USF sets aside oasis for prayer - St. Petersburg Times

TAMPA — Across the sprawling University of South Florida campus, lawn mowers drone and sledgehammers pound. But inside the Serenity Room, the only sound is an air conditioner's gentle whoosh.

Students enter the tiny, half-moon-shaped alcove stressed. They leave calm, unburdened.

USF officials say they incorporated the pale-green room into their design for the brand-new, 233,000-square-foot Marshall Student Center to give the university's 39,000 students an oasis in the desert, a harbor in the storm of hectic campus life.

They also wanted to provide a place for the campus' large Muslim population to pray.

"Students had been asking in a very general way for a place for reflective time," said Jennifer Meningall, head of student affairs. "We had a special request from Muslim students asking for a place to express their religious freedom without infringing on anyone else."

With the start of Ramadan on Monday, more Muslim students have been finding their way to the Serenity Room. Ala Elyaman, a junior majoring in education, visited twice on Tuesday with her three sisters.

"Before, we were praying in the library in the basement behind some bookshelves," said Elyaman, 18. "This kind of lets us know that they care we're around."

Diyanah Elyaman, 21, said she hopes the Serenity Room might help dispel some of the misunderstandings about Muslim students. When it comes to prayer and meditation, she said, Muslim students aren't so different from Jewish or Christian students in their desire to find a quiet place to worship.

USF doesn't keep track of students' religious affiliation, so officials don't know how many Muslim students are on campus. But Yasir Abunamous, treasurer of the Muslim Student Association, says they number in the thousands.

Abunamous, 18, was asked to consult with contractors last year on the design of a shower room adjacent to the Serenity Room where Muslim students can perform the obligatory cleansing of hands, arms, feet and face before prayer. "They wanted to make sure that everything was comfortable for us," he said.

Garry Miller, president of the Campus Ministry Association, described the Serenity Room as a place where all students can come for quiet reflection and prayer, a space where they can "chill and have a moment."

"It's simple, it's quiet, it's away from all the busyness," Miller said. "It's just a come-as-you-are, no-reservations-necessary place."

Jennifer Hernandez, operations manager for the student center, expects that members of many of the university's religious-based student groups, from Christian to Baha'i, will make use of the room once they find out about it.

"It's a great place for the Muslim students, but we want all students to use it regardless of their religious beliefs," Hernandez said.

At least one student wandered into the Serenity Room this week simply looking for a quiet place.

Lauren Thurmond, a senior balancing a double major in English and geography, arrived just after lunch Tuesday grasping 20 handouts she'd just received from her American lit teacher.

"It's so loud out there," she said. "There's a lot of stuff going on all the time, which is a good thing, but not when you're trying to study."

Comments on this article

by Gator	Sep 10, 2008 9:15 AM
Does anyone think its strange that a 15 year old girl is allowed on campus to use this prayer room? I cant imagine she is enrolled at USF. I guess that means everyones invited.

by Bret	Sep 8, 2008 10:22 PM
IS it typical to see a 15 year old college student? Maybe times have changed, when I attended UF there werent any 15 years olds. If she isnt enrolled at USF does that mean all of us can use this crescent shaped serenity room?

by UF Alum	Sep 8, 2008 1:28 PM
It is crescent shaped, has a shower room and was built at the request of the Muslim Student Association, who the college had consult with the project. I guess if the Baptists ask for a baptismal that we be okay too? What about a confessional?

by John	Sep 8, 2008 1:10 PM
some of these comments run on the fear of future terrisom though many of ther terrorists have been educated here doesnt mean all will be terrorist facts= USF neglected the other faiths by specifically making this room for muslims without accom others

by Felix	Sep 8, 2008 1:09 PM
There has steadily been an increase in muslim students enrolled at usf over the yrs Making the university "muslim friendly" is another way to have ths muslims see benefits in going there and in turn USF makes more money that what its about money!

by Amy	Sep 8, 2008 1:08 PM
Being more educated doesnt make them immune from making stupid decisions or from being prejudice against other religions They have purposely made a specific place for muslim students now where r the other places for catholics or baptists buddists etc

by peter	Sep 8, 2008 12:46 PM
The thin end of the wedge my amercan chums. The next thing they'll want a bloody big mosque in the middle of the campus; then there'll be no quiet, because a silly bugger in a long white shirt will be wailing 5 times a day.

by Anne	Sep 8, 2008 12:40 PM
The camel's nose is in the tent. One accomodation leads to another, and another, and another. Bet you $10 that in 6 months time, no-one will be allowed in this green, crescent shaped room but muslims.

by Anna	Sep 8, 2008 12:38 PM
If Christian and Jewish students attempted to use that room for worship, I bet the Muslims students would make them feel uncomfortable, if not outright threaten them. USF needs to put a Star of David and a Cross in that room if it has any guts.

by Sam	Sep 8, 2008 12:29 PM
They have too much of other peoples money to spend. Cut the USF budget now.

by Peterk	Sep 8, 2008 12:11 PM
sorry but no matter what you call this room, it was set up for Muslims. Why did it take so long to establish a "Serenity Room"?

