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     The Student Voice   Issue 4, No. 4   1.24.1997
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     354+ Readers
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     WARNING: This newsletter is only for open and objectively-
     minded people.  It may contain content that challenges your 
     core beliefs and values about PCC.  Be careful.

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     Who We Are:

The Student Voice is a weekly, on-line commentary and editorial page about
the problems that are prevalent at Pensacola Christian College.  As an
institution that considers itself at the pinnacle of true Christianity, PCC
ought to be willing to back up its practices with Scripture, but
unfortunately, when one compares the "system" of PCC with true Christianity,
PCC falls far short.  Our purpose is three-fold:

(1) To provide public exposure regarding the practices at PCC;
(2) To compare PCC dogma with Scriptural principle, generally accepted
societal behavior, and the law of reason; 
(3) By bringing about this exposure, to see PCC make some positive changes in
the areas of discipline, communication with parents and students, church
practice, ethical behavior, and educational philosophy.

Acts 17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures
daily, whether those things were so."

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     QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."
     - Thomas Jefferson 

"Men are not open to truth or reason.  They cannot be reached by rational
argument.  The mind is powerless against them.  Yet we have to deal with
them.  If we want to accomplish anything, we have to deceive them into
letting us accomplish it.  Or force them.  They understand nothing else.  We
cannot expect their support for any endeavor of the intellect, for any goal
of the spirit.  They are nothing but vicious animals.  They are greedy,
self-indulgent, predatory dollar-chasers. . . ."
     - Dr. Stadler to Dagny Taggert, from ATLAS SHRUGGED, Ayn Rand

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their
minds 
cannot change anything."
     - George Bernard Shaw

"But on those occasions where you've really been mistreated, action is called
for."
     - Tony Pittarese, PCC professor, from his Business Page

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     TABLE OF CONTENTS

   Page 1.
   I.  Voice Announcements
   II.  Correction
   III.  More Thoughts On Fear, by A.W. Tozur
   IV.  Essays
          "Standardless Standards: PCC's Ultimate 'Law' "  by Paul S. Perdue

   Page 2.
   V.  Your Comments
   VI.  Have You Heard The One About. . . ?

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     I.   VOICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

>>> If you would like any copies of back issues, please let us know. However,
we would ask that you limit your request to 2 issues per request in order for
us to be more efficient.  Once you have received the two issues, then please
feel free to request 2 more.  Here is a list of Voice issues and other
information:

          The Student Voice Introductory Letter
          Transcript of Dr. Horton's comments made about The Student Voice
          Issue 1, Nos. 1 - 4
          Issue 2, Nos. 1 - 5
          Issue 3, No. 1 ("Rules Compilation," Version 1)
          Issue 3, Nos. 2 - 3
          Issue 4, Nos. 1 - 3

>>> We are in the process of putting together an "official" web page where
back issues, the Rules Compilation and other interesting information will be
displayed.  Please stay tuned.

>>> If you do not wish to receive The Student Voice, please drop us an e-mail
and let us know.  If you know of someone who would be interested in receiving
The Student Voice, let us know.

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     II.   CORRECTION

In last week's edition of The Voice we printed a story in the "Have You Heard
The One About. . .?" section about a missionary couple that we have come to
learn from  the individual who sent us the story that it contained some
factual innacuracies.  We apologize for this misstatement, and we will be
pulling the story from further issues that we send out to those requesting
back issues.

The following is the letter from the individual who sent us the original
story:

<< Regarding the story of the missionary couple I sent to you that was
printed in last weeks issue of the Voice.  In several e-mail replies I
have been informed that there were some aspects of the story which I had
not yet known about.  Although I still do not believe the actions of the
college in this incident to be God honoring I would like to sincerely
apologize for not getting all the facts before sending the story to you. 
I reassured the Voice that the story was true when I hadn't received all
the facts, and that is my fault alone.  The Voice was not responsible for
this story in any way.  Neither did the missionary couple mentioned in
the story or her sister have anything to do with  it.  I did not lie.  I
had no desire to make a false representation of the events that occured,
but it was my responsibility to check it out more thoroughly which I
didn't.  Although as said before I still do not believe the acts of the
college to be God honoring in this situation.  Thank you. >>

We regret any confusion - The Editors.

