Issue 4 • Volume 125 Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018 www.thesandspur.org
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When religious beliefs and discrimination collide By Ellie Rushing
erushing@rollins.edu
An evangelical Christian group, who was denied last spring to be a student organization, has re-applied to join campus. They were denied out of concerns that their organization’s values prevent gay people from becoming campus leaders, which is a violation of the college’s non-discrimination policy. President Grant Cornwell is considering whether to allow the Orlando-based Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, to become a registered student organization. “I’m still in search of a process that will allow us to openly listen to all of the stakeholders,” said Cornwell. Cru submitted an application to be a registered student organization last spring; however, the Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement denied their application because Cru’s requirements for student leaders do not align with Rollins’ non-discrimination policy. Abby Hollern, director of the Center for Inclusion and
Campus Involvement, said that during her department’s meeting with Cru last spring, the students were asked if a gay person could be a leader and they said no. “We want student organizations to be here, they just have to abide by the non-discrimination policy,” Hollern said. From there, Cru took their application to Cornwell. Cornwell said he met with members of Cru, members of Spectrum, an LGBTQ organization, faculty and administrators to discuss bringing Cru on campus. “I do think the non-discrimination policy has merit,” said Cornwell. “Maybe it isn’t perfectly worded, but the sentiments and principles are core to our mission and very important to me. But at the same time, it does trouble me that we have groups of Christian students who want to identify as such and pursue the study of their faith but that they have to do so off-campus because we don’t formally recognize their organization. That just doesn’t feel right to me. A truly inclusive campus should also be inclusive of all faith traditions.”
According to Cornwell, many think that formally recognizing Cru as a campus organization would require changing the non-discrimination policy. “On this account, I would have to change the status quo. If I do nothing, then the current policy stands,” he said. Others on campus are very concerned with the potential
O
sbrown2@rollins.edu
ne in five women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. In eight out of 10 cases, the victim knows the perpetrator, but Bethany England (‘20) did not. It was a Saturday night, and England, a freshman at the time, was studying at her favorite restaurant on Park Avenue. She was casually drinking when a man nearly 30 years older than her approached her and slipped a drug into her drink. Later that evening, that man followed England back to her dorm room and assaulted her. The next few months would be emotionally harrowing and
difficult to endure. “Waking up each morning was one of the hardest parts,” she said. “Getting out of bed was difficult.” “Whenever I smelled my assaulter’s cologne, it induced panic attacks. One day I fought so hard to get to class but when I smelled the cologne on someone walking past me, I had to turn around and go home. I couldn’t do it,” she said. Despite this immense difficulty, England channeled her experience into advocacy. She said that sharing her story has not been easy, but it has been necessary in breaking the stigmas of shame and guilt that are often associated with sexual assault and trauma.
‣ See ENGLAND Page 6
“You don’t get to say, ‘We don’t discriminate’ and then say, ‘Oh, you can discriminate.’ It’s one or the other.” As one of the largest Christian organizations in the United States, Cru has active groups on 2,300 campuses.
‣ See CRU Page 6
Knowles Memorial Chapel is a central part of Rollins.Now, religion has become a touchy cubject (Carolina Skillman / Staff Photographer)
Overcoming assault: Survivor to advocate By Sydney Brown
changes. “I have no issue with Christian groups at all,” said Dr. Jill Jones, associate professor of English. “I do have an issue with a Rollins student group getting our actual support in discriminating against any student who genuinely wants to be a part of that group.” “I don’t think you get to have it both ways,” Jones said.
Lockdown shows security strengths By Ellie Rushing
erushing@rollins.edu
Bethany England is a junior at Rollins. (Curtis Shaffer/ Staff Photographer)
Rollins students were in a “shelter in place” lockdown for almost two hours after a man was shot on Orange Avenue next to the Rollins Alfond baseball stadium, less than a mile from campus. Monday’s lockdown felt all too familiar for students, who experienced a similar event in March when Campus Safety sent out an R-Alert saying there was an active shooter on campus. Panic was unveiled. Some students locked themselves in closets, while others were forced to flee their buildings after classroom doors did not have locks. While it wasn’t related to that incident, over the summer, Campus Safety took measures to heighten campus security. With
the help of the campus locksmith, they surveyed all classrooms, student study spaces, and office suits to ensure they could be locked. “We have addressed... just about every area we had listed or that community members had reached out to us about,” said Ken Miller, vice president of public safety. “There certainly are a few outstanding areas that are physically challenging on a campus that is more than 130 years old and with a distinctive architectural style. In some situations, if the area is unable to be secured, we are designating places of refuge for entire floors or smaller buildings that will afford some level of protection,” Miller said.
‣ See R-ALERT Page 3