News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith: 2004

November 19, 2004 Ethan Hyman
North Carolina State University football cheerleaders and mascots come out long before game time to stretch and then to circle up and pray. Before the prayer, team members make prayer requests. "It gives a chance for the team as well as the coaches to understand what people are going through" says head coach Harold Trammel. After the prayer request, one of the cheerleaders leads a prayer. Its a routine that happens before every practice and before every game. "It definitely brings a more personal atmosphere to the squad" says Andrew George, a senior and one of the captains of the cheerleaders. "It brings the squad closer together."
About This Project


Ethan Hyman
"Acts of Faith" explores the different belief systems that co-exist in the Triangle area. Ten years of heavy migration has brought many new faiths to the region, turning the Bible Belt home of Billy Graham into a spiritual coat of many colors. Mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, synagogues and scores of Christian churches have become spiritual and social centers for a radically changing population. The demographic shift has pushed congregations to find innovative ways to keep their members while attracting new arrivals. "Acts of Faith" was born as a way to show this new religious diversity and analyze the role spirituality plays in people's daily lives.


Pailin Wedel
When covering an event for Acts of Faith, we look for situations that evoke strong emotion and try to bring readers into the moment. Though holidays and major celebrations are important, we also look for unexpected expressions of faith and quieter moments of solitary exploration. We hope to give readers insight into the breadth and depth of faith by showing how people incorporate it into their everyday lives.


Ted Richardson
For two years, Sher Stoneman and Susana Vera produced this column. In 2004, they handed it over to Ethan Hyman, Scott Lewis and Lisa Lauck. In 2005, Ted Richardson replaced Scott Lewis on this project. In 2006, Pailin Wedel replaced Lisa Lauck.

More photos: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006

Advertisements

Print Ads View all ads from past 7 days »

Hosting Partners of
newsobserver.com

Member of the
Real Cities Network

© Copyright 2008, The News & Observer Publishing Company

A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company