Despite what was written in the Camosun College Student Society’s column in our November 13, 2013 issue, Camosun’s on-campus prayer spaces will not be closing, according to the college’s director of physical resources, Ian Tol.
A notice on the Camosun prayer space website was worded that “quiet space for prayer and mediations has been scheduled to the end of April 2014 at Lansdowne and the end of 2014 at Interurban,” which caused confusion.
The wording on the website, which the college says is going to be changed, suggests that the rooms would no longer be in use after these dates, says the student society’s external executive Simka Marshall, adding that the student society needs to be informed of any changes to services.
“It’s actually in our agreement with the college that we have to have that prayer space,” says Marshall. “So we just find that wording weird, because if the college were to be making changes then they should have consulted with us, and we shouldn’t have to be the ones going to them for information.”
Tol says that the phrasing of the information on the website is what created a misunderstanding, and he assures students that the prayer rooms aren’t going to be closing any time in the future.
“In conjunction with Student Services we recently made the decision to change the website information for the prayer space page,” says Tol, “and we’ll remove the date notice from the website to avoid confusion, or the idea that the use would end on that date. The current prayer spaces will continue to be used for their function. If, in the future, a room shuffle needs to take place, the necessary notice will be provided.”
Tol explains that the confusing note on the website, which was still up as of press time, was put there because the booking period for the rooms was coming to an end, but the room was going to be rebooked for the prayer space.
He says that since there have been no internal conflicts with the bookings, the prayer spaces will continue to be available in their current locations. He notes that the department is working with the people responsible for booking the rooms to start a new policy ensuring their use as permanent prayer spaces.
University Transfer student Isa Ouellette says that having a designated prayer space on campus is needed.
“I don’t practice a religion that would lead me to use a prayer room,” says Ouellette, “but I can see that it is still important to have. It could make students feel at home on campus.”
Second-year Criminal Justice student Angelina Atkinson agrees that having a space for students to practise their faith while on campus is an important service for the college to provide.
“It’s definitely important. Everyone has the right to feel included, and have a place to express themselves at school,” says Atkinson.
Marshall says the student society is relieved to hear that there will not be any changes made in the future, as they feel it’s their responsibility, as well as the college’s, to provide this service to students.
“It’s a service that our students depend on,” says Marshall. “It’s important to have a safe and quiet space, free of judgment, to practise your faith. For some students, being able to practise your faith, or do any meditation or prayer, is really, really important. Without the prayer rooms, I’m unsure of where we would send students within the community, and the good thing about this space is that anyone of any faith can use it.”
So this was either an innocent glitch, Or a hasty retreat when they realized a s**tstorm of opposition was coming.