The students squeezed in the bleachers. Each girl elbow to elbow with the girl next to her. Turning from side to side, girls wondered if today was a dress uniform day.

“It isn’t technically a Mass,” a senior noted.

“Yeah, it’s an interfaith prayer service,” someone else chimed in.

Seated in the gym’s purple bleachers, students listened as the Interfaith Club presented their annual Interfaith Assembly of Thanksgiving. As usual there were stories of girls in different faith backgrounds and how they have grown closer to God.

But this year the assembly didn’t have the multiple types of dance and song, or the constant up and down from the gym’s wooden floor. The assembly featured emcee and senior Maria Nessim who was able to keep the assembly engaging for girls.

Speakers such as senior Zoya Khan and junior Abby Valentine were veterans discussing their religions, but freshman Gillian Cruz was a new standout. Cruz spoke about her first communion at her grade school, describing the sacred meaning to non-Catholics while relaying anecdotes about the experiences that many Catholics can relate to.

A video from senior Rose Puthumana also showcased a different way to connect with one’s culture: dance. Her traditional Hindu dance video created an impressive silence in the gym, great enough to hear a pin drop.  Students like sophomore Caroline Lawlor were enrapt with the dance video and said it was a great way to show that you could express faith with multiple religions.

At the end of the assembly instead of walking out of the gym and resuming normal dialogue, each grade was invited to come to the front of the gym and add a colored piece of paper to the “prayer wall.” Red: Life. Green: Faith. Purple: Friends and family. As the gym began to clear, there was small chattering amongst some girls, but the overall atmosphere was one of reflection for what had taken place.

The prayer service, although less flashy and interactive than last year’s, seemed to have a greater effect on the students. The intimacy of the music, led by sophomore Maria Arroyo and senior Kelly Lowndes, and the ambiance of the service made a fresh impression on students.