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Culver students explore different religious practices during Day of Spirit

The Vedette staff

Students sing at the Interdenominational Service at Memorial Service during Day of Spirit. (Photo by Camilo Morales)

 

A veteran who planned to blow up a mosque tells Culver students what changed his heart


Jan. 31, 2025

By Prajna Tammana

A former Marine who planned to bomb a mosque with the goal of killing hundreds of Muslims and instead became a member of that mosque because of their kindness told Culver Academies students that they can change the world.

“If we don’t like the way things are in the world, we can change that together,” Richard “Mac” McKinney said during an All-School Meeting Tuesday morning that was part of Culver’s third annual “Day of Spirit.”

The Rev. Dr. Sam Boys, Culver’s director of spiritual life, opened the plenary session Tuesday morning, after students were allowed to sleep in, by introducing the Oscar-nominated short film “Stanger at the Gates,” about McKinney’s plan to bomb the Islamic Center in Muncie, Indiana.

McKinney served eight years in the Marine Corps, six years active duty in the Army, two years in the Army Reserve and then eight more years active duty in the Army after 9/11.

Because of his hatred of Muslims that he had developed while fighting in the military, he wanted to hurt them. But when he entered the mosque, a man hugged him. That started the process of him reframing his thinking to be more open-minded about the people, especially with the help of Bibi Bahrami, a co-founder of the Islamic Center. Just as the film ended the biggest plot twist occurred! Both McKinney and Bahrani stepped onto the Eppley Auditorium stage to talk to students. He explained his change in mindset and why community was important.

“You saw in this film how it took other people to make this transformation powerful for me. We can do this together,” he said.

A student asked McKinney if he’s forgiven himself for planning to blow up the mosque. McKinney said it’s a question he’s asked all the time but that he hates.

 

Richard “Mac” McKinney tells Culver students how people like Bibi Bahrami, a co-founder of the Islamic Center, changed him. (Photo by Sloan Losch)

“It’s not forgiving myself for wanting to blow up this building,” he said. “It’s forgiving myself for the actions that took place while I was in uniform. I’m not going to go into explanation for that. I took it a little further than I needed to. For me, that’s a little hard. I know God has forgiven me. That’s what’s important. On a personal level, it is hard to forgive myself.”

Bahrami, the former president of the Islamic Center, explained to students how it was important to her to inform people ignorant of Islam about the religion. She told students how she invited him to dinner so she could confront McKinney about his plans to blow up the mosque.

“I asked him, ‘I heard this rumor, is this true?’ He put his head down, he was embarrassed, and he said, ‘Yes sister, it was true. But now I met so many amazing people, like yourself, and that’s not happening anymore.’ ”

Culver students thanked McKinney and Bahrami for visiting the campus and sharing their messages.

The Day of Spirit, with the theme of “Unity in Diversity” kicked off Monday night when students from the 11 different spiritual life weekly service programs gave presentations about their services.  Student volunteers from each service showcased their practices through trivia contests, educational presentations and interacting with students. The night ended with students in the crowd while the Culver Praise band performed.

 

Maggie Cordes '25 (left) and Piper Brumm, members of the Praise Band, sing at the All-School Meeting for Day of Spirit on Monday night. (Photo by Emily Guo)

 

Here are some stories about the dozens of diverse sessions students had the opportunity to attend during the Day of Spirit:

Jewish Service

By Yoyo Sun

Jewish service focused on explaining the Shabbat service. Shabbat is an event in the Jewish culture that happens every Friday where people celebrate the day of rest by doing prayers and sharing a meal with their family. Because Day of Spirit was on a Tuesday, students in the service didn’t get to experience an actual Shabbat meal because it only happens on Friday. Instead, students learned about the origin of Shabbat and listened to some prayer songs people would sing during the Shabbat. At the end of the service, students gathered together and shared bread after doing a prayer about showing gratitude to God, who provided us the food.  

To join the Jewish service in Culver, students are not required to be Jewish. With the theme “Unity in Diversity” this year, Culver encouraged students to experience many diverse cultures. Emma Zhang ’27, a participant in Jewish service on Day of Spirit, shared about her first experience in Jewish culture.

