By Stephanie Peters

Northeastern’s religious and spiritual communities comprise more than 20 student groups on campus. The high number might surprise some students, but representatives of these groups hope to highlight their presence on campus at Thursday’s Spiritual Life Fair.

The fair, a three-part event co-sponsored by the Multi-Faith Student Connection (MSC), the Spiritual Life Center and the Leadership Education Growth Opportunities (LEGO) office will give students the opportunity to meet the various faith-related groups, chat with students of other faiths and participate in a question and answer segment with a panel of spiritual leaders.

“The idea is to show the Northeastern community what’s going on in spiritual life at Northeastern,” said Shelli Jankowski-Smith, director of spiritual life. “Even people who are very aware of what’s going on with their own specific group might not know what’s going on with others.”

The event will begin with an information fair at 2:30 p.m. in the Curry Student Center (CSC) Indoor Quad, with tables manned by the various student groups.

Organizers expect about 15 to 20 student groups to be represented at the event, said Ilona Carroll, a member of the MSC who helped coordinate the event.

The fair will be followed by a “Human Break” in the CSC’s McLeod Suites at 3 p.m. The break, like those periodically sponsored by the Spiritual Life Center, will give students the chance to mingle, enjoy light refreshments and meet the panelists before the question and answer session begins.

At 3:30 p.m. there will be an “Interfaith Experience,” an hour-long panel discussion featuring an introduction from each panelist, a brief explanation of his faith and a question and answer session. Scheduled panelists include Rabbi Elyse Winnick of the Jewish faith, Imam Abdullah Faaruuq of the Muslim faith, Pastor Nathan Krietz representing the Protestant religion and Christianity and Jack Gurman representing Buddhism.

The discussion will “give students and others a chance to just kind of ask those deep questions about faith and spirituality and view how different religions answer those questions,” Jankowski-Smith said.

The fair is the first event of its kind, but will likely become an annual event, Jankowski-Smith said.

For the MSC, the fair also represents an opportunity to draw attention not just to student groups, but the multi-faith events on campus that are geared toward all students, not just those involved with a religious or spiritual group.

“I think students may not be completely aware of the events put on by the Spiritual Life Center and the MSC but