For the first two years of high school, Yoni Yohannes longed for a place to share his faith in God. He decided to take matters into his own hands. This year, Yoni restarted the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) so he and his Christian peers have a place for expression, devotion, and prayer.
Additionally, the Jewish Student Union (JSU), and Muslim Student Association (MSA) have been brought back by passionate students who believe it is necessary to share their faith in school. According to a study done by Pew Research Center, in Maryland, 69% of adults are Christian, 3% of adults are Jewish, and 1% of adults are Muslim.
Yoni, president of FCA, believes that it is important to have a safe space for people to come together and bond over their religion in school.
“I didn’t have a place to share my faith in school and one of the things that really helps me throughout the day is praying to God, so to be able to do that together now is an amazing experience,” said Yoni.
FCA meetings are held on Wednesdays during advisory. The meetings begin with a game to get everyone involved and energized. Then, they read a devotional and bible quote and provide time for prayer and reflection.
At the beginning of the school year, around 20 people attended each meeting. Now, a few months later, up to 60 Wilde Lake students attend each meeting. Not all students who attend FCA meetings are Christian, but Yoni views this positively.
“Not only Christians come to the meetings, but also others trying to learn about our faith. It’s beautiful. It brings us together as we all share similar values,” said Yoni.
JSU has been a club at Wilde Lake for years. Club President Jordan Treger hopes to make the club even stronger. JSU meets one to two times a month with around 15 people attending each meeting on average. They host different Jewish activities such as making traditional Jewish food, discussing global issues concerning Judaism, and celebrating holidays.
Jordan says JSU values inclusivity and friendship. “It is very important to have people that you can talk to about religion that your other friends might not understand, and to have a place to go to feel safe and be with people like you,” said Jordan.
MSA meetings typically only have about 10 people in attendance on Wednesdays during advisory. Still, president Hafsah Shoaib says even small clubs are important because it gives Muslim students a place to express their faith.
During MSA, they hold discussions about Islam, coordinate future events, collaborate with other MSAs around the county, and simply connect over their shared beliefs and experiences. Hafsah says there needed to be a space for Muslim students at Wilde Lake to come together with peers who hold similar traits, ideals, and morals.
The MSA leadership presented a slideshow on the Islam holiday Ramadan during Wednesday advisory. Senior president Hafsah Shoaib says it is important they have a place to share their Muslim faith. (Amy Manzanares)
“I think it’s very important that every student has a place where they can represent who they are and show off their identity,” said Hafsah.
Although FCA, JSU, and MSA are centered around different religions, they all agree on one value: it is vital for the Wilde Lake community to have safe spaces for students to share their faith and connect with peers with similar principles.
As FCA member and freshman Tommy Sommer says, “religious clubs are an opportunity for students to talk about their religion with other students at the school. Religion is a big part of people’s lives, so to be able to connect with others on a personal level is very important.”
