Slow development on Peace Room

Students and faculty at De Anza College may have a new campus facility called the "peace room" to manage their stress.

"It is a room for meditation, contemplation, chanting and prayer," said Scott McDonough, supporter of the peace room and the president of the World Peace Buddhists Club.

McDonough said the peace room, ideally 20 by 20 square feet, would be used for religious and non-religious practice and for people to manage their stress. The room would be able to fa- cilitate a group of people while, at the same time, accomodating in- dividuals' personal space for their own meditation.

McDonough prefers to call the room a peace room, instead of prayer room as some students call it, because of the conflict with the separation of church and state.

"I don't want to single out praying as the only purpose for the peace room," he said. "I am a Buddhist, but I also do non-reli- gious meditation and deep breath- ing."

The idea came to McDonough when he could not find a place to release his stress on campus. McDonough said that he needs to cope with stress everyday because he suffers from post-traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I spend a long day on campus and try to get an education; man- aging my stress and maintaining my focus is very important," he said.

McDonough would go to the conference room in the Hinson Campus Center, but construction forced him out.

The current Campus Center policy requires students to make reservations before using the con- ference rooms for any amount of time.

"Several times I was told to leave, and all I was doing in the room was chanting," he said.

The De Anza Associated Stu- dent Body Senate and the Inter- Club Council supported the idea of a peace room, and both par- ties signed the endorsements last spring.

However, the Council version of endorsement conflicts with the Senate's version.

ICC's definition of a peace room is "a room for meditation, contemplation, chanting and prayer," McDonough said.

But the senate does not include the word "prayer."

Finding a location is another factor slowing down the process.

Donna Jones-Dulin, director of College Services, said if the student could obtain an addition- al space in the Campus Center, the De Anza Associated Student Body and the Inter-Club Council may progress with the idea.

"The campus is all tied-up with construction," McDonough said. "It may take two or three years before we see a peace room on campus ... we are making an ef- fort now for the sake of the future generation of De Anza Students.

Students with different reli- gious backgrounds have said they are concerned about possible reli- gious conflicts if the peace room is created.

Ruth Rabin, a TV and Film student, said religion does not be- long on campus.

"Education and religion should not mix," she said. "If you want to pray, go to an appropriate venue."

But some students don't see a problem with a peace room.

"I don't see why not," said So- heil Rezaee, a journalism major. "Religion is important to most people's daily lives."

In the Student Body Senate meeting on May 2, McDonough will speak during the public com- ment session and bring up his idea about the peace room again.

"I want to get it on the agenda, so the committee can vote," he said.