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     III.  MORE THOUGHTS ON FEAR

[From a selection of the book, OF GOD AND MEN, by A.W. Tozur]

     Carnal fear may take either of two opposite directions. It may make us
afraid to do what we know we should do, or not to do what we have reason to
think people expect us to do.
     There is a foolish consistency which brings us into bondage to the
consciences of other people. Our Christian testimony has created a certain
expectation in the minds of our friends, and rather than jeopardize our
standing with them we dutifully act in accordance with their expectations
even though we have no personal conviction about the matter. We are simply
afraid not to do what we know they expected us to do. This morality by public
pressure is not pure morality at all. At best it is a timid righteousness of
doubtful parentage; at worst it is the child of
weakness and fear. A free Christian should act from within with a total
disregard for the opinions of others. If a course is right he should take it
because it is right, not because he is afraid not to take it. And if it is
wrong he should avoid it though he lose every earthly treasure and even his
very life as a consequence.
     Fear of the opinion of the group tends to regiment the members of
denominations and churches and force them into a cooky-cutter uniformity. The
desire to stand well within our won circle of religious friends destroys
originality and makes imitators of us. Various churches have their approved
experiences, their religious accents, even their accepted religious tones;
these become standard for the group and are to the local fellowship what
circumcision was to Israel, a ceremonial token of
acceptance into the clan.
     The great fault in all this is that it shifts the life motivation from
within to without, from God to our fellow man. Any act done because we are
afraid not to do it is of the same moral quality as the act that is not done
because we are afraid to do it. Fear, not love and faith, dictates the
conduct, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
     The way to escape this double snare is simple. Make a complete surrender
to God; love Him with all your heart and love every man for His sake.
Determine to obey your own convictions as they crystallize within you as a
result of unceasing prayer and constant study of the Scriptures. After that
you may ignore the expectations of your friends as well as the criticisms of
your enemies. You will experience first the shocked surprise of the
regimented army of lock-step believers, then their grudging admiration; and
if you continue to walk the way of love and courage they may take heart from
your example, throw off the bondage of fear and go forth as ransomed
men and women to walk in the sweet liberty wherewith Christ has made them
free.

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     IV.   ESSAYS

"Standardless Standards: PCC's Ultimate 'Law' " 
Part 1
By: Paul S. Perdue

     Imagine living in a society where the posted speed limits were not set
out in definable numbers; rather, they were posted in terms like "Do Not
Drive Too Fast" or "It Is Illegal To Drive Faster Than What Is Safe To Drive
On This Road."  If you were to be driving along the highway, and these were
the types of signs you saw, how would you determine how fast or how slow to
drive? (Some of us would continue as we always have, but this is beside the
point. . . .)  What is "too fast"?  What is "safe"?  Or more importantly,
what does the highway patrolman think?  These are questions that could not be
answered until you had broken someone else's subjective interpretation of
these posted "speed limits." In our society, however, this has been
determined to be unacceptable public policy.  Why?  Because for an act to be
punishable by the proper authorities, people need to know precisely what that
act is.
     Imagine a plan of salvation that required us to live "good" lives in
order to obtain redemption, a plan that did not set out any other
requirements than that we must do what is "right."  How would we know what
was "good" or what was "right"?  What sort of life would we have to live?
 How would we ever enjoy life knowing that maybe our life was not "good"
enough.  This would be left to each of our own finite and certainly less than
divine subjective interpretation.  This would be left to speculation and
determination at a time when "life" would no longer be capable of redemption.
 Fortunately for our eternal souls, God has given us exact standards by which
we can know we are saved (see the book of Romans).
     This sounds quite far-fetched, and most of us can easily discern the
problems and difficulties it would be to maintain such systems of vague and
undefinable "standards," yet these are precisely the principles that are used
to govern the "community" at PCC.  The PCC system contains few real
"standards" for students to be able to rely upon.  There are few actual
"rules" at PCC, and leave it to The Student Voice to be the only one willing
to maintain such a statement. 
     A "standard" is a "means of DETERMINING what a thing should be; a
DEFINITE rule, MEASURE or principle established by authority; something set
up as AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW."  (emphasis added)   A "rule" is a "prescribed
GUIDE for conduct or action."  (emphasis added)  Inherent in these two
concepts are (1) a definiteness by which one knows what the bounds of that
required or prohibited conduct are and (2) something that remains fairly
constant and predictable.
     PCC, of course, prides itself on its "standards" and its "rules," but
those same guidelines which the school often incorrectly describes as
"standards" and "rules" are often nothing more than open-ended, undefined
"values" that no student can be reasonably expected to understand, predict
and measure his or her actions by.  Yet these same nebulous "values" are what
is often used to sanction students and even to expel them from school.  This,
folks, is unjust.
     One of the more specific goals of The Voice is to see PCC get rid of its
current Student Handbook (although that is somewhat of a misnomer), and to
replace it with a comprehensive Handbook that contains every single rule,
defined and proscribed as such, so that each student, parent, faculty member
and staff member will know exactly what behavior is and what is not required.
 This essay is one in a series of essays that will go through the current
Student Handbook and point out the problems and difficulties that need to be
dealt with, and we will offer solutions to these problems so that no more
students will be expelled on only the whims and unsubstantiated notions of
the administration.
     In our society, there is a concept known as the Principle of Legality
(also sometimes referred to as the Rule of Lenity).  This principle stands
for the proposition that no person will be convicted of a crime and punished
for something that is not specifically laid out in statutory form.  In other
words, if conduct is not prohibited by  a written law that is clear and
specific, no citizen can be punished for it, regardless of how "bad" it is.

