Penn State Erie debates prayer at graduation

Prayer is not always a welcome addition to graduation ceremonies for some students at Penn State Erie.

Rob Cobourne, the caucus director for Penn State Erie, said prayer at graduation is something the campus has been looking into for a long time and has recently been discussed at Erie's Student Government Association meetings.

"An overwhelming amount of students have voiced their concerns about it," Cobourne said.

At the recent convocation ceremony in August to celebrate the formal opening of the academic year, both student speakers used prayer, said Christopher Reber, dean of student affairs at Penn State Erie.

Reber said although he hears a few complaints from time to time, he believes the vast majority of students feel comfortable with having prayer and he agrees with prayer at graduation.

"We invite two outstanding students to give brief welcoming and concluding remarks at all our graduation and convocation ceremonies, and if they choose to write prayers in their remarks, they are able to do that," Reber said. "We told them to give opening and closing remarks -- we're not telling them to or not to mention religion."

- Ryan Bowers (sophomore-earth and mineral sciences)

Stickney didn't realize that some students could have been offended by his use of prayer in his speech.

"If it really is bothering people to the point where they're extremely unhappy then I say ban it, but on the other hand banning it would lead toward censorship," Stickney said.

Cobourne had mixed feelings on whether he thought the campus should follow through with having prayer at graduation.

"If it's something that the students aren't for, the students shouldn't be made to do it, but on the other hand, they can't ignore the minority by automatically saying no to it," Cobourne said.

Penn State Erie students had different perspectives on whether prayer should be used at the campus's graduation.

Ryan Bowers (sophomore-earth and mineral sciences) said he agreed with having prayer at graduation.

"People who don't believe in prayer at graduation should keep their opinion to themselves and not bother people who believe in it," Bowers said.

But Brian Kitchen (senior-English) said he opposes prayer at graduation because he is not religiously affiliated with any denomination.

- Michael Zampetti, SGA president of Penn State Erie

Michael Zampetti, SGA president of Penn State Erie, said he is against having prayer at graduation.

"Nobody should have to listen to a prayer of something that they don't believe in," Zampetti said.
He suggested a possible compromise to students who are for and against prayer.

"A good compromise would be that every year, the senior class votes on whether or not their should be a prayer, moment of silence, or nothing," Zampetti said.

Christa Buchholz, SGA senator, thinks students should have more of an input on what is done at graduation.

"If enough students don't want it we should get rid of it," Buchholz said. "The students should decide whether we have prayer or not because it's the seniors' ceremony," she said.