After a semester of dialogue between the Student Senate, administrators and students, a room designated for prayer and meditation has become a reality. This will be available for students wanting to pray, meditate or whomever may need a low-sensory environment. Although guaranteed within the next couple weeks, individuals around the situation could not disclose the final location of the room.
The need for a prayer and meditation room became apparent early in the fall semester. Madison College has a growing number of Muslim students, whose religion requires them to pray five times throughout the day. Also, the school hosts a number of students suffering from anxiety and attention disorders, who can benefit from a low-sensory, relaxing environment.
“In the beginning of the semester, a number of Muslim students and I were looking for a permanent place to pray,” said Abdifatah Abdishaikh, a student senator. “We spend our entire days here, from eight in the morning til we go home. We needed a place to pray but I told them everything has a process.”
After discussion with Center for Student Life administrators, the students were allowed to pray in the old Writing Center, left empty due to construction, on the Truax campus first floor next to the Student Lounge.
As the fall semester progressed, new furniture arrived and the students were displaced. Students were forced to find new places do these daily prayers, such as stairwells and between library bookshelves.
The Center for Student Life and Student Senate members combined their efforts to create an issue paper, signed petition and proclamation in support of two rooms – a prayer andmeditation room as well as a low-sensory room. They argued student comfort and accommodation are crucial in providing above average education.
“Our student’s faith is important to them and it’s part of their life. Well, we’re Student Life,” said Renee Alfano, director of Student Life.
After visiting schools similar in diversity and enrollment in the Chicago area, Alfano said she found out prayer, meditation and low-sensory rooms were not uncommon.
Colin Bowden, Student Senate president, said there may be worry about if these potential rooms could be subject to abuse by some students.
“It is possible. It is more important not to be afraid of what bad can happen, but to be hopeful about what good can happen,” Bowden said.
Toward the end of the fall semester, administrative calendars became congested with a long reorganization of enrollment, financial aid and academic advisory, and as a result, progress on the room slowed and communication grew stale.
At the beginning of the spring semester, one administrator promised that a room would be provided by the end of January. At the end of the month, the room still did not exist. At that point, communication escalated, becoming more frank and direct with additional student input. This lead to further progress being made on the actual prayer room.
“Within days a space will be provided,” Bowden said. “At this very moment, things are being moved.”