By Sangmin Song and MinSeok Cho
Boston University School of Law opened the Quiet Meditation and Prayer Space in room 509 of their building on March 22, to offer a reflection space for LAW students closer than the George Sherman Union and Marsh Chapel.
Geraldine Muir, associate dean of student affairs in LAW, said the space requires LAW card swipe access and it will pilot until the end of the semester.
“Part of the reason that we wanted this space in law school was because the law students were having difficulty making it to [other spaces on campus,]” Muir said. “[We] opened the room as a pilot because … if we find it’s not utilized, we’re going to take it back as a study space.”
Muir said the room was primarily a small, reserved study space for six to eight students, and there still are three other offices that can be reserved for students to use.
“We felt like taking the space [because] it would have a minimal impact in terms of reassigning but hopefully a maximum impact in helping people to feel supported,” Muir said.
Muir said the space is not exclusive to people honoring religious faith, it’s open to every member who wants to find solace, take a rest and do gym activities with yoga mattresses.
“We want people to feel that they belong here and that includes honoring their faith traditions,” Muir said. “It’s important to us that it’s a meditation and prayer space, and that we don’t want anyone to feel pressured that that can only be used for any one [option.] It really is meant for all to be welcome.”
Muir wrote in an email that LAW students who had difficulty honoring their faith practices while also making the start of class times spoke with her and other Student Affairs team members about the need for a meditative space.
“Leaders in our Muslim Law Student Association, they kind of stepped forward saying ‘You know, we really are struggling, we want to be active in our faith and still be on time for classes and such,’” Muir said. “Our students were advocating for different well-being initiatives through the [Student Government Association], through the student groups and doing different things over time.”
Rawan Khalili, a third year student in LAW and the treasurer for MLSA, said while Muslim students need to do five prayers a day, it is hard to go to prayer rooms outside LAW between classes on time.
“The issue was that during the winter months when it was freezing, snowing, raining and we only had that 10 minutes, it was exhausting to be able to have to bundle up and run over there,” she said. “Many meetings back and forth, we decided that we really needed to take a stronger appeal.”
Khalili said MLSA has a good relationship with LAW and administrators in LAW were supportive of getting the process done.
“We got very lucky because our school administration is staffed by extremely considerate and open-minded people who made the process really easy,” she said. “They were very kind, considerate and really patient with us, and overall a very wonderful process to work with them.”
Thanaa Mahmoudi, a second year student in LAW and the president for MLSA, said she is expecting to see how the space is going to be used in the following days.
“Just from right now, it’s just to hopefully make it a better space for everyone and for Muslims and non-Muslims and then go from there,” Mahmoudi said. “Our whole goal was really just to start it and then leave it for the next board to see how to improve it.”
Muir said there has been a positive response since the opening, and she is excited for the well-being of students.
“The first day there was over 20 card swipes retained by the system, so we know at least 20 individuals [accessed] at certain times of the day, especially when people were using it for prayer,” she said. “It is created through a mixture of faculty, staff and student kind of cohesion together.”
She added she hopes the prayer room contributes to the University by promoting student wellness across campus.
“I feel like the well-being project is such a good and valuable initiative campus wide,” Muir said. “I think all of those steps are important ones for us to keep moving BU towards its goals and its ideals with equity and inclusion.”
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