"The same point may be put in terms of the relation of law to morals.  That
the criminal law derives from moral values cannot be doubted; some notion of
right and wrong necessarily underlies the decision of what to punish.  The
principle of legality, however, does not identify which values the penal law
should seek to enforce; it merely specifies the appropriate way to make that
decision.  In other words, the principle of legality asserts that certain
constraints on the process of crime definition are essential to the ethical
integrity of the criminal law as a system of rules, and it seeks to maintain
those constraints without regard to the content of the rules chosen.  Today,
few would dispute the desirability in principle of advance legislative
specification of criminal conduct."
[CRIMINAL LAW, 2nd edition.  Low, Peter W.; Jeffries, John Calvin; & Bonnie,
Richard J. Foundation Press, p. 34].

     The rest of our society has recognized the principle that it is not good
to have restricted conduct that is unknown, and "standards" which are vague
and thereby difficult to follow.  Why cannot PCC understand this?  Well, it
is true that someone who is able to maintain a society with this type of
vague authority will have much more control, because the general population
will always be in fear of violating the authority's view of its own vague
values, particularly those whose minds are willing to intellectually
challenge conventional thinking and are thus unwilling to simply follow the
pack as if beckoned by the mere thought of more green grass beyond the next
stream.  Control, of course, is very important to those in charge at PCC, no
one would deny that, and the best way to keep the most control over its
subjects is to stay away from precisely defined standards of conduct.
     Let us first start out this series by examining the ultimate "standard,"
a standard which is, oddly enough, not even printed in the Student Handbook.
 So, while the administration will tell the students to read the Handbook
carefully as it lays out the "rules" and "guidelines" for the students to
follow, they will nevertheless expel students based on the "ultimate" law
which is not even in the Student Handbook!  
     This "rule" is stated in the front of the college catalogue, and it
states, in part:

"Attendance at Pensacola Christian College is a privilege and not a right.
 Students forfeit this privilege if they do not CONFORM TO THE STANDARDS AND
IDEALS of work and life of the College, and the College may insist on the
withdrawal of a student at any time that the student, IN THE OPINION OF THE
COLLEGE, does not CONFORM TO THE SPIRIT OF THE MINISTRY." (emphasis added)

     This should be an insult to the intelligence, integrity and common sense
of every student who has ever walked through the doors of PCC.  What this is
saying is that PCC is willing to take your hard-earned money, your time, and
your efforts expended in working towards a degree, but regardless of all
that, they can and will let you go FOR NO REASON AT ALL.  This is the fine
print.

     1.  This needs to be put in the Student Handbook.

     For the administration to keep this out of the Handbook and still use it
as the sole basis for expelling a student is highly unethical, for PCC holds
the Student Handbook as being that which contains the rules and regulations
to follow.  Dr. Horton even sets this out in his opening remarks: "This
student handbook contains the regulations and procedures that govern student
life. . . ."  WHY, THEN, IS THE "NON-CONFORMING POLICY" NOT LAID OUT IN THIS
HANDBOOK?  A student looks to the catalogue for academic information and to
the Student Handbook for the regulations.  Therefore, this very important
regulation should be in the Student Handbook, and to keep it out has the
appearance of trying to be less than up-front with students.

