Recent Articles
Peers blamed for Wiccan girls suicide
Lincoln Park - Pictures of Tempest Smith’s crooked smile and blue eyes are frozen in time - reminders of the ballerina, honor role student, flute player and daughter Denessa Smith called her “blessing.” Denessa’s eyes fill up with tears when she remembers “My Family,” the song Tempest composed and the Sylvester slippers Tempest put on her feet to keep her warm when she fell asleep on the couch. “It was a rule that if mom didn’t tuck you in, you tucked mom in,” Denessa said. Denessa remembers the last “I love you” from Tempest, the night before the 12-year-old tied a scarf around her neck and hung herself from her bunk bed on February 20. Tempest’s journal, found under her bed after her Feb.
Pagans in college face stereotypes of faith
Pagan groups at universities across the country are practicing their faith, but some of the campus organizations say they’ve faced discrimination. A decision by the Religious Council, which monitors religious organizations at Boston University, to not endorse campuswide neopagan organization Nemeton upset pagans. Seamus McKeon, a religious studies junior and president of Nemeton, said the decision prevents her group from participating in council events and receiving funding from Boston University for religious books and ritual tools. McKeon said the decision was based on stereotypes.
Pagan organizations celebrate seasonal change
In the light of the moon, about 30 pagans danced, chanted and read poetry in celebration of the changing of the seasons. Melissa Hill, a member of Green Spiral: MSU’s Eclectic Pagan Network, shared a poem and affirmed her growth in the group. “It’s changed my life,” said Hill, a horticulture senior.
Police guarantee sensitivity
Being the victim of a sexual assault can be difficult enough, but imagine reliving the experience during a police interrogation. For a survivor, making a police report can be a difficult first step.
Mens groups nationwide work to promote sexual assault awareness
Jim Hines, a 1996 MSU graduate, said when he was 16 a friend told him she was raped. Now he has heard it too often. “I’ve lost track of the number of friends who have been raped,” Hines said.
