NKSC Religion Courses Examined
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(Q,.~"-" 'If('r;(' y J); (te~ "IF o.. The Northerner IP}' vq('(/(' NORTHERN KENTVCKY STATE COLLEGE JANVARY 24, 1975 VOICE OF THE COLLEGE COMMVNITY HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTVCKY VOLVME 3 NVMBER 16 NKSC Religion Courses Examined 8 T 0 h10' 5 k 1' A • d J 0 • • the 81ble, both courses bcmg new to y eny usc m ertcans untt •e n ppostlton No•thernth>S se me""- Northern's two new relig1on courses, " lt is a disservice to the students," Mrs. "All of us at the meeting aareed that a Religion In Life. and Historical Survey Of stipulation of the first amendment," Yelton feels. " We requested that the public •nstitut1on should not be The Bible, have come under the scrutiny Cogdell contends, citmg such supports as school drop both courses and substitute indoctrinating students mto a part•cular of Americans Un1ted for the Separation the famous McCollum supreme court case somelhrng other than reh&ion." religion ," d1scloxd Richards. "What we of Church and State, a 28-year old and Engel v, V1ta le ( 1962). However, the are doing ts studyma about particular Amenca ns United contends that it ism national o rganization based 1n S1lver mm1ster admits that religion courses •n rehg1ons." no way an antl·reha•on sect. Spnng, Md . state schools do ex1st. " We are church-state scparat•omsts," Not .10 m the Reha•on In L1fe count, Representahves of the group met w1th Dr . Jerald R1 chards, under whose says Mr. Cosdell " Rehg1o n ts too sacred Northern o fficials for two hours gUidance as NKSC associate professor of counters Mrs. Yelton. To begm w1th, she objects, the course tS taught by campus to be taught m sc hools. Wednesday, urgmg the college to drop Philosophy the two courses are included, mmtsters, Fr. Ray llolt7. B1ll Koontz and " Mo st people do not see the both courses. Rehg1on In Life and its names the Umvers1ty of Kentucky, Ralph llopktns. •mphcat1ons of th1s," he contmued. " It's textbook. " The Fa1th of the Chnst1an Eastern Ke ntucky, Loutsvtlle, and "Why aren't the other rehgK.ms an the not alone the practice takmg place nght Church," they charged were parttc ularly Western Kentucky among the many area who c:an not afford a student union now but the long range effects. Once you queStionable. throughout the country wh1ch ofrer arant permiSSible teaching of rcl~g10n o n campus mvtted to participate?" she courses m rchg1on. anythmg ca n happen , you've opened "Of course we object in pnnc1ple to the demanded. "And only Mr. Hopkms IS "Not only docs Western offer an Pandora's Box. You make 1t poss1ble for teachmg of any rehg1on m a stale qualified to teach on the umvers•ty undergraduate major m religious studies, the establishment of a state re1Jg10n . mstitutton," stressed Gaston CogdeU, but they also offer a masters in level." m1mst er of the Clifton Church of Christ. The three clergymen are not paid, "Whoever has charge of the religious humanities with a concentration in instruction mechamsm can propagandize Mr. Cogdell was accompanied to re ligious stud1es," revealed Ric hards, a eliminating the use of state fu nds to some Northern by Mrs. Gayle Van Deren and extent. However, Americans United view his particular religious VIewpoint." member of the Western facu lty his seven The Northern representatives assured Mrs. Dorothy Yelton, president and vice years previo us to joining Northern in non-salaried faculty members as a "very president , re s pectively, of the questionable" practice. "Teachers should the oraanizahon of the creditability of 1972. the campus ministers. "Don't you trust organi1at1on's local chapter. Mrs. Van be paid," they figure . Deren ts also president of the state " I asked Mr. Cogdell to make a Mrs. Yelton calls Religion In Life " a them?" they wondered. "I trust them to te.ch what is right and chapter, and Mr. Cogdell, a Cincmnatian, distinction between the teaching of very lim1ted view of the Christian is the former Director of Organtzat1on for religion and teach1ng about religion," church," and uses such adjectives as what they thmk IS nght IS not my rehg1on Americans Uniled . disclosed Richards, who was present at "slanted and doctrmal" to describe the nrcessanly ," Cogdell responded. "Our objective is to register a protest the meetmg along with a Northern text, written by Gustof Aulen, a The group's VISit IS expected to have and to inform the authorities that a congregation headed by Dr. Ralph Lutheran bishop and native of Sweden. only 1mmmal eHecl. " From my own p01nt o f v1ew, courses segment of the populatton does not agree Tesseneer, vice president on academic " It contains many false statements and m religion have a legit•mate place in the wtth what is taking place," explamed Mr. affairs. is very offensive, particularly, I would curnculum of a college." Richards Cogdell, who discounted any posstble The rem hes the question of what say, to the Catholic faith ," she reacted. court actton. determine5 a so-called "comparative Some 80 students are enrolled in maintains. "And I thmk that Dr. Tesseneer, Dr. Steely and Dr. Pnce share Teachmg rehgjon in a school supported religion" course and what constitutes a Reliaion In Life wit h approximately by the tax dollar is "against the very course in rehgton. 