“It was a very special experience. Before today, I barely knew anything about Jewish culture because it’s so different from my culture. After today’s session, I got to understand more about our Jewish service and Jewish traditions, which made me realize how diverse our school is,” Zhang said. 

Roman Catholic Service

By Andrew Chen

Catholic Mass was at St. Mary of the Lake Parish for the memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the church, a beautiful church in Culver.  There were two buses full of students.  The Rev. Stephen Felicichia, Culver’s Catholic priest who ministers at St. Mary, and Deacon Mike Madison, Culver’s Catholic campus minister, led this service. 

 The service was a shortened version of the traditional Culver Catholic service. It included scripture readings, traditional prayers and kneeling and standing. Felicichia and Madison explained details about Catholicism and integrated the readings into their message. The service culminated in the Holy Eucharist and silent reflection. 

 I enjoyed this service because I am a Protestant Christian, and it was enlightening and enjoyable to experience another way of celebrating the same faith. 

Islamic Service 

By Anjali D Gaba

 In 10th grade humanities, all Culver students learn about the basic tenets of Islam. But how do Culver students who are active members of the faith practice this religion? 

During the service session, students were invited to participate in a run through of a traditional meeting. The service began with all students washing their hands and faces, followed by the service sponsors teaching female students how to wear a hijab head covering so they could participate in prayer.

The session consisted of two parts: Salah, or praying, and reading the Quran. According to student leader Kareemat Adeagbo, “the experience of Salah is quite unique to Islam compared to other monotheistic faiths. It was a novel experience for most people, showing them how we worship in Islam.” After this, students had an opportunity to learn to recite two verses from the Quran in Arabic, along with the meanings behind these. To end the session, Ghada Al Abbadi, Ph.D, led a round-table discussion of religion and answered questions from curious students.  

According to Adeagbo, “both performing Salah and reading the Quran were a part of Dr. G’s attempt to connect Islam to the theme of ‘E Pluribus Unum.’ She really wanted to show the value in learning about a faith different from your own.”

The Islamic service session provided a glimpse into the everyday practices of Muslim Culver students and educated students about the religion.  

 

Students at Islamic Studies service. (Photo by Camilo Morales)

Philosopher’s Café

By Xiaolan Wang

What do cooking pesto, Aristotle and our school theme, E Pluribus Unum, have in common? 

During Philosopher’s Cafe, Grace McKay, Culver’s digital resources librarian, led a lively, thought-provoking session that challenged students to reflect on life, humanity and unity from both ancient and modern philosophical perspectives. 

 The conversation began with this year’s school theme: E Pluribus Unum — “Out of many, one.” The phrase dates back to the founding of the United States, when the 13 colonies unified under the democratic idea that all people are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

 Surprisingly, the inspiration for this national motto was cooking pesto. 

 When individual ingredients blend together, they create something greater than the sum of their parts. 

 Then came the question: “How are we ‘one’?” The most apparent similarity is that we are all human, but what does it mean to be human? McKay introduced students to Aristotle, who described humans as inherently social. Fiona Fan ’26 added that humans are “rational,” while Katie Gao ’26 joked, “We all walk on two feet.” 

 The discussion deepened as McKay introduced the idea of harmony. Students reflected on their relationships with others, nature and something that is often overlooked.

“Harmony with yourself,” said Brigid Zhu ’26.

The group concluded that the creation of harmony stems from avoiding self-imposed “groupings” or labels that limit personal growth and understanding of others. 

Returning to the original question, unity isn’t about erasing differences but about bringing together diverse elements to form something stronger, whether that is a nation, an idea or a really good pesto. 

Interdenominational Christian Chapel

By Andrew Chen

The service, led by the Rev. Dr. Sam Boys, is my typical Sunday service, as I am a Protestant Christian.  This service was both familiar and different in that though it encompassed the same traditional reading and song style, Boys could dive deeper and have a more interactive message. 

I signed up for and enjoyed this service because, though I am a Protestant, I swapped with one of my Catholic friends, and we got to experience each other’s different ways of celebrating the same faith.  Though some people sleep in church on Sunday, everybody was engaged in this session, with students volunteering to do readings, prayers and calls to worship. 

