Kristin M. Smith, sophomore, biology, goes by the name Kris, and spends most of her time in the depths of the Mercantile Library. In her freshman year she lived in the Oak Hall dormitory on South Campus.
She is also a self-professed pagan.
Technically, Smith calls herself a "Heathen" or "Asatru." This means she is a pagan, but heathen is the type of paganism she follows. It is like someone who is a Christian but also a Baptist.
Smith is just as devoted to her religion as any Baptist Christian would be; she even signs her e-mails "If Frith," loosely translated as meaning "peace." More accurately, "if Frith" is achieved, peace will follow, according to heathen belief.
Since last spring, Smith has worked assiduously to begin a new student organization on campus that she believes is both important and long overdue.
The PSA is Smith's brainchild, and the group convenes for its first meeting in the SGA Chamber Nov. 7 at 1 p.m.
"I feel like Pagans [on campus] need to know each other," Smith said, "but the main reason I am starting the [PSA] is to promote religion, diversity, and tolerance."
Since different people have varying ideas of what a Pagan really is, it is helpful to have a definition. Although Merriam-Webster describes a pagan as a heathen (or follower of a polytheistic religion) and a heathen as strange or uncivilized, Smith has a different idea.
"Pagan is anyone who doesn't believe in basic monotheist religions … People who call themselves pagan probably are Wiccan, or they follow Hellenism, heathenism, Druidism, or even sometimes I will consider Buddhists in the mix," Smith said.
Erin Mae Hall, junior, psychology, has expressed her interest in the PSA. She too describes herself as a pagan.
"I think that there are as many forms of paganism as there are pagans. Pagans are monotheists, polytheists, atheists, and agnostics … I even know pagans that are Christian.," Hall said.
Smith considers herself a heathen, while Hall is an eclectic pagan. Smith follows Norse gods, and Hall believes in a combination of religious traditions. Pagans are nothing if not diverse.
Although Smith is hoping to bring a community of pagans together on the UM-St. Louis campus, she also hopes that non-pagans will show interest in the association.
"Anyone who is open to the idea and wants to know more about paganism is welcome," Smith said.
The two main goals that Smith has for her organization are to provide a close knit support system for pagans on campus and to educate others about Paganism.
"I want to let people on campus know what paganism is, and more specifically what it is not," she said.
She feels that most people have preconceived notions about paganism that are actually false.
Hall agrees with Smith.
"I do think paganism is misrepresented," Hall said, "I practice witchcraft, and surely when most people hear the term 'witchcraft' they think of Satanism or some other 'dark' practice. Really, paganism is a lot like Native American spirituality. Most of us don't believe in Satan and certainly don't worship evil!"
In addition, Smith explained that pagans do not believe in Christian demons and therefore would definitely not worship one, such as Satan.
"No one really knows who Pagans are," Smith said "they need to be as understood as everyone else."
UM-St. Louis student Chancelor Thomas, though not himself a pagan, regards the PSA as important.
"The PSA would bring about a mixture of different beliefs and allow people of different insights to come together in a common goal, which is understanding and knowledge," Thomas said in a statement.
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