1nother 30 lludylna Historical Survey of that VIeW . "But we Will be more aware of their feeling s and take that 1nto 'Peeping' Scales cons•dcrat1on," he added. R esigns Public Student Gov't Seeking Input SG •s scekiR& st udent mput, and to Safety Position assist m the matter, 11 was dec1ded that By Jo hn A. hsper two suggest 1on boxes be constructed and placed m Nunn •tall. The money for thl'l project was approprtated at Mo nday's SG R o~tr Scales, the campus officer uught spy101 o n the fhghland Heights P.>st Orfice, has rest&J'Ied h1 s pos111on as meeting. AS!.istant D1rector of Public Safety. The boxes will be avatlable to allow In a telephone mterview Wllh the Northerner, Scales opt:uly students to make aeneral comments and ad nutted to " watchmg" the Post Office 10 hopes of 1dentifymg suuest•ons and ask quest1ons of thelf the author of an ano nymous letter critical of the elected representatives. They w11l also adnuntstra!lon. ' serve 1 he nc w Student Problems "I d•d 11 for a little ex cit me nt," Scales said when asked to oomm•ttce. explam the reason for his snoopin&. "There were no orders S1x students were approved at from the administration or anyone else. I just did tt o ut of "I g<H tired of the college environment," said Scales. "I had Monday's meetmg as tht: recipients of personal curios•ty." • graduated from college and there I was still working at 1 S I 00 scholarships. They are· Ann According to Heywood Ward, Ouector of Public Safety, colleae. I felt like I was stasnatin& out there." Furman, M1ke Dunca n, Omolaru Solaru, Scales handed in his resignatJon at the end of the fall semester Both Scales and Ward were crtt1cal of the Kentucky Post for Cha~ron S1an1, Lon Schmeders, and Ken but 11 did not become effect1ve until hnuary IS. its article in the January 10 ISSUe whtch implied that Scales Wa~er . These students were screened When asked if Scales' leaving had anyth.ina to do With the had been dumped because of the Post Off1ce incident. under the SG relf,Uiattons and also cleared incident at the Post Office, Ward said, "No tt had not hma to "The Kentucky Post had tht: facts all wrona." sa1d Scale". by the Financial A•d Office. do with that whatsoever. He and I reached 1 certam "Evtryone knows they stnve for sens~ttlonaltsm. They'rt: like a Vanous consliiUIIOnal quest1ons were aweement. It was my inclinat1on that this should be the case, teen magazine." also exanuned ut the mectinl'- The SG and he went alona wtth it." Scales refused to disclose any defina te plans concermng members voted undnimously to post the Asked 1f there wa s any pressure from the adm1ntstration to future employment but d•d say he was look1n11 1nto a poss1ble full wordtn& of any amendments to be dump Scales, Ward explamed, "No, ttus had nothinl to do pos11t0n m Cmcinnall. He aid 11 h111d to do with the law voted o n a week ahead of election tmle, WJth the admmtstratton. In fact they d1dn't even know about enforcement field. They also passed by a vot~ of 14-2, a it unttl after I already had the resJ&natlon." When asked tf he had any r&:ILJels about the Post Off1ce resolutiOn opcnm& up the JudiCial It was 1 " lack of 1mmedtate supervoory expenence", sa•d U\CJdent Scales sa1d, "No, I d1d nothm& tlh!&al. The whole Counctl decllons to any student who Ward, that prompted the resaa.nation. ttuna has been blown o ut of proporhon. w1shed to run. Th1s resolution will h"ve Scales, however, sa•d 10 1 sepente mten-1ew that her i&ned " I'd probably," &:ales added, "do the same thin& over to be voted o n by the cntare student because he was bored wath has ,tO b. aptn." body, however. 0583.tif JANUARY 24, 1975 PAGE 2, THE NORTHERNER The Scales Episode: Was There A lesson? K1t)!~'t s~.. .. Jcs. 4 W!lilnl dm!dor of lhl' Dcp.utnu:nt nf l'ubla: Safrty, ha~ re 1gncd It 1 our auumptton that Scales could have remained at th1ll colleae for u lona u h•~ I'"'' .uu.l 1\ no Jon~cr w1th the ~ollcttc Uut we nutC' w1th a 'light sm1le the rea on he wanted whether he wu madcquate or not A Iitle and pay for thai lttle are not h1r \lr St.:dlcs' rcs1~nat•on created 1f the tndlvtdual IS destmed to leave.