 We started by singing a fan favorite: “Lord I Lift Your Name On High.”  Not everybody in the service was Protestant, but everybody got the hand motions down after a few tries.  Then came the scripture readings and the message.  This session's central message was reframing your thinking:  Rather than asking yourself what Jesus would do, tell yourself to do what he would do.  Following the message and prayers, we sang a traditional hymn: “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love.”

Unitarian Universalist Service

By Maggie Qiu

The Unitarian Universalist service offers an opportunity for students and adults of a variety of spiritual backgrounds to come together and uphold the Seven Core Principles.

“Unitarian Universalist spirituality is unique in that it does not require specific beliefs about the divine or about the ultimate nature of the universe,” said Evan Dutmer, Ph.D., senior instructor in ethics and leader of the UU service. “But, at the same time, it respects individuals' beliefs about spiritual matters.”

Welcome to everyone, Unitarian Universalist values wisdom, truth and meaning. Every Sunday, service begins and concludes with everyone together with the lighting of the Chalice, a symbol of hope for a better world and warmth of the community. Then, members split into the three constituent services of Buddhism, Hinduism, and meditative freewriting.

For the Spirit Day sessions, positive feedback prevailed among students. “Our Day of Spirit sessions were beautifully led by our Buddhist, Hindu, and Meditative Freewriting student leaders,” Dutmer said.

Elaine Zhang, a member of the Unitarian Universalist service and participant of the Spirit Day session, recalled, “Raised in a Buddhist family, I feel very spiritual, and after I came to Culver, the UU service helped me deal with stress and find inner peace, especially on Sundays when I look out the window and see the sun and the lake outside Schrage.”

Indeed, spirituality is an essential aspect in Culver education.

 “Spirituality for me is about meaning, purpose, growth, and connection,” Dutmer said. “I think our spirit is that part of ourselves that wants to be better, to be more whole, and to be the best human being we can to others.”

 

Diego Jimenez plays during Harp Meditation. (Photo by J.D. Holtrop)

 

Harp Meditation

Shannon Li

The session “Playing with Heaven: Harp Music the Easy and Fun Way for Mindfulness and Meditation,” offered students a deeply calming and enriching experience led by Cymber Quinn ’84, a reiki master, harp teacher and resident director.

In this hands-on workshop, participants learn simple techniques for playing the harp, discovering how its soft, melodic tones can enhance mindfulness and meditation practices. All harps are provided, and no prior experience is necessary. 

The atmosphere is peaceful, with the soothing sound of harp music helping create an environment of serenity. A unique aspect of the session is the way participants communicate through the harp, using the white strings to create subtle yet expressive notes. Many students found themselves deeply inspired by the experience, feeling a newfound sense of calm and emotional clarity.

Quinn’s guidance and the harp's serene tones together foster a space for relaxation and self-expression, leaving everyone feeling grounded and revitalized. 

Spirit of Culver

By Bowen Xiao

Gary Christlieb, the master humanities instructor, led students into a deeper understanding of Culver’s history and mission through examining the poem “The Spirit of Culver” by S. E. Kiser. 

  “The Spirit of Culver” was written in 1913, and forever since, Culver students were required to recite it proficiently. However, most students do not have the chance to interpret the meaning behind the lines, and Christlieb aimed to educate Culver students why this tradition mattered in shaping the modern day Culver.

To contextualize, he introduced Culver students’ selfless service in helping the victims in the Logansport flood in 1913. This event symbolizes Culver’s attention to developing dignity and high character qualities among the cadets, and thus, gained national attention on the school. Kiser, a poet and columnist from the Chicago Record-Herald, presented this poem at the 19th commencement, June 5th, 1913. Inspired by Culver’s education missions, he scrawled the eight lines and titled them “The Spirit of Culver.” 

  As Christlieb linked the history of this poem with its influence and connection with the honor code and code of conduct, students were able to emotionally relate to the forceful power of the “spirit.” Christlieb then encouraged everyone to uphold the values and traditions embedded in the Spirit of Culver. 

