Members of Student Senate voted to approve a Ramadan Accommodation Proposal aimed at supporting Luther’s Muslim students during a general meeting on February 15.

The proposal was created by the Student Senate Religious Accommodations and Food Provisions Ad Hoc Committee during the Fall 2023 semester. Academic Committee Team Lead Rachel Jorgensen (‘26) explained to the rest of the Senate that the purpose of the committee was to put together a program that meets the needs of Luther’s Muslim students during Ramadan. The committee’s proposal centered on “food accessibility, transparency and acknowledgement.”

“There’s been efforts in the past done by [Campus Pastor Melissa Bills] and also run by the college, which have been really, really big steps,” Jorgensen said. “We need to continue to build on those, acknowledging the great things we’ve already done and then continuing to improve them for our students and for our community.

Luther students were surveyed by the Committee during Fall semester for their opinion on Luther’s current religious accommodation efforts. The committee writes in the proposal that “inaccessible halal options in the cafeteria impacts the lives of Muslim students year-round” and includes multiple anonymous statements that were submitted in the Fall survey.

“If the caf shifts all of its meat to halal meat, the big number of Muslims on campus will be able to fulfill their dietary requirements and also taste what they have had their whole life,” one anonymous student wrote.

The proposal recommends that meals be coordinated by Sodexo and campus volunteers, with additional support from community members during spring break, when Luther meal services are reduced. It also proposes additional accommodations, such as transportation options to a mosque in Postville, Iowa for prayer opportunities.

The proposal was moved to a vote by Jorgensen and seconded by Junior Class Representative Abby Weidt (‘25), before being unanimously approved. Jorgensen and the committee are planning to take the proposal to other individuals and groups in Luther administration, and hope for all Ramadan plans to be finalized by February 28.

In addition, President Jaraad Afroze Ahmed (‘25) and Vice President Natalie Neff (‘24) informed senators that meetings will be livestreamed and recorded going forward. The Senate Executive Board had previously been collaborating with Luther Multimedia Lead Jay Raabe to discuss recording logistics.

“Basically the main caveat was we don’t want to record the meetings and have them sit in a hard drive for the next 20 years,” Ahmed said. “It was definitely very productive.”

Raabe was scheduled to present at the meeting but did not attend. The meetings will be live streamed on Zoom, and links can be found in the Bulletin and on the Student Senate website.

Neff additionally announced that the Legends Center Dress Code Proposal was approved by the Athletic Department “with minor adjustments.” She was not allowed to disclose what changes had been made to the proposal, but was able to say that it will now be passed to Luther’s Senior Leadership Council for approval.

Meanwhile, Campus Betterment Team Lead Jύlia da Silva Moreno (‘26) and Diversity Representative for Gender and Sexuality Tina Ngakeni (‘26) officially changed the focus of their Ad Hoc committee from Luther summer storage to student transportation. They are hoping this change will benefit international students who don’t have their own vehicles, or for anyone that “needs a break from Luther from time to time.”

“[The goal is to have] a bus or some vans going to different cities, different towns for the weekend [to] take people shopping and other things,” Ngakeni said. “[The committee will] focus on that and see how it goes, and put summer storage [on hold] and focus on something new that everyone will be interested in.”

Student Senate will next meet on February 22 at 9:45 a.m. They will be visited by Reverend Lamont Wells, who is the executive director of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU).