My freshmen year, I probably would have sharply disagreed with you about Chapel being optional, but 3 years of being subjected to day after day of childish behavior and blatant disrespect for this school, the students of this school and the beliefs both hold has brought me to this frustrated solution.

I agree, Chapel should be mandatory, but not because it is an infringement upon the rights of people who don’t want to be there.

It should be optional because those of us who come to for the community and the opportunity to worship our maker are sick and tired of our fellow students acting like children.

Over and over I hear people complain that the University should treat us like adults and not make us go to Chapel. To that I say, people who can’t sit through 30 minutes of something that, while unimportant to them, is vastly important to others without being a distraction and showing open disdain for what is happening are not adults and don’t deserve to be treated as such. Adults don’t whine and kick their feet when things don’t go their way, and that is exactly what the behavior of you so called “Chapel complainers” is.

It is a testament to how frustrated I am that I would be willing to let you walk away with smug looks on your faces thinking you have accomplished some great victory, but the truth of the matter is, I am tired of you making it harder and harder to meet God in a place specifically designed for it.

I want to be able to worship my Lord and not have to turn to the people behind me and ask them to be quiet during a prayer. I want Chapel to once again reflect what I believe to be the true heart of the student body of this school, a heart that humbly and gratefully worships a good and loving God, and doesn’t find 30 minutes a day nearly enough to express what they feel about him.

Grant Overman
Junior youth & family ministry major from Suwanee, Ga.