     2.  Define the "spirit of the ministry"
     
     Is this a terribly unreasonable request to ask?  Do not the students
(and parents) have a right - yes, a right, to know what the "spirit" is that
they must conform to?  If anyone knows the answer to this question, please
let us know (and then how about letting the students know)?  The fact is that
this is about as vague as one can get.  The "spirit of the ministry"?  Who
are they trying to fool?  If it is possible to figure out what this means
from a practical living standpoint, it would take several years to figure it
out, and for a brand new student to begin immediately living under this
"rule" and yet still have a sense of freedom is, I submit to you, virtually
impossible.
     The fact of the matter is that every one of us would have a different
view of the "spirit."  I would wager that not even the individual faculty
members could come up with the same definition. In fact, when different
administration members were asked what it means, they REFUSED TO GIVE AN
ANSWER!!  This is being up-front?  This is being honest?  Or is there really,
and intentionally, no definition?  How, in the name of common sense, can the
administration expect students to know what this means if they are not even
willing to tell a student what it means?  And how can they expect students to
know how to follow it?
     The sanction for not "conforming" to this spirit is expulsion.  That is
what the above-quoted paragraph states very clearly.  Think about that.  A
"standard" that will not and has not been defined, a "standard" that has no
recognizable definition and measurability, and yet a "standard" that is the
ultimate "law of the land" will be, and has been, used to expel students.
 Why?  Because they did not "conform."  Conform to what?  And how, then, does
one "conform"?  To conform, one must know of that which he or she is to
conform TO.  I cannot conform to something I cannot define, this is
ridiculous!  And yet when asked this specific question directly, Dr. Goddard,
Mr. Ohman, and Dr. Horton refuse to answer the question.  And some of you
still think you can justify this?

     3.  The "opinion of the College."

     Let me just explain what the "opinion of the College" means.  It means
whatever the administration wants it to mean, and this is ALWAYS at the
student's expense.  Not to mention the fact that this wording is very
imprecise, it is also as vague as the "spirit of the ministry" clause.  It is
imprecise because it is not the opinion of the "college" that matters.  The
"college" is the entire community - faculty, staff, AND STUDENTS.  This makes
it sound as if there were some sort of body that represents the "college"
that makes this determination, and I assure you, as I am sure you need no
assurance, that this is NOT the case.  The "opinion of the College" is NOT
the opinion of the college; rather, it is the OPINION OF A FEW
ADMINISTRATORS, or perhaps the Hortons alone.  
     If PCC were, in fact, a "community" or a "city" as it often likes to
characterize itself, this "law" would not stand up for a second.  It would be
ruled unconstitutional for vagueness very quickly and very easily, because
the rest of American civilization has come to recognize the principle of
legality, the principle that in a community, defining the standards of
conduct must be clearly spelled out so that those who are expected to abide
by the standards know what is required of them.  This is hardly an
unreasonable request.  Define what it means, and put it in the Student
Handbook. 

     Call me crazy, but if PCC is going to brag about its "Christian
standards," don't you think it ought to, at the very least, let those who are
subject to these "standards" know what they are?

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     V.   YOUR COMMENTS

The opinions, ideas, and facts stated in this section do not necessarily
represent those of The Student Voice.  We make our best efforts to be fair
and to verify factual statements.

------------------------------------------

[This is from an alumnus regarding PCC's taking away e-mail and internet
access from the students - eds.]

POINT ME TO TEMPLE AND WHERE ARE THOSE MONEY CHANGERS!!!

