus. Brooker played softball at the University of Georgia and spent 20 years as a high school varsity softball coach. Last May, her husband, Michael Brooker, was hired to be head boys basketball coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School, and they moved from Georgia to North Carolina in a week’s notice.
At the time, Julie Brooker wasn’t sure what was next but now, starting this month, she will be working with the softball team.
“I want to give our kids every opportunity to find whatever they need from a spiritual perspective,” said head coach Lindsay Leftwich. “‘How can someone other than our coaching staff serve you?’ And so anytime we can put people in front of them that can love them and take care of them and grow them in certain ways we want to do that.”
Brooker said she’ll be wherever she’s needed. Whether that’s at practice, the weight room or in the dugout at games, she wants to be that person players can go to with anything.
“I hope to just be in a mentor role — someone that the team can trust, someone they can go to,” Brooker said. “I know that there are so many responsibilities on the head coach and the assistant coaches that it can be helpful to have that extra presence, another person, an adult who understands the sport and most importantly puts God first.”
While the FCA is based on Christianity and most of its teachings come from the Bible, Leftwich said they want to support student athletes in whatever spiritual direction they are heading in. Brooker understands not everyone shares the same values but will treat every player equally.
“As a Christian, you’re called to serve and love everyone the same,” Brooker said. “That would be my goal, just to love and to help and to be a Christian by example.”
Leftwich believes Brooker’s experience as a player and coach will be especially impact-
ful. Brooker knows what it’s like to go hitless in a game, strikeout in the final at-bat and make an error on defense. She knows the emotional toll a mistake like that can have on someone, especially if it results in a loss.
“I think her understanding that aspect of it from a coaching side and from a playing side, I think that just offers a lot of peace and just control for our team,” Leftwich said. “They know that they can go to someone and say ‘I’m really struggling’ in a space that she understands where they’ve been, and they can kind of lead them to that space from a spiritual perspective.”
Not only will Brooker be there for the players but Leftwich thinks she’ll make just as big of an impact on her and the rest of the coaching staff. Coaches also need a place to turn to for support when they are going through hardships, and Brooker will
be there for them as well.
“Getting to know someone who’s been in the thick of this thing has been just great support for me,” Leftwich said. “FCA does a great job of coaching the coaches, because if they can change our hearts and coach us and make sure we’re in a good spot, then it’s really easy for us to then coach our teams from that same place because we feel filled up and in a space where we feel like we’re being supported.”
So what does success look like for Brooker? It’s a new role for her and not all of her responsibilities have been defined yet. For Brooker, it’s simple — success boils down to one thing.
“Success is winning,” Brooker said. “Winning over lives, helping people find their purpose, helping people become the best version of themselves, to help people find
their way. I believe when we get there, success follows, and in this instance, it’s winning softball games, competing for an ACC championship, making a trip to the World Series.”
Leftwich hopes that having Brooker around will make players feel “worthy despite their results.” After having conversations with Brooker, Leftwich is confident the FCA has put the right person in place to elevate the softball program’s culture and create a loving environment.
“Julie’s got so much energy and so much joy that just kind of flows out of her,” Leftwich said. “I think it’s hard not to get sucked in by that and feel loved and taken care of.”
Aidan Carlson Assistant Sports Editor
All Glory to God.
It’s a phrase as synonymous with Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin as his number 74 — both part of his signature. On the ice he leads the team with an ‘A’ on his chest, and at home he leads Bible study.
“[Jesus] is everything,” Slavin said in an interview with Sports Spectrum, a media platform ‘where sports and faith connect’ before the start of the 2024-2025 season.
“He’s Lord of my life, he’s Lord of all my life because if he’s not Lord of everything he’s not Lord at all. I live my life because of him and what he did for me. My purpose in my life, my purpose in my marriage, my purpose in being a father — it’s all to glorify him because he’s worthy of that glory. He’s my everything.”
For those who don’t watch hockey, it might be hard to imagine that Christianity is not as prevalent in the NHL when you can turn on a football game and hear a player start or finish his interview thanking God often. The NHL is a league that often masks the players behind the team, with very few outspoken about their personal and/or religious beliefs.
“There’s not that many Christians in the NHL still, it’s still such a minority group,” Slavin said on Sports Spectrum. “You might be lucky to have one on a team. In Carolina we have at the most four and a couple guys interested. There’s just not that many Christians around the NHL.”
Among those who are fervently outspoken about their Christian faith, Slavin stands out as one of the most renowned and accomplished.
Since coming into the league in 2015, Slavin has logged around 22 minutes of ice time per game, often against the opposing team’s top lines. In his nine seasons in the NHL, the defenseman has never finished with a negative plus-minus rating, recording a +20 or greater in a season five times.
There isn’t much that Slavin can’t do.
“He might be, in any given year, the best defensive defenseman in the league,” said Mike Kelly, an NHL Network analyst back in 2022.
Going into his 700th NHL game back in December, Slavin led all NHL defensemen in takeaways with 672 — over 100 more than the next closest defenseman since his rookie year. In the last six seasons, he has ranked lower than third just once in takeaways in a season. When people think of a ‘defensive defenseman,’ they think of Slavin. Known for his elite defensive stickwork, Slavin contributes more than just in his own zone. Among defensemen, Slavin leads the
LILY MCCABE/TECHNICIAN
Defenseman Jaccob Slavin battles an opponent for the puck during the game versus the New Jersey Devils at Lenovo Center on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. The Hurricanes beat the Devils 5-2.
Hurricanes franchise in points and is second in goals. He’s also one of the fastest defensemen in the NHL — clocking a speed burst of 24.19 mph this season.
“The abilities I have in this game aren’t from myself,” Slavin said in an interview with Sara Civian for The Athletic in 2018.
“They’re from the Lord. I am just trying to use them to the best of my ability so that I can spread the Gospel. My wife and I try to be really active with it because God’s given us a platform.”
His play and conduct on the ice have earned him two Lady Byng Memorial trophies which is awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.” After earning his second this past year, Slavin became just the second defenseman in NHL history to win the award twice, joining the Red Wings’ Red Kelly.
“Out of all the awards that I’d want to win, that’s the one that means the most to me,” Slavin said on Sports Spectrum. “That exemplifies how I try to carry myself, how I want to live and I do that by trying to represent Jesus the best that I can. People might now know it but what they’re seeing is Jesus through me.”
Whether through sharing the word of
Christ or charity donations, Slavin lives to spread the lessons of the Gospel. He, along with his wife Kylie, launched a campaign called “Fight For Freedom” during the 20232024 season, which raised over $1 million to combat the crimes of labor trafficking, sex trafficking and the online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines.
There’s not that many Christians in the NHL still, it’s still such a minority group. -Jaccob Slavin
mates. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield first moved to Raleigh prior to the 2021-2022 season after a stint with the Vancouver Canucks.
Getting to know each other, Slavin found out that Chatfield had gone to chapel in Vancouver but wasn’t devoted to Jesus and had questions about the Gospel’s teachings. As the season went on, the two grew closer to each other and to God, and by the end, both Chatfield and his now-wife Drew were baptized in Slavin’s pool.
“One of the things my wife and I have always said is, ‘If I go my whole career and never win a Stanley Cup, him coming to know the Lord was way worth it’,” Slavin said on Sports Spectrum. “So much more fulfilling than what a Stanley Cup would bring.”
Although a hockey player, it’s being a Christian and living life through the Gospel that makes Jaccob Slavin who he is. A verse, Galatians 1:10, in both his Instagram and X bio, says all he wants you to know.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
His relationship with God has not only improved his life but those of his team-
