The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) held a town hall Oct. 11 to discuss their proposal for a new multi-faith centre on campus.
The set of rooms would be a space for students to perform religious activities or simply come for some peace and quiet. Its planned dimensions, location and features have not yet been determined. CUSA held the town hall to seek student recommendations.
The town hall was attended by approximately 25 people in person and 10 on Zoom. The majority of the attendees were members of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA).
The MSA has been advocating for a larger prayer space for years. They said their current rooms are too small for their five daily prayers. They occasionally use the Norm Fenn Gym, which they said has poor accessibility and cleanliness.
Also present at the meeting were three representatives of the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and several other students.
Size was a major concern for the multi-faith centre. MSA representatives said the space might see “a couple hundred” people at peak prayer times.
They also asked for a way to physically split the room into two separate spaces to divide men and women during prayer. The IVCF, which primarily intends to use the space for Bible study groups, said multiple separate rooms might be better so different groups can use the space at the same time.
The issue of booking the space was also addressed at the town hall. A strict booking schedule would ensure privacy and lack of scheduling conflicts, but many at the meeting expressed a desire for the centre to be open for anyone.
“A mosque is like a home … you don’t need a reservation to go home,” one attendee said.
The general consensus on the location of the space was for it to be near the centre of campus and close to its building’s entrance. Porter Hall and the University Centre (UC) were two recommended buildings.
It’s unclear whether the current multi-faith centre, located in UC 4261, would remain open after the proposed new one opens.
The project is not under CUSA’s jurisdiction. CUSA president Anastasia Stoikos-Lettieri is a member of the Campus Master Plan Steering Committee, which is the authority on campus construction.
In an email to the Charlatan on Nov. 1, Stoikos-Lettieri said CUSA is working with faith-based clubs on campus to develop and finalize a proposal.
CUSA vice-president (student issues) Faris Riazudden said “there definitely will be some sort of space,” but added compromise with the committee would likely be needed.
Stoikos-Lettieri added the multi-faith space proposal is a priority for the student association.
“Every day we talk about it … we’re confident that our work won’t be wasted,” Riazudden said.
Students who wish to give further input on the multi-faith centre are encouraged to email Stoikos-Lettieri at pres@cusaonline.ca, or the Steering Committee at carletonucmp@outlook.com.
The committee is scheduled to meet Nov. 24.
Featured image from Screengrab.