HEY ADMINISTRATION, AREN'T YOU LISTENING!?!  This is a classic example 
for the entire purpose of your dreaded StudentV. This morning I read 
in the StudentV about the new digital telephone system at PCC. Guess 
your timing is impeccable. We (alumni and students) knew the 
telephones were long over due for an overhaul. If this is true and it 
denies any internet access my heart goes out to the student body. 
Email is an awesome resource. What I would have given for such an 
opportunity when I was a student. Don't cut off the student's 
communication with their loved ones. You are putting students who have 
used this means of communication in a state of abandonment. Oh please 
tell me there is someone in the administration who remembers what it 
is like to be a college student?  It is not even humane to detach 
students from ANY kind outside communication. What's next? The phones, 
the mail. There may even be a need to ban automobiles. Why not go all 
the way and lock the gates after each student's first greek rush and 
hand out keys instead of diplomas at commencement?
Alumnus of '94
------------------------------------------

[This is the kind of logic and reasoning The Voice deals with more often than
we would like to admit - eds.]

Hey Paul Perdue,

GET A LIFE!!!!!

			Your Best Friend

P.S.  I took the liberty of giving everyone at PCC you REAL email
address!!!
------------------------------------------

[This is a letter from a father of a PCC student - eds.]

Dear Voice,
I have enjoyed reading the voice, and thought I would comment. Most of your
letters have been from students or alumni, and as the parent of a student I
thought I might add a slightly different view. To start with, the fact that
the school doesn't offer a student run paper, or any means for the views of
the students to be heard, it's only natural that an "underground" vehicle
for expresing views would be established. As you continue, just remember to
express your concerns in a Christlike manner, as you are dealing with
brothers in the Lord, even though many of their views are misguided...
I have read on many occasions in the voice where writers are "letting off
steam" at the policies and rules, and the way they are enforced, especially
the unwritten subjective ones. However, let me ask readers this question,
What is it that you are trying to accomplish? If your goal is to "vent
steam" then you have earned an "A" grade. I haven't been able to see where
complaints are followed with suggestions to improve the system. 
         As a business manager, I listen much closer and take action more
quickly when employees bring possible solutions to issues rather than just
complaining about the situation. It shows me that they have given thought to
the process, and are willing to be active in the changes, rather than
expecting someone else to do the thinking and suggest change. I agree that
there are many areas that can be improved. What changes would you recomend?
What vision do you have for your school? I challenge the readers to create a
new set of suggested rules and present them to the Administration for
consideration. It is normal behavior for them to be defensive when you offer
no suggestions, only complaints. I'm not sure what reponse you may get,
however I believe this is the proper course of action. You will not move
this mountain all at once, but why not try one rock at a time? What have you
got to lose?
        I do not agree with many of the rules. Allow me to explain my
situation. In high school (Christian private), my son was class president
-11th, student body president-12th, at graduation he was given 2 Christian
leadership awards, and given the "who's who among American high school
students" award. He then was given a "Christian Leadership" scholarship to
PCC. He has always shown good judgement in making decisions, and we trust
him completely. Then we ship him off to PCC to be treated like the mature
young adult he is, right? ...Wrong!!! 
Back to pre junior high days all over again...He is miserable, due to the
rules and the way he and his friends are being treated. He wants to change
colleges like 5 of his class mates have done at the end of this last
semester. We see no value in many of the rules, they appear to be for the
purpose of "complete control". What purpose do they serve? Preparation for
the "real world"?...not...
Two weeks socialed for touching with a pencil?...get real...etc,etc. I've
heard about them all. 
        These students want to get a good Christian education, and they
deserve to have fun and be happy while doing it. PCC, you have failed these
5 students, and the many others that have dropped out due to the treatment
they received...
Shame on you PCC...
                Signed, Disappointed Dad 
------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Perdue,

     I find your newsletter very misleading and destructive.  I was very
alarmed when I read your recent artictle entitled "Fearocracy".  You threw
around some very strong terms like "Tiennaman Suare intellectual oppression"
and "behind the iron gates of Pcc" you make it sound like students who attend
PCC attend a communist country.  I find these comments very distasteful.
 There is no basis for these comments to be made about Pensacola Christian
College.  I am not saying Pensacola is perfect but it is a good Christian
school.  I am not saying their should not be comments made about the college
but because a FEW bitter students had a bad experience does not give the
right to make comments that have no basis or fact to support these
statements.  I agree with the professor that your time and energy could be
well spent by doing what God commands in the New Testament by spreading the
Gospel  and telling others about Him.  Get busy doing something for the Lord
Our Saviour and not being a stumblingblock to other Christians. (Which God
says not to be)

                                                                 From A PCC
Student, ( Who is not                     
                                                                  Afraid to
print his name)

                                                                  DANIEL
ELMER PORTER

------------------------------------------

[This is from a graduate, B--- in response to last week's issue - eds.]

