The beauty of the weekend lies in the different possibilities it holds. For many students at Northeastern University, that means going out to a bar or a party to unwind after a hectic week of classes and assignments. For Esther Esses, a second-year public relations student, Fridays are for gathering for Shabbat dinner with other Jewish students at Chabad House, part of a global Jewish organization. On Sundays, Mariana Chaves, a second-year communications student from Colombia, finds comfort attending church near Newbury Street with classmates. Throughout the week, during breaks between classes, Sami Said, a third-year business administration student, pauses campus life to pray five times a day with his community in a sacred room in Ell Hall on campus.
For Jewish, Christian, and Muslim students on a largely secular campus, practicing religion away from home means navigating the boundaries between sacred traditions and campus culture -- boundaries that can sometimes be tempting to cross. "Having a community to lean on," Esses said, is what helps some of these students overcome these challenges. Chaves explained, "Going to church every Sunday gives me a sense I am close to home, even when I'm away from it."
On Friday evenings, Esses makes her way to the Chabad House. The light of the Shabbat candles and the smell of the challah bread she prepares every Friday give her a sense of comfort that reminds her of home. "Shabbat dinner feels like home," she said. "It's where I can keep the traditions I grew up doing."
For her, choosing Shabbat over a night out isn't just about keeping traditions -- it's about drawing a boundary between the fast and sometimes hectic pace of college life and the slower, familiar feeling and routine of her faith. Esses admits it isn't always easy to keep these boundaries -- classes and deadlines sometimes intertwine with Jewish holidays, and kosher dining options are very limited -- but to her, Shabbat is the base that gives her the strength to hold onto her faith every week.
For Chaves, her base for setting boundaries between school life and her faith is her weekly Sunday visits to church. Each week, she takes a 20-minute walk with her roommate to St. Francis Church near Newbury Street, often accompanied by other friends. Listening to the familiar songs and hymns makes "the distance between Boston and Colombia feel just a little smaller", she says. "Even though church was something I always did with my family, going with my friends here gives me a good feeling." To keep this routine as much as she can, Chaves sometimes limits her Saturday nights out or chooses Sunday activities close to a church, making sure she can wake up on Sunday without missing Mass.
For Said, practicing his faith looks a little different, since the religious practices that keep him grounded are things he does every day rather than once a week. Between classes or projects, he slips into the Sacred Space in Ell Hall where he joins other Muslim students in prayer.
The room, with its peaceful silence and stillness, offers a contrast to constant agitation of campus life happening outside. "Even if I have to run from class, you will always find me at 1:30 p.m in the sacred room," he said. Praying five times every day helps him manage stress and reminds him of his priorities. He is also active in the Muslim Students Association, where he finds social connections and spiritual support. "It's not always easy," he admitted, "but having a space on campus means I am never alone in my faith."
Even though the practices, traditions, and rituals from each faith look very different, Esses, Chaves, and Said all constantly face moments where sticking to their faith can be a challenge. Esses remembers once having a hard time declining a huge Friday night party during her first week on campus. She worried missing the party would make her new friends kick her out of the group, but after talking with her mother, she decided to not go and keep her tradition of attending Shabbat. During that dinner, she met one of her current best friends. "Who knows, maybe if that day I hadn't gone to the Chabad's Shabbat dinner, I might not have met one of my closest friends," said Esses. Chaves also admits that after a late Saturday night out, she sometimes struggles to wake up for Sunday Mass, and walking to church half-asleep while her classmates sleep in can feel stressful. Said also mentioned that sometimes he has to run across campus after classes or meetings to make it to his daily prayers on time, which sometimes makes him worry that others might notice his rushing or question why he pauses in the middle of the day to pray.
Despite these small but real moments of tension, each student has found ways to put their faith first because it's what makes them feel their best. It can sometimes be hard, especially while navigating a social environment that doesn't always share their priorities, but they know they are glad with the decisions they have taken and will continue to take. At Northeastern, where weekends sometimes mean parties, sports games, or long nights in Snell Library, these students choose a different path. Staying true to their faiths helps Said and the others keep some sort of stability and identity in a place where both can sometimes feel uncertain. "No matter how stressful classes get," he explains, "I know I can pause and reconnect with my faith as well as with all my community."