Coexistence of Faith and Science

By Andrew Chen

In Coexistence of Faith and Science, led by science instructor Patrick Mulkerin, students explored the possibilities of how science does not necessarily disprove the existence of God. The session began with students watching films of speakers and excerpts from TV shows about God and science and finished with a group discussion. 

 Mulkerin explained how the precision with which the universe operates not only suggests but almost confirms the existence of a higher being, tweaking the numbers, but countered that with the scientific theory of multiple universes and the infinite chance that there are innumerable universes with intelligent life. 

 I have wanted to take this session since last year and am glad I did.  Mulkerin’s connections between faith and science made sense and showed how, because science can only prove so much, we must have faith to fill the rest of the gaps. 

 

Science instructor Chris Gamel, Ph.D., leads a session on Camera Magic. (Photo by Emily Guo)

Camera Magic

By Annie Song

Science senior instructor Chris Gamel, Ph.D., introduced the magic of photography to students, as he showed the photos he took in Antarctica and Africa.  

Gamel led students into this new world by telling students the stories behind the pictures. From his stories, I learned that photography holds great significance in people’s lives because it not only requires eyes that can appreciate beauty, but it also encourages people to step out and discover the world.  

It is fun to take pictures, especially pictures of animals. Gamel took risks while photographing. He was once 10 feet away from a fearsome leopard when he got the precious photo of it. Since animals do not know how to “pose,” patience matters a lot. The magic of photography also allows people to think more about the world around them. Through Gamel’s journey to Africa, I felt the power of nature and realized how tiny we are in the universe. His story inspired me to the idea of traveling in the future and seeing the bigger world that I haven’t explored yet.  

Guided Meditation 

By Sophia Frazee

In a place that moves fast like Culver, it’s important to take a moment to breathe. In “Guided Meditation” led by humanities senior instructor Scott Sweet-Christian, students explored techniques to help regulate emotions, calm the body and train the mind to be more present. Special guest Jesse Coomer, a breathwork expert, guided students through several exercises designed to improve breathing and overall well-being. 

One of the most interesting takeaways was that 90% of college athletes have dysfunctional breathing patterns, while young children naturally breathe correctly. This made me realize how easily we fall into unhealthy habits without even noticing. Coomer walked us through different breathing techniques, including 4-7-8 breathing, which helps reduce stress by slowing the breath. Each exercise felt simple yet powerful, proved just how much control we have over our own nervous system with something as basic as breathing. By the end of the session, I felt more aware of my breath and how it affects my emotions. 

 

Ecstatic Dancing 

By Melany G. Zurita 

Jamila Blue, a transformation coach, led students at Vierson gymnasium into the free form movement and calm flows that Ecstatic Dancing provides.  

Ecstatic Dancing welcomed people from all branches, religions, and groups, and focused only on letting people express themselves through movement. This form of self-expression can be great for anyone because it has no rules. Unlike everything else in the world, this can be a time and place where formality and why’s are not needed. The whole basis of this is music. The rhythm of the music lets students completely immerse themselves in the music and invites them to fully express themselves with the flow. It is truly an ecstasy feeling, an overwhelming feeling of great happiness and excitement. While calming music played, lights turned off, in the background Blue gave the students tips on how to relax and explained how to fully indulge in the experience. As students got comfortable, they hopped, swirled, laughed, and even shook their hair to the beat.

Toward the end of the service students got into one huge circle and shared their dance moves with the others, which then they all followed. The community was nothing but supportive to each other and made everyone feel safe. Not only was this activity fun, it also is known to reduce stress, anxiety, and to help boost moods. If you feel low or blue, Ecstatic Dancing is the way to go! 

Women of the Bible 

 By Gracie Proctor

In “Women of the Bible” led by mathematics instructor Kasey James, students studied Proverbs 31 verses 10-31. This passage describes a woman who is strong, confident, wise, honorable, and charitable. Many people often mistake this passage as criteria of women and what they are supposed to be; toward their family, husband and society.

In reality, it’s a conversation between a mother and son, where the mother is describing traits her son should look for in his future bride. The passage ends with, “charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31 verse 30). Meaning, that her trust and respect for God is what enables her to become a woman who is, “clothed with strength and dignity” (Proverbs 31 verse 25.)