We loved the latest issue.  Definitely Pulitzer material.  Well, it's almost
time for the students to come back to town, which can only mean one thing:
lots of students walking down Davis Highway and clogging the detergent aisle
at Wal-Mart every Saturday.

------------------------------------------

[This is from a graduate in response to the negative reaction to the PCC
professor's comments (Issue 4, No. 1) criticizing The Voice while
simultaneously admitting to having never read it - eds.]

I would like to comment about all the people who have slammed the PCC
professor. 

He was trying to say that the student voice should do something more
constructive with e-mail and the Internet like using it to get people saved.
 He was not necessarily criticizing the student voice. He did not because he
could not, and he knows that.  This does not seem very close minded to me
like everyone is acusing him of being.

I also wish everyone would get off the legalism bandwagon.  Legalism is
salvation by works not grace through faith like the Bible says. Last time I
checked PCC still believes in salvation by grace through faith.  Examples of
legalistic religeons are Catholacism and Islam where what works you do
'entitle' you to heaven, allah, or whatever.  PCC is not legalistic.

Thank you
wowo37@aol.com

------------------------------------------

[This is from the sister of a current student - eds.]

Thanks for adding me to your mailing list. My brother is a graduate of  PCC,
and he rightly assumed I would be interested in receiving your letter. I
agree from what I know of his experiences that there are too many "gray"
areas in the rulebook at PCC. It seems that the school would benefit (not to
mention that it is just plain more honest) from being more specific in the
rulebook. In the education courses that PCC teaches, the professors say how
important it is for teachers to let students know what is expected of them.
After all, God Himself did that for us in His Word. The other thing that
concerns me about PCC is their lack of academic integrity. They offer majors
that are not fully developed (a new major often has only the faculty and
coursework to grow one year at a time), and several of the freshman level
courses use A Beka high school textbooks (World History in Christian
Perspective--for example). Education majors are not eligible to seek
licensure from the state of Florida, but that information is not advertised
to incoming or prospective students anywhere. I know someone who graduated
from PCC with a major in Early Childhood Ed., and was then unable to get a
job in a state licensed day care center because she was not eligible for
state licensure. It is not ethical for PCC to offer a major wherein the
graduates are limited in the job market. PCC needs to admit that because they
set themselves up as an academic institution and they take money from the
student, the school is ACCOUNTABLE for its policies.

Keep up the good work!

L-------
------------------------------------------

[This is from R---, another parent of a current student - eds.]

I read with interest your "Public Apology" dated 12-30-96.  I wonder if you
sent an apology to Pensacola Christian College.  Thats where you really
should have addressed it.  I think you have done a great disservice to the
school and should be ashamed of the things written about the school.  You
mention your journal is one of integrity, honesty and Scriptural
principle-exactly what Scriptural principle is being used here?  If you had
such a bad experience at PCC why didnt you just leave and now that you are
out of there what is your purpose in bad-mouthing the school over the
internet.  You indicate you have a degree in Law-I would be hard pressed to
come to you with a problem knowing that after it was all said and done you
may blab it all over the internet.

My purpose in writing at this time is to ask what did you expect to
accomplish with all this.  I doubt that you really think you could change the
rules at PCC.  Problem is the rules were there when you went and will still
be there for a long time to come.   It is Dr Hortons school and he can make
whatever rules he wishes.  The only thing that you have managed to do is get
the E-Mail service taken away from the students. As the parent of a current
student those kids really appreciated the chance to keep in touch with
parents and friends via internet.  No thanks to you that opportunity is now
gone.

