‘ ‘ ‘ On the third floor of the William Pitt Union, tucked into a corner at the end of a… ‘ ‘ ‘ On the third floor of the William Pitt Union, tucked into a corner at the end of a hallway, a room is set aside for peace. ‘ ‘ ‘ The room is bare, except for a chalkboard decorated with announcements and lines in both Arabic and English sprawled at the top. ‘ ‘ ‘ In Islam, it is important that prayer be done in a minimalist setting, one that’s simple, clean and lacks pictures. The room in the Union is just that. Aside from chairs lined up against the walls, the room overlooking the quad has nothing else. ‘ ‘ ‘ Welcome to the Muslim Student Association’s prayer room, a space used solely for prayer, reflection and meditation. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There was a demand for this [room],’ said the association’s president, Melek Yazici. ‘Before, we had to pray in hallways or empty classrooms ‘mdash; if we could find one. We didn’t like to pray in front of people in hallways.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Followers of Islamic faith pray five times each day. This can pose a problem for students running to and from classes, Yazici said. They might not be able to travel back to their room to pray privately each day. The new prayer room provides a place for students to stop at their convenience, between the hours of noon and 5 p.m. daily. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Some students can’t get to the mosque, it was important to have something on campus,’ said Yazici, a senior who says the group is grateful to have its own space. ‘ ‘ While the room has minimal decor, pious followers bring their own prayer rugs, but the room is carpeted for those without them. ‘ ‘ ‘ Marked on the right side of the chalkboard, visitors will see the Qiblah, the direction to face while praying. During prayer, the members of Islam face Mecca, an Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia. In 301 William Pitt Union, the Qiblah happens to face northeast, toward the Cathedral of Learning. ‘ ‘ Yazici said she stopped by the room three days a week to pray last semester. Students can use the room at their own convenience, she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Because Islam follows a lunar calendar, prayer times change in accordance with the sun’s position. In the winter, the room is open for two of the five prayer times: noon and early evening. ‘ ‘ ‘ Yazici said both devout Muslim and converts on campus have used the room. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There were some students from Saudi Arabia that were interested, as well as a few girls from Malaysia,’ said Yazici. ‘ ‘ ‘ But the room is open to everyone. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s important to know you don’t have to be a Muslim to use the room,’ said Yazici. ‘You can pray, meditate, whatever.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Sultan Ghuman, a Pitt sophomore at Pitt and Muslim Student Association member, said he uses the room about once a day. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The mosque is a 15-minute walk away and it’s better to pray there, but the Union is easier than walking to my room,’ said Ghuman. ‘Last year I would walk all the way to Lothrop to pray in my room.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ He also said the room is excellent for commuters who might not be able to go home during the afternoon. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Word hasn’t really gotten around about it yet and some people think it’s a hassle, but I think it’s a good idea,’ said Ghuman. ‘Carnegie Mellon has a prayer room. I think it’s important for a school this size.” ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Ghuman also said that it only takes about two minutes for him to pray, so he usually gets the room to himself. Other students might stop by at different times within the afternoon prayer intervals. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Yazici said she hopes that in the future, the association will use the room for congregation or group prayer. ‘ ‘ ‘ Some people, Yazici said, can use the room to learn about the Islamic religion. Yazici recommends stopping by to ask questions. If visitors try not to distract from prayer or walk in front of people praying, it’s OK to talk, she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘People are afraid of something they don’t know, especially at this time people have a lot of questions,’ said Yazici. ‘The best way to find out is to ask a Muslim.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt’s Muslim Student Association has between 150 and 200 active members, but about 450 people on its mailing list. This includes graduate students.