Although appearances may be attractive and admirable, they will always fade whereas character is forever. This passage can sometimes be criticized as a to-do list for women, but it is an example of what everyone should strive to be.  

 

Students relax during Sound Bath led by Sandy Orsund. (Photo by Camilo Morales)

Sound Bath

By Nwanma Udokwu 

To achieve true peace, you might have to surround yourself with a variety of sounds. Sound Bath Meditation, led by guest facilitator Sandy Orsund, was a 45-minute meditative experience where you were not only allowed to relax to sound waves but also sleep! Hosted in the gallery of the Crisp, students were invited to lay down on the yoga mats and introduced to the group of instruments that would accompany us for the session such as the singing bowls, a rain drum and gong. Once we closed our eyes, Orsund began to play and asked us to focus on our chakras, each connected to parts of the body and way of thinking. 

 At first, it is difficult to focus on just the vibrations and chimes because the world around us can be distracting. But the singing bowls were able to fill the space with a low rumbling tone. The rain drum was a reminder of those calm rainy nights and the chimes rung methodically, lingering in your ears. Quickly, your mind might go blank, and your body might become numb, or grounded, or feel as if it is floating.

A few students had the pleasure of falling asleep, but it was the beauty of being “bathed” in sound waves. At the end of the session, the once jittery room was unbelievably calm, having experienced a moment of serenity on this busy Day of Spirit.  

Art Journaling 

By Sophia Frazee

Students had the opportunity to express themselves through art when words fell short in “Tell Your Story - An Intro to Art Journaling,” led by artist and Soul Mantras owner Liz Lamoreux. Lamoreux introduced the concept of art journaling and how this practice can be used as a pathway to mindfulness by sharing stories behind her own journal pages.

With supplies ranging from collages, varied pens, stickers and even a vintage typewriter, students had the opportunity to play with words and images to create pages in a provided journal that encouraged introspection and creativity.  

 One of the prompts, "fill this page with a few of your favorite things,” immediately sparked my creativity. I covered my page with some of the things that I love, like art, nature, sightseeing and animals. The process was incredibly freeing yet focused for me, as I carefully arranged my cutouts into a design that reflected my personality, which was called an “organized mess.”

By the end of the session, I not only had a page filled with things I loved, but also a deeper appreciation for the way art can capture emotions that words sometimes cannot. The session blended creativity and mindfulness, offering students a chance to engage with art as a way to slow down, reflect, and express themselves in a uniquely personal way. 

Winged Messenger

By Emma Zhang

“After reading “My Sabbath” by Emily Dickinson I had my “lightning bold” moment with spirituality” shared Phoebe Thompson, one of Culver’s student advisors.  

Everyone has their own unique brand of spirituality, from Tai Chi to analyzing the origin of the universe. For Thompson it’s birds. Her service Winged Messengers explored an unconventional facet of faith that other nature lovers could relate to. 

Growing up in the Lutheran Church, Thompson never felt a true connection with her religion, yet she always felt a calling toward birds. Surrounded by a family of bird watchers: her grandparents started the “Bird Watchers Digest” and having parents who were also involved in the bird-watching world it was second nature that she felt a connection toward them.   

Thompson started the service off with symbolism and ID warm up of birds, by showing images of a series of birds and asking participants what words they instill. Participants answered with freedom for the bald eagle to death for the crow.  

Afterward, Thompson shared three personal spiritual experiences relating to birds. She explained the significance of hawks, eastern phoebes (which is the bird she was named after), and barred owls to both her and her family with surreal stories relating to each bird.  

Thompson then let us listen to bird sounds imagining ourselves in the environment that we believe each would come from and write our thoughts down. Each audio evoked a different feeling for every participant.  

Finishing off the experience we discussed in our groups different questions relating to birds and spirituality. Thompson’s practice of using birds as her method of spirituality brings light to the fact that spirituality isn’t limited to religion but is what you make of it. 

 

Students practice yoga at Fleet Gym.  (Photo by J.D. Holtrop)

 

 

 

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