Originally submitted to the USA TODAY College network on October 10, 2015.
Individuals of interfaith backgrounds at Wichita State University had grown tired of going to extreme measures to practice religious activities on campus.
The Harvey D. Grace Memorial Chapel, built in the early 1960s through a gifted grant to the University, has provided a space for all religious groups to meet, worship and communicate.
Originally made possible with intentions that the chapel be used as a shared space for the entire student body, as the student body evolved, complaints of chapel configuration and interfaith practices began to arise as well.
“The campus has changed,” said graduate student and former president of Global Faith in Action college Chandler Williams. “60 years ago, we wouldn’t have been talking about this. But, now, our society is diversifying and the campus needs to reflect that.”
After two years of efforts by different Student Government administrations and oversight form the University, last May, the chapel began to undergo renovations that removed fixed pews and replaced with movable chairs and carpeting.
These changes allowed for a more flexible configuration for students to utilize the space with.
However, the changes were not as well received by some as they were by students at Wichita State.
Word travels
Although the process to allow the renovations to happen took place over a two year span, news of the renovations began to reach out to alumni and donors to the University in early October.
On October 2, donor and alumna Jean Ann Cusick shared a photo of the renovated chapel and wrote: “So. In MAY, it would be decided the pews would be taken out for ‘Accommodation.” The Muslim students are ecstatic in the link, here provided… ALL pews gone as well as the Cross???!!! Sumpin’ NOT right here.”
A search resulted that Cusick, a 1964 Wichita State graduate, is a sibling to Johnny Stevens, listed to be a 2012 Wichita State University Foundation President’s Club Annual Member — a party that has donated at least $100,000 to the University.
As a result of social media exchange between current students and alumni, many graduates and donors to the University began contacting Wichita State administration, asking for answers regarding the chapel renovations.
Following this chain of events, Wichita State President John Bardo released a statement Monday that the University would look into changing the configuration of the chapel in regards to criticism from voices outside of the University.
In his online statement, Bardo wrote “I don’t think that change (the renovation done in May) was undertaken with enough consideration of the feelings of all elements of the campus and broader community.”
To some, the statement served as a message of disregard of the student body in the face of donor criticism.
“Donors are important to the future of this university but I do not think it is right to use money to influence another person or group,” Williams said.
Feelings of confusion
Following the announcement of the decision to reevaluate the renovations to Grace Memorial Chapel, some on campus were left with feelings of confusion and frustration.
“We were really excited,” said Maha Madi, Wichita State undergraduate student. “[Interfaith Prayer Space] was great for our community because we were having to find places on campus that weren’t going to bother students, such as the second floor of the library or a back corner to get a quick prayer in.”
Madi, an individual of the Muslim faith, is one of many students who found the renovations to the chapel to be a welcome addition to campus.
Six months after the chapel renovations, students were confused by the backlash that started on social media which, as reported by Wichita State student newspaper The Sunflower, garnered comments related to Muslim individuals including words such as “disgusting,” “terroristic” and “scary.”
“This is not about Muslims versus Christians,” said Matt Conklin, first-year Washburn University law student and former Wichita State Student Body President. “Everyone should be accommodated according to Mrs. Grace’s will.”
“This is a pinprick of what is going on — and I think it is very unfortunate.”
Larger forces at play
Conklin said that, during his tenure as Student Body President from 2014-2015, he was warned of Islamophobia that his administration’s efforts to transform the chapel into a more flexible space would encounter.
“I think this is an example of very systemic issues that currently exist at the University,” he said. “This is a big issue and is an example of what is happening nationally — and it is disturbing.”
“Public universities should serve the public.”
Around the country, reports at other universities of private interest influencing campus decisions are nothing new.
In 2014, a University of Kansas professor came under scrutiny for having research funded by a grant through a Charles and David Koch-controlled foundation.
Similar criticisms have been found at other universities across the nation, including Florida State University’s President and his ties to Koch-backed funding, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times in May 2011.
Outside forces can influence campus decisions — and, at Wichita State, a university undergoing an identity shift, this is a phenomenon that Conklin says is all too common.
“President Bardo’s vision about [Innovation Campus] is more catered to businesses than students,” Conklin said. “He is catering to businesses rather than serving the students he is supposed to lead.”
Possible solutions
Although the news backlash regarding the Interfaith Prayer Space initiative was disappointing to students, the news allowed an opportunity for some students to revisit the good.
“I think situations like this are sometimes good — it just shows that people are sometimes fearful of people of other faiths and we still have a long way to go with educating people,” said Williams. “This is the purpose of it — we want to challenge people to think differently and, unfortunately, sometimes things like this need to happen in order to grow.”
On Saturday, Wichita State Student Body VIce President Khondoker Usama posted to Facebook a message regarding the efforts to affect interfaith practices on campus and called the student body to join together and work towards peace.
“I am confident that our united efforts and prayers can and shall erase all hate and ignorance and lead us to a dawn of a peaceful future,” Usama said.