Tulane Campus needs more resources for Muslim students

Check out this great piece by Tulane student (and CELT fellow!) Jessica Callahan on the need for more campus resources dedicated to Muslim students at Tulane:

Unlike our peer institutions, Tulane offers no on-campus space for the five daily prayers that are a main tenant of the Islamic faith. Dedicating space for this use is common in American universities. Vanderbilt University holds Friday prayer, or jummah, at an all-faiths chapel, and offers temporary space in an on-campus annex for daily prayers, with a long-term plan of creating a permanent Islamic center. Emory University has a dedicated prayer room in the Office of Religious Life in the student center and hostsjummah prayer in the campus chapel every Friday, followed by weekly discussions on topics pertaining to the Islamic faith. Duke University has a Center for Muslim Life with space for prayer and fellowship, and Rice University has designated prayer spots in the library, on the quad, and in private dining rooms, in addition to having a designated private prayer room. Tulane makes no comparable efforts to welcome students of the Islamic faith. There is a mosque in the uptown neighborhood within walking distance from Tulane, but coordinating the walk there several times a day in between classes, club meetings, and studying hardly sounds like an easy way to balance academic and spiritual life. To be truly welcoming and accommodating to Muslim students, Tulane should designate at least one prayer space on campus for them, or build a Muslim student center.

Full piece here.