Interfaith center is sought

OREM — At a meeting with college officials Tuesday morning, local ministers and religious representatives urged the creation of an interfaith worship center at Utah Valley State College.

The need for an inclusive religious center takes precedence as the Legislature considers granting the college university status, said Linda Walton, a member of the Utah Valley Ministerial Association, which met with UVSC President William Sederburg to discuss interfaith relations.

The center would provide a space for meditation and prayer, particularly for students who are not affiliated with the LDS Institute. Of the college's some 20,000 students, Walton said, between 8,000 and 10,000 do not participate in Institute.

"We're finding that there is a lot more diversity than we thought there was, and there is a need for space (for an interfaith chapel)," said Walton, chaplain at UVSC.

Students of different faiths often struggle in the predominantly LDS community, Walton told those at the meeting.

"For instance, it came to my attention that there are several Muslim students on campus that have had to do their daily prayers in the rest room," she said. "That really irritates me."

As a public institution, Walton said the school needs to focus on meeting the spiritual needs of all students, not just those of the LDS faith. Most people who live in Utah County belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the majority of UVSC students hail from Utah County.

"Since it's a state college, they need to provide everyone the opportunity (to worship)," she said.

Sederburg acknowledged the need to create an interfaith chapel and said he hoped interfaith discussions would increase.

"Perhaps, by being creative, we can find a space (for a worship center)," he said. "I think it's time for us to approach these issues a little more openly than we have in the past."

As a state college, Sederburg said the school needs to look carefully at the role spirituality plays on campus — particularly if it becomes a university.

"We need to have a more frank conversation with our LDS friends about the role of a public university in a highly religious community," he said.