Posted on 01/31/2002 10:06:05 AM PST by GeneralHavoc
Catholic Students Forbidden To Attend March for Life
1/30/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VILLANOVA, PA- Can professors at a Catholic university punish pro-life students for attending the annual March for Life? A new debate is brewing at Villanova University.
Students faced opposition and punishments from their professors at the Catholic university for trying to attend the annual March for Life in Washington D.C., forcing some to miss the January 22nd event.
"[My professor] told me I shouldn't go, it would be an unexcused absence, and I would get a zero for the day," said a female nursing major, who's professor was "dead set" against her going and warned of a punishment report if she missed class. Fearing further repercussions from their professors, the students interviewed did not want to be identified. "As a Catholic school we should be supporting the March for Life... I was a little naive. I assumed she would say 'go for it.'"
"[My professor] told me I should concentrate more on my academics and less on my extracurricular activities," said a male freshman also wishing to remain anonymous, whose Core Humanities professor talked him out of attending the event. "She really thought I shouldn't go."
"Unlike any teacher that we had before, we were punished with a paper," a female student told the Villanova Times student newspaper.
"Two of my closest friends...were unable to come because a professor did not consider the March for Life to be an excused absence," said a male Sophomore.
[M]y hallmate was unable to attend because her professor would not let her get out of lab," stated another student. "Around five students told me they couldn't get out of class."
According to the Catalog of Undergraduate Studies and Office of Academic Affairs, professors can punish students with extra work and refuse to excuse absences for those attending the March.
"For students beyond the first year, attendance policies are determined by the instructors of the various courses," states the Catalog. "Enforcement of such attendance policies lies with those instructors."
"Strict policies on class attendance that don't allow room for important experiences like the March for Life aren't indicative of a Catholic educational mission that allows for the development of the 'whole person'," said Patrick Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society, an organization seeking to renew religious identity at Catholic Universities. "One might expect a Catholic institution to be especially flexible when it comes to major events that express core Catholic beliefs."
"The students I interviewed were shocked that Catholic university professors would punish them for attending a national pro-life event," said Villanova Times founder Chris Lilik. "It is interesting that pro-abortion NOW legal defense fund board member Patricia Williams's speech would be sponsored by Villanova's administration the day after Catholic University professors prevent pro-lifers from attending the March for Life."
"One would expect professors teaching at an institution purporting to defend Catholic virtues to endorse the March for Life," stated Bryan J. Auchterlonie, University Journalism Program Director at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. "Evidently, Villanova professors believe students should pursue extra-curricular activities that conform to professors' dictates."
"I'm disappointed that some professors are the primary reason why students decide not to come, because they will not excuse the absence," concluded Villanovans for Life vice-president Colleen O'Boyle.
Contact Information:
Patrick Reilly, President, Cardinal Newman Society (703) 536-9585 Preilly@cardinalnewmansociety.org Patrick Reilly
Bryan Auchterlonie Intercollegiate Studies Institute (302) 652-4600 ex 113 bauchter@isi.org Bryan Auchterlonie
Chris Lilik, Villanova Times founder, 610-581-5514, 570-498-8731(cell) chrislilik@hotmail.com Chris Lilik
Colleen O'Boyle, Vice President of Villanovans for Life (610) 581-2896 colleen.oboyle@villanova.edu Colleen O'Boyle
Villanova University President Father Dobbin (610) 519-4511 edobbin@email.villanova.edu Father Dobbin
One would expect. But then, one would expect to have to attend classes when one is at college. The students should have organized their own march to be held outside of class hours.
Not that I don't understand how you all feel, but I didn't take days off when I was in school. It's hard enough to graduate with good grades as it is.
Shalom.
Betcha any kids who went to the School of the Americas protests got excused absences and special recognition from their professors. That's at least what happens at Regis U-Denver.
Hundreds from PA and NJ, including more than 80 students from Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr Colleges, over 40 from Villanova and Drexel Universities, 28 organized by the White Dog Café (Phila), 25 from the Princeton Theological Seminary, more than 15 from St. Vincent's Church (in Germantown), and many more from religious orders, churches, schools, and labor unions traveled to Ft. Benning to commemorate the lives of those killed by SOA graduates and to oppose the School of the Americas.Source
I never said that, you must be quoting from someone else.
One would expect. But then, one would expect to have to attend classes when one is at college. The students should have organized their own march to be held outside of class hours.
Registering as full-time students is equivalent to signing away God-Given Rights?
Not that I don't understand how you all feel, but I didn't take days off when I was in school. It's hard enough to graduate with good grades as it is.
DORK!... Sorry, I meant to say God Bless You All.
And the funny thing about Kwanzaa is that it doesn't exist in Africa. I have a friend from West Africa and he tells me there is NO such holiday there.
As a Catholic Institution, Villanova both emphasizes the values of the Christian humanistic tradition and concerns itself with all value systems. The University attempts to develop an environment in which students, faculty and staff may experience a Christian intellectual and moral perspective, believing that the teachings of the Catholic faith are applicable in every area of human activity
"...the teachings of the Catholic faith are applicable in every area of human activity."
At my law school the professors never took attendance, but during our first year you were expected to be in class and well-prepared. By second year, things were much more relaxed. Then, one semester, a black female professor from some southern law school took a visiting teaching post. She shocked everyone by taking attendance, assigning written homework and giving interim quizzes, even in upper-level courses. When she taught her first class, she called on a third-year student in the customary socratic fashion. The student replied, "Pass," which meant the student was unprepared and ordinarily resulted in the professor simply calling on someone else. But not this visiting professor. "This ain't no game show!" she fired back. "You don't pass in my classroom, you play!" No one was ever caught unprepared in one of her classes after that.
It is absurd that a faith-based university would not enable students to participate in rallies 'decrying abortion', especially considering the Pope's message.
The principal reason the pro-life movement has made so little progress over the last 30 years is because we are hopelessly idle, indifferent, timid, and perpetually on defense of the unacceptable status quo instead of offense.
I don't care if we are demonized. At some point we have to deal with the disapproval of the pro-aborts and stand up against this abomination before our country collapses.
The teachings of MY Catholic faith say that kids are to be in school when school is in session.
If you want to march, do it on the weekend.
I find the Catholic church universities and most any group that claims to speak for them to be so unredeemable.
All this from some of the most devote people I have known. Kinda like unions not really speaking for their members.
I appreciate that you took the time to explain what YOUR Catholic faith dictates. I had no idea you were Catholic, actually. It's interesting to learn that you believe that faith has a place in (at least some) Catholic schools, but attendance is most important.
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