A chapel that sits alone and typically unoccupied in the middle of campus will soon be renovated to accommodate the needs of all religious practices.

Built in 1965, Grace Memorial Chapel opened to students of all religious and spiritual beliefs. Decades later, many consider the chapel to be a predominately Christian-based structure because other faiths have difficulty worshiping in a space filled with pews.

Interfaith is an area in which Student Body President Matthew Conklin and Student Body Vice President Brandon Baltzell vouched for since running for election last spring.

“The idea behind this project is to create a faith-neutral flexible environment to all religions,” Conklin said in an article published by the Sunflower in February. “We want students on campus to feel like they can practice their religions in the chapel like it was originally intended.”

President Bardo approved the proposal with a formal letter sent to Conklin on March 23 detailing plans in reconstituting the chapel.

The efforts made by Conklin to instill “interfaith” among the WSU community are commendable. It is inclusive of all walks of life, and individuals are free to practice their spiritual traditions on campus in a safe environment.

With an increasing rate of diversity among the WSU community, it’s necessary to accommodate for all religious and spiritual traditions. Each student, faculty and staff deserves an inclusive community that can stand united as one institution.

 In furthering Bardo’s Innovation Campus, we need to evolve as community and become a campus that people of all backgrounds can call home. This renovation is a small step among other projects taking place to further the advancement of the university on a global scale.

— For the editorial board, Danielle Prewitt