Officials are still working towards transforming Smith Hall into a dorm to house people of different faiths to promote interfaith dialogue on campus. The dorm is projected to be open to students by the fall of 2018.
The intention of the interfaith dorm is to make students become better global citizens and move beyond coexistence to cooperation.
Rev. Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for university-church relations, said that the Interfaith Dorm Planning Committee is still in the fundraising stage, and they will move on to planning renovations and new architecture when they have completed the fundraising.
Neff said the dorm will house people of faiths beyond Abrahamic religions.
“We really want to include Hindu and Buddhist and other faith communities,” he said.
As the committee further discusses plans for the interfaith dorm, they will be looking for feedback from students.
Neff said President Robert Henry is very excited for the prospect of an interfaith dorm, mainly because the idea is unique in this part of the country. Once the dorm is complete, it will be the largest interfaith dorm of it’s kind.
“There’s lots to be excited about,” Neff said.
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Plans are still in place to tie the interfaith dorm to fireside chats with religious leaders and participation in the OKC area Interfaith Tour as well as The World House Scholars Program and possibly even world religion courses.
In order to be sensitive to residents’ religions, food in the dorm will be separated to adhere to Hillel and kosher requirements, and the halls will be separated by gender.
There are already opportunities for students to be involved in their faith communities on campus. Dr. Imam Imad Enchassi, professor of Islamic studies, leads the Jumah prayers in the interfaith prayer room in the West Wing of Kramer School of Nursing every friday, and there is a new organization on campus called The Jewish Stars. There is also a Baptist student group and a Catholic Student Association on campus.
In addition to housing people of faith, Smith will also house students who identify as atheist or agnostic. Neff said that the purpose of the dorm is not to convert anyone to a particular religion, but for people to understand each other and come together as people.
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Carly Youngberg, English freshman, said she is interested in the prospect of an interfaith dorm because it will help unify people of different faiths after the results of the election. However, she also said she would not personally be interested in living in the interfaith dorm in future years simply because she prefers to live in United Methodist Hall or Cokesbury Court Apartments as an upperclassman.
“I did my time in Banning,” Youngberg said.
Many students have taken notice of the many costumes being held in Smith Hall right now. The dorm is being used for extra storage until it can be used for housing.
“It looks really creepy at night,” Youngberg said. “But a dorm full of costumes is kind of what OCU is all about.”
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