by Raymond	Sep 8, 2008 12:10 PM
The U of Michigan, my alma mater, funded Muslim foot-baths at their Dearborn campus. I concluded that if they can afford to fund such a facility using taxpayer dollars, they can do without my financial support. USF alumni should consider likewise.

by JH	Sep 8, 2008 12:10 PM
This isn't the 1st time this has happened on US Campuses. Starts as gen prayer room then is taken over by Muslims. You get arrested for having a Bible in Saudi Arabia. Mecca is off limits to non muslims.Are you okay with their religious intolerance?

by Bruce	Sep 8, 2008 12:00 PM
Orthodox Jews meet and pray 3 times a day. Can they use this room as well?

by Different David	Sep 8, 2008 11:59 AM
There won't be prayer rooms for other religions. Other religions don't riot. The rooms won't comply with separation of religion and state. But they will comply with Shariah. I though this was hypocrisy. But David here says it's education.

by Outsider	Sep 8, 2008 11:59 AM
"Muslim students asking for a place to express their religious freedom without infringing on anyone else" Translation: whining for special treatment - a dedicated mosque.

by John	Sep 8, 2008 11:59 AM
Come back a year from now and look at this again. My money is that a year from now it will be off-limits to non-Muslims. I hope you can prove me wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

by Roger	Sep 8, 2008 11:57 AM
Suggest you be honest and change article title to: 'USF sets aside green crescent shaped Islamic prayer room for "the religion of peace"'. Whose motto is - "do what we say and we won't blow you up, for now".

by Sarah	Sep 8, 2008 11:57 AM
jt, I guarantee you've never been in a church in Saudi Arabia. I know this for a fact because I lived there for 7 years and the practice of any religion other than Islam is illegal. It's illegal to even bring a Bible into the country.

by Cat	Sep 8, 2008 11:56 AM
One hopes that University officials will monitor Muslim usage of and behavior around this room. In other places, Muslim students eventually began to intimidate and threaten non-Muslims who attempted to use such facilities.

by Steve	Sep 8, 2008 11:56 AM
Mosques on American University campuses! What's next? Terrorism? Whoops!

by Sam	Sep 8, 2008 11:56 AM
If making this room into a crescent moon wasn't enough of a hint that this "serenity room" was meant to be solely for Muslims, the green color scheme should do it. Green is the color of Islam. This is a form of dhimmitude pushed by USF.

by Greg	Sep 8, 2008 11:43 AM
Since it is not only for Muslims, I hope the entire student body goes there to wash up and relax during the hot afternoons. They cannot stop students from using the room. That would be preferential.

by USF grad and Mom	Sep 4, 2008 5:07 PM
USF is a haven for terrorists and has been since I was there in the '70's. Now it is a more comfortable haven for terrorists and they are using our tax dollars to accommodate them. Perhaps this Sept 11 they'll blow up your new Marshall center.

by Gary Born	Sep 4, 2008 5:07 PM
Typical Liberal PC campus crap, from incompetent leaders who are immersed in their own small little worlds. These will be the first people they turn on when they take over. Just watch Europe, its a living breathing and dying example.

by Jeff	Sep 4, 2008 5:07 PM
Let's see, green is the color of Islam, the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam, and we have a footbath next door for Muslims to perform wudu. Imagine the outcry if the "Serenity Room" was in the shape of a cross with pews and an altar. What a fraud

by jt	Sep 4, 2008 5:06 PM
First of all... Muslims live all over the world, not just the Middle East. You have North and East Africa, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. Muslims does not equal to Arab. Also, I've been to Churches IN Muslim countries.

by Paige	Sep 4, 2008 5:06 PM
Are there separate prayer areas for male and female worshipers? It would be a crying shame if the "Serenity Room" wasn't sharia-compliant. /s

by tom	Sep 4, 2008 5:06 PM
so much for seperation of church & state

by Kimo	Sep 4, 2008 2:09 PM
When's the last time you heard of any Muslim countries offering prayer rooms for Christians? They can find their own places to pray, or better yet...move back or to the Middle East!

by Rhonda	Sep 4, 2008 2:09 PM
The fact that we allow Muslims a special place to pray is reflective of what's wrong with this country. I have a special place they can pray -- back in the Middle East! It is ridiculous to make concessions for them while they take over the country!

by Danny	Sep 4, 2008 2:08 PM
So basically theyre saying they built it for the Muslim students I hope theyre building other places for students of other faiths nothing against them its good I just want to know why they do it for them and not Christians? this article is vauge

by Steve	Sep 4, 2008 2:07 PM
Please don't tell anyone that USF is where I got my degree. Jihad University is the laughing stock of higher education.

by Former Student	Sep 4, 2008 2:07 PM
I wish USF would be so quick to accommodate other religions as much as they have Islam.

by Kenneth	Sep 4, 2008 2:07 PM
So, in the same issue you commend USF for a Muslim prayer room (at a state school) but celebrate the defeat of school vouchers.