In closing I think one statement could sum it up-Get on with your life.
------------------------------------------

I am continually amazed by the Christians who write the Voice claiming that
we have no rights!  Where did they get such cockeyed notions??  As
Christians, we have all rights under God--WE ARE SONS!!!  (Please read John
1:12-13)  Why do so many persist in acting as orphans??  Sonship by adoption
carries not only spiritual rights, but full legal rights.  Sons are also
guaranteed a full measure of the inheritance.  For those of us who have
children of our own, this can be understood even more fully.  What parent
does not look at their child and wish for him to be happy and fulfilled,
desiring only the best for him?  How much more must our heavenly Father look
at us with his loving eyes, unblemished by the scales of pride and personal
agenda, and desire for us to be happy beyond our wildest dreams.  I can not
imagine what it would feel like to know that the resources of the universe
were at my disposal for my child's happiness if he would but recognize my
gift of love.  Please, Christians, WAKE UP!!  The only rights we lose at
salvation can be better described as bonds--the "right" to be under the law,
the "right" to be under man's whims and interpretation of the Bible, the
"right" to follow laws as the means of salvation, etc..  Paul describes our
rights as sons as a freedom from the spirit of bondage (Rom. 8:14-17) and a
freedom to claim liberty (Gal. 3:26-4:11, 5:1).  What greater RIGHT could
exist?  Paul is careful to exhort Christians to use this liberty (or personal
freedom) as a means for greater love for the world around them (Gal. 5:13).
 Take a look at the "rights" of the Christian as described in Eph. 5:22-23.  

Oh, by the way, if you buy the "no rights" theory-- hook, line, and sinker, I
would advise you to consider moving your American citizenship to another
country.  Like it or not, this country was founded by religious leaders who
believed wholeheartedly, indeed were willing to die for such belief, that we
are assured "certain unalienable rights".  These men rebelled against the
popular legalistic rule of England and the Church of England to form a new
nation based on the "radical" ideas of liberty and equality that has so long
ago been taught by a liberal Jewish leader named Jesus Christ.  

Melanie Ruter-Jones, Class of '92
Brimelseb@aol.com

P.S.  Since I am writing this on Martin Luther King Day, I would like to
encourage everyone to read Letters From a Birmingham Jail.  MLK was a man who
particularly and realistically understood the balance between rights and
compliance.  

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     VI.   HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT. . . ?

The opinions, ideas, and facts stated in this section do not necessarily
represent those of The Student Voice.  We make our best efforts to be fair
and to verify factual statements.

------------------------------------------

[From a former student - eds.]

Because of the fear that is instilled into the hearts of students, when one
receives a faculty call slip, it is a very nerve-racking experience.  It
doesn't matter whether the student has done anything wrong or not, the fear
is still present because he knows that he has already been found guilty and
sentenced before his trial even begins.  Those of you who have been there
know what I mean.  Now, take that fear and double it -- you now have the
level of fear experienced when you get a phone call at 7:00 in the morning to
come to the Dean of Men's office immediately.

This was the case in late November of my Sophomore year.  I got dressed
quickly (making sure to not wear my pegged, double stitched, or leg-pocketed
pants).  When I got up to the second floor, there were three other guys
sitting in the mall area waiting.  We started talking trying to find the
common thread that would link us together.  One of the guys asked me if I
knew E---.  I said that I did -- we went to school together in the first
through the third grades.  But E--- and I traveled in different circles at
college.....I hadn't really known him at college.

Well, we were called in one by one and asked questions about E---.  Did we
know him?  Did we know his family?  Did he drink?  Did he smoke?  (It's
amazing how many times these questions about alcohol and tobacco come up even
when they have nothing to do with the offense.)  Did we know if he had ever
met a woman off campus?  After we each had been questioned in turn, we were
allowed to go to our first hour class.

A few days later, E--- called me to apologize for getting me involved.  What
had happened was that his parents and sister had come down for Thanksgiving.
 His sister was a senior in high school at the time, but she looked very
mature for her age, and is extremely pretty.  E--- had been seen off campus
with her, but rather than assume that this was a family member down for the
Thanksgiving holiday (showing trust in this mature adult student), this staff
person assumed that he was sneaking off campus with a woman for sexual
reasons.  E--- was dragged up to the Dean's offices first thing next morning
when he showed up for classes.  That means that when he showed up for class
(about 8:00), we had already been interrogated before he had ever been given
a chance to tell the truth.

Talk about a lack of trust in the student and suspecting evil.

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     The Student Voice is:

Paul S. Perdue     <studentv@aol.com>
lupos   <lupos@usa.net>

Please feel free to voice your thoughts, stories, and opinions.  
Thank you for reading The Voice!
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THE STUDENT VOICE, PCC's alternative newsletter


