Club creates stir
Professor says Christian Club crossed the line
Joshua A. Washburn
Issue date: 3/10/04 Section: News
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After having students from his pop culture class complain, English Professor Steve Olson sent out a mass e-mail questioning the validity of the activities sponsored by the Christian Club. His students voiced their distaste for some of the content that was distributed at the clubs pre-Valentine lecture on "Relationships, Romance and Sex," presented by Karen Farris of Care Net Pregnancy Centers.
"A number of my students are Christian and even they felt the literature handed out was out of line," Olson said. "The pamphlets involved anti-homosexual and anti-abortion material, and it goes against the promotion of tolerance."
Christian Club Facilitator Francis Kyle said that although the event was clearly advertised as a Christian Club event, they were not out to push belief on anybody.
"We told people they were free to pick up literature on the back table," Kyle said. "This information was to let people attending the lecture know how the club stands on issues in society."
Olson says that he is a big supporter of free speech, but the Christian Club seems to have crossed the line with advertising by college e-mail and in staff mail boxes.
"If they want to invite the community to meetings, that's fine." Olson said. "But using e-mail to disseminate anti-messages is inappropriate, offensive and should be illegal."
Director of Athletic and Student Services, Rick Ross said that he is the one that is in charge of posting club activities via mass mail. He said that it is his job to assist all student organizations with their activities and events.
"Even though some people don't think this is the proper venue for their club activities, that's not my call," said Ross. " In an ideal world, a college would have the kind of climate that would embrace a free exchange of ideas." Ross said.
Olson said that the message the Christian club is spreading is intolerance for people who do not share their own beliefs, and that goes against the openness of a college campus.
Kyle said that the club has done nothing but show it's support for the campus and is probably the most active club on campus.
"We have gone over and beyond as a club here at Peninsula College," Kyle said. " We are only exercising our freedom of speech, not discriminating."