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| Legislation tackles
religious freedom, safety |
David Forbes
SGA Beat
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Josh Brown | Chief Photographer
Off campus senator Ian A. Mance
holds up research for a bill voicing concerns of PSA and Hillel
members at last Tuesday’s SGA meeting.
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Concerns of Pagan
and Jewish students on campus have led to a piece of legislation
in the Student Government Association (SGA) that would alter Appalachian
State University’s ban on candles in residence halls.
Appalachian’s current Open Flame Policy prohibits
the burning of candles in residence halls. The housing contract
for next year also bans the possession of unlit candles. The proposed
legislation, which SGA will vote on tonight, would allow students
to apply for exemptions from the rule on religious grounds. |
Organizations
such as the Jewish Student Association (Hillel), the Pagan Student
Association (PSA) and the campus chapter of the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) have all lobbied for the bill’s passage and had
a hand in its writing.
Howard R. Schreiber, a senator from East Residence Hall, a member
of Hillel and one of the bill’s authors, said Hillel had been
talking about changing the policy since the beginning of the year
but increased support for the change came with the recent formation
of the PSA.
“As of now, it’s not just the Jews, there are other religious
groups willing to fight for this cause too, and the ACLU was just
the right group to go to,” Schreiber said.
Pagan and Jewish students are concerned the ban inhibits them from
practicing their religion.
“As Pagans it is important for us to be able to use candles
to practice,” Casey D. Robinson, president and co-founder of
the Pagan Student Associaton (PSA), said Thursday. “Candles
to me are as important as a Bible would be to Christians; they help
me pray and meditate.”
“Lighting candles is a very important aspect of our religion;
we’re supposed to light candles once a week for religious purposes
and to not be able to do that is not allowing us to freely practice
our religion,” Schreiber said Friday. “I personally had
an argument with my resident director during the summer over the
policy, and I decided that this was something I really wanted to
see changed before I graduate.”
Director of Housing and Residence Life Richard L. Geis said Friday
the current policy was quite clear and for safety reasons he did
not think it should be altered.
“I basically feel the Open Flame Policy is quite clear. You
shouldn’t be able to burn candles in residence halls; it poses
a clear and present safety danger,” Geis said. “I’m
not in favor of this proposal. It makes no sense for it to be allowed;
open flames are simply a danger.”
Geis said permits for open flames in campus areas other than residence
halls were available through the Safety and Worker’s Compensation
office.
“I’d understand [the proposal] if there weren’t any
other areas to do it, but students can express themselves any way
they want in other places,” Geis said.
“It’s not going to be easy to get a permit. You’d
probably have to apply, keep the permit, let the RA and RD know
in advance and then be careful about using it,” Robinson said.
Schreiber said other schools with large Jewish populations had rules
permitting the use of candles.
“I had looked into schools with heavily Jewish populations,
and pretty much all of them allow candles in the dorms. We see the
reason for the current policy, but it shouldn’t hinder religious
freedom,” Schreiber said. |
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