Stetson celebrates the existence of religious, secular, and spiritual diversity on campus and strives to create inclusive spaces that foster the cultivation of contemplative practices for all students. On Wednesday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m., in Allen Hall Auditorium, please join Campus Chaplain Michael Fronk and Lindsey Graves, Assistant Director of Interfaith Initiatives, as they dedicate two new rooms designed to support our students’ practices of prayer, meditation, introspection, and/or contemplation. A short ceremony will be followed by a reception with fresh fruit and refreshments. All are welcome to participate. (Pictured left, music technology sophomore Brandon Thorn, and Lindsey Graves in one of the new rooms to be dedicated.)

“These spaces have been requested by our students for a number of years, but we’ve not been able to dedicate spaces quite like these on campus before” said Fronk. “We’ve had versions of prayer rooms in the past, so the concept isn’t entirely new to the university, but the new interfaith prayer rooms symbolize a renewal and an improvement of past spaces. The prayer rooms also symbolize Stetson’s continued dedication to the spiritual life of our students. The Spiritual and Religious Inclusion Task Force, engaging in values-based discussions, echoed the student voices and counseled our community to make this space a priority. This initiative is wonderful because students of all faiths and non-faiths can have a shared space on campus.”

“The practices of prayer, contemplation, and introspection are components of all major world religions,” said Graves. “The popularity of secular meditation, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, is also on the rise. It is for these reasons that I genuinely believe Stetson’s new interfaith prayer rooms will be of great value to all students who seek to explore and cultivate their spiritual identity. In these spaces, my deepest wish is that our students will not only discover, but become comfortable with, the renewing power of stillness and silence.”