Why are there gatherings of religious groups in the MBS lobby?

October 22, 2019

University Relations

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?