Why are there gatherings of religious groups in the MBS lobby?
October 22, 2019
Upon entering the building, there is a folding table that was used by staff at Rev
It Up. Since move in, the table has been used frequently by an elderly man (who is
not a student) that was identified to me as somehow related to a campus ministry.
His sign advertising the Bible was left taped to the table for a week, and it is my
understanding that he hands out religious texts. There are often large gatherings
of young men with him, but never any young women--is this a mens-only ministry? Why
is this man allowed to convene in a non-public place like the MBS lobby, and are we
letting any random person off the street hang out in that lobby? Are they meeting
in this area specifically so they can garner interest in their group or cause?
My concerns are as follows: one, that they are a large gathering that stands in an
area intended for ingress/egress. This is an area that should be clear and not full
of people standing and reading. It is an area where people are walking, moving, and
not be blocked by large groups with no intention of moving through the doors.
Two, it makes many students very uncomfortable to see a religious meeting taking place
in the lobby of their building, myself included. It is one thing to see visitors on
campus or at public events where one can walk out of earshot or sight, but it is much
different seeing religious meetings take place in the very building in which we live.
Many people have experienced trauma at the hands of organized religion and feel that
proselytizing of any kind has no place in campus residential buildings. Our expectations
as students and residents is that we will be provided with a safe environment in which
to live, one free of those espousing religious rather than academic ideas.
Can these meetings be moved into a room, with a door, out of the line of sight of
residents coming and going from the MBS buildings?