The Muslim Student Association appealed to Student Council Tuesday night at Council’s last meeting of the semester about its assigned office space but ultimately failed to obtain a new space.
The MSA originally was granted a space in the Lambeth Field area by a space allocation committee within Student Council, although it requested an office in Newcomb Hall.
When requesting office space, contracted independent organizations rank rooms in order of preference, and all those ranked by the MSA are currently occupied by the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Inter-Sorority Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Each of these organizations sent representatives to speak at the appeal.
The representatives all said the nature of Greek organizations necessitates spaces to hold last-minute meetings and places to store important and confidential documents that often date back several decades, making it difficult to even share the office space with the MSA.
“It’s not that we’re not willing to share,” NPHC President Isaac Bawuah said. “We just don’t want to run the risk of leaking those confidential files. It can’t just be stuck in a filing cabinet and locked.”
IFC President Charles Gamper also said it is important for these groups to retain their current offices, especially when the governing board conducts investigations or addresses other pressing issues.
“Our office in Newcomb is absolutely essential,” ISC President Kelly McLaughlin said, adding that changing their space allocation would impact the more than 2,000 members of the ISC.
MSA Secretary Sumaira Javed said the MSA had similar needs, noting that the organization wants a space closer to Central Grounds to allow members to conveniently confer with an MSA officer to discuss any personal concerns, like roommate issues. The location at Lambeth Field will inhibit its ability to thrive as an organization, she added.
“A lot of first-years don’t know where Lambeth is, so they wouldn’t come to us as readily,” she said. “We want a room in Newcomb for accessibility for students.”
Javed added the MSA needs a space for members to express their thoughts, adding that members currently must arrange private meetings with members in open spaces, which is not ideal when members need to discuss sensitive topics.
Vice President for Organizations Colin Hood noted that MSA’s case is not unique among CIOs because of the limited availability of office space on Grounds.
“There’s just not enough space for all organizations,” Hood said. “It’s just not feasible.”
Vice President of Administration Nikhil Panda added that he did not believe the MSA’s current office space would inhibit its ability to grow as an organization.
“I don’t see the office space in Lambeth as a direct hurdle to your expansion,” he said.
MSA’s office will remain in Lambeth Field, while the IFC, ISC and NPHC will retain their current offices on the third floor of Newcomb Hall.
—compiled by Jane Ma
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