Boston University prides itself on the diversity of its students. With such a significant international population, as well as an ethnically diverse domestic student body, students hail from a variety of countries, races and religions. Inevitably, BU’s administration would like to be as accommodating as possible to all its students in order to foster a cohesive global community. According to an article published in The Daily Free Press today, members of the Hindu Students Council are advocating for a permanent prayer space in Marsh Chapel, in addition to some rooms in the School of Theology. Proposals for a new space have been considered for a long time, but recent developments include a meeting with Marsh Chapel Dean Robert Hill to discuss the potential change.
At the moment, active members of the HSC resort to storing murtis, books and candles in closets because they have no designated space for regular worship. Furthermore, having to place images of deities in these same closets is considered “borderline sacrilegious.” Unfortunately, they can’t rely on the basement space in Marsh Chapel to be open when they require it. If the HSC had a permanent space of worship, these logistical problems could easily be avoided.
However, the administration’s biggest concern, a concern that holds weight, is space. Space would be incredibly constricted if all groups asked for huge amounts of space on campus. The reality is that BU is funding numerous development projects to better the student experience; fulfilling their spiritual needs is an important component to that goal. Perhaps requesting rooms in the School of Theology in addition to Marsh Chapel may be unrealistic; there really is an urgent need for a multi-faith worship space.
Thankfully, BU’s administration is aware of the problem and has promised to actively engage in allowing students a designated space for religious practice. Advocating for additional buildings is excessive, but the basement in Marsh Chapel would be a sufficient space to dedicate to religious observation by the HSC. The proposals will undergo review, but after these talks spanning over half a decade, now seems appropriate to exercise change.
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