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UMD Senate Votes to Drop Commencement Prayer
posted 04/07/09
4:23 pm
The 32-14 vote was the culmination of a lengthy debate about the separation of church and state at a public university.
"It's like a lot of things in life, it's not an issue that's easy to deal with," said Ken Holum, who chairs the faculty and student University senate. "Since it's a state institution, why should we have religion, there should be a wall some say between the state and religion," Holum said.
Student senators voted unanimously Monday to end the non-denominational prayer, saying it was a student issue.
"Not everyone is the same religion," said student Lauren Kaiser. "I don't think you should force it on people."
Senior Michael Idowe added: "I know how to pray so I can pray for my future -- I don't need someone to pray for my future."
The invocation was presented each year by one of the university's 14 chaplains, and was designed to be as inclusive as possible, according to supporters. Some students, like senior Maureen Costello, said they were looking forward to a prayer at graduation next month.
"I'm disappointed because I'm a Christian," Costello said.
University Senate member and engineering professor Arthur Johnson felt ending the tradition could send mixed messages.
"Since we already have an invocation, removing it from the University of Maryland ceremony would be looked at as anti-religion, and I didn't think that was good for the university either," Johnson said.
A senate study showed none of its peer institutions, including UNC and UCLA, include prayers at their graduations.
The final vote on banning the prayer happened the same day portions of a controversial pornographic film was viewed on campus as part of an event on freedom of speech.
The school's president, Dan Mote, is not required to follow the university Senate's vote ending the prayer. A spokesperson for the president declined to comment on the matter.
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