By Bianca Strzelczyk

With a chocolate cupcake in one hand, vanilla frosting in the other, Spiritual Life Director Shelli Jankowski-Smith squeezed the end of the tube, covering the surface with a thick, white layer. She placed a cherry on top, completing the look. Next to her, arranged on a rotating silver dish, were about 10 fully-decorated cupcakes.

Also, in the Xhibition Kitchen (XK), plain cupcakes lined the tray, divided by flavor. Rainbow sprinkles, shredded coconuts, maraschino cherries, chocolate M’Ms and tiny marshmallows were the various toppings surrounding them in clear bowls. Chocolate and vanilla frosting filled plastic tubes.

While this was a practice run for JankowskiSmith, it will be up to Northeastern students to create their own temptation during the actual presentation, “Angel-Food Cake or Devil’s-Food Cake: Where will temptation lead you?” The event will be held in the XK today at noon.

“People always think those involved in the spiritual life are so serious,” Jankowski-Smith said. “I wanted to do something fun.” The idea for the event came to her when she thought about a devil on one shoulder whispering in a person’s ear and an angel on the other, tempting the person. The two different flavored cupcakes would be fun, she said.

“The idea is to have balance in life,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to deprive yourself.”

Exploring temptation is a big topic in all the faiths, and the cupcakes and spirituality can be connected through this, she said.

“You have to have these happy joyous moments in life to be balanced and really enjoy life,” she said.

Jankowski-Smith said she felt doing something in the XK would be a good way for students to learn more about the spiritual center.

“The overall job [of the spiritual center] is to support and bring a-wareness to spiritual groups on campus,” she said.

The center has brought many events to campus in the past year, and it just wrapped up Spiritual Wellness Week, when students were encouraged to come, reach out and connect with one another, Jankowski-Smith said.

The cupcake demonstration is part of a series that began in January to involve the university in