www.belmontvision.com The student newspaper of Belmont University Vol. 57, No. 6 November 8, 2007 Sex: Students take it seriously By Abby Selden thing Belmont “sweeps under the carpet and teach young people a lot about their bodies affiliation, or race,” she said. STAFF WRITER keeps hidden from everybody.” without encouraging them That professional practice is also true of An American college student walks into a But that’s not an easy task. to be sexually active,” she Belmont Health Services, an enormously class of 15 fellow students. Chances are, “Look at the people who are going here. said. helpful resource for sexual health problems only four of those students have never had We are teenagers and adults ranging from Junior Alaina Reagan when students are aware of the services it sex. 18 to 24,” he said. “To believe agrees that dialogue is offers. According to national statistics, approxi- that a guy or a girl isn’t going important, but she doesn’t “We offer a lot of good services,” Wilson mately 70 percent of American college stu- to be engaging in sexual see it happening at Belmont, said. “We can do STD testing, we offer the dents are sexually active. activity in a place where where she knows many stu- Gardisil HPV vaccine, as well as the “I don’t think that Belmont is any differ- they’re almost completely dents are already sexually Hepatitis B vaccine. We’re big on preven- ent from any college campus anywhere,” out of the eyes of their par- active. tion here.” said Belmont Counseling Services director ents and authority figures, “I think more people are According to a 2005 estimate by the Peg Leonard-Martin. “We’re not isolated that’s just gullibility. I think having sex than is believed,” she Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from these issues.” Belmont should honestly be said. “I think people are hiding it because of the 19 million people newly infected with Many students at Belmont seem to agree more open.” they think they’ll be judged.” an STD every year, nearly half are 15-24. – and they agree in a manner that suggests According to Belmont Health Leonard-Martin wants to dispel that The health center, which saw 4,800 stu- they look at human sexuality with maturity Services director Katy Wilson, dia- myth. “Not one of the therapists here would dents last year, is equipped to test for HIV, and respect for others’ choices. logue about sexual issues in a college ever presume to judge a student, no matter Hepatitis B, Chlamydia and gonorrhea. A Sophomore John Roden sees sex as some- atmosphere is important. “I think you can what their gender, sexual identity, religious See SEX, page 10 ➲ College Republicans bring ‘Minuteman’ for campus speech By Sara Pecchia for bringing people to the United States STAFF WRITER from other countries, “but it needs to be Adaeze Elechi streamlined. Ever since NAFTA, MANAGING EDITOR they’ve turned a blind eye. We exported “In the absence of government, we manufacturing, so then we needed are the government,” a founding mem- cheap labor here.” ber of the Minuteman Civil Defense With that labor, however, came not Corps told a Belmont audience only people willing to do hard labor, Monday. but also people from drug cartels who With that statement, Chris Simcox wanted to make money off “America’s demonstrated a basic philosophy of the addictions,” Simcox claimed. organization “Our president, our government, that is self- say, ‘It’s a free market,” he added. described as a “[The government] has left us no “National choice but to go to the borders, set up Citizens lawn chairs and use our binoculars.” Neighborhood Simcox offered many numbers to Watch securing support his claims, including more than the American 30,000 aliens sighted by the Minuteman border.” volunteers and more than 13,000 appre- Simcox is hended. He said all observations are president of the reported to the U.S. Border Patrol. group, which “We are pro-immigration,” Simcox Chris Simcox many of its said, though some audience members opponents call a pointedly disagreed with him in the vigilante organization because it places question-and-answer session that fol- armed citizen border patrols on the U.S. lowed his address. borders with both Mexico and, to a What the group opposes, he said, is lesser extent, Canada. illegal immigration, which results in He said he and 9,000 Minuteman Americans’ “citizenship being diluted.” volunteers had petitioned the govern- “While we [Americans] have to take ment to step up to the challenges of off our shoes at the airport, our govern- halting illegal immigration and the gov- ment has left the front and back doors ernment had not responded. wide open,” he said. “Our government has failed us mis- Even though Simcox met no violent PHOTOS BY CHRIS SPEED erably,” he said, the Minuteman Web opposition at Belmont University, in Urban/Pop Showcase site behind him showing an outline of October 2006 at Columbia University, the United States covered with stars and two Minutemen speakers were violently The first Urban/Pop Showcase, formerly called the Pop/Rock Showcase, was on Oct. 27. It began stripes. “We as citizens have not only a interrupted and banned from speaking with a “STOMP” act, seen above, that marched rhythmically to the stage and performed a routine civic duty but a moral obligation to by protesters. The college, on the other void of any music, but that still had some clapping to the beat. The group also performed between intervene.” hand, did not officially ban the group acts using trash cans, buckets and lids as musical instruments. At the end of the show, the group Simcox, who lives in Arizona but from the campus. Simcox said he knew stomped out of the Curb Event Center, leaving many wanting more. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, page 15. travels nationwide for speaking engage- nothing about he himelf or the group ments, said there is an orderly system See SEX, page 7 ➲ Page 2 The Belmont Vision, November 8, 2007 New campus chapel might nurture Christian roots By Chansin Bird of building a chapel,” Byrd said. “Our campus ministers, along with some want to make sure it took into account stu- SENIOR WRITER The usual response: “There’s no money.” energetic faculty and student helpers, are dents who would not be attracted to a Belmont is a Christian school, but it has Junior Scott Claybrook, a Christian already doing some wonderful and exciting church-looking building. I’d want all stu- no chapel. Many Christian universities, such Leadership major, thinks Belmont’s master things, but an appropriate chapel facility dents to feel welcome.” as Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and plan should include a chapel, but feels build- could enhance their work,” Byrd said. “For a Now that Belmont has split from the Dallas Baptist University in Texas, have a ing a residence hall, like they’re doing now, school that is committed to a Christian iden- Tennessee Baptist Convention, some may building that looks much like a church sanc- is more important. tity, it would be a powerful symbol for the believe a chapel would help Belmont stay tuary and is a dedicated space for worship. “I don’t think it’s a misplaced priority, campus and the community.” close to its Christian roots. At Belmont, the Bell Tower’s bottom but a chapel is something I think would be a Associate university minister Christy “I think it is more imperative than ever floor is used as a prayer chapel, but religion tool to a Christian university,” he said. Ridings loves the location of the University that Belmont should continue forging its professor Robert Byrd wants something A chapel at Belmont could accommodate Ministries office. Being in the center of cam- Christian and Baptist identity and, for me, it more. religious activities and convocations on cam- pus, students can easily stop by to study on has nothing to do with our relationship to the “In committees and individually, I have pus, Byrd said. It also could become the the couches or play pingpong. TBC,” Byrd said. “To diminish [that identi- urged all the Belmont University presidents impetus to develop additional religious activ- “I would not necessarily be for a building ty] will result in the university being some- with whom I have served to promote the idea ities and conferences on campus. that looks chapel-ish,” Ridings said. “I would thing entirely different than it is.” Challenges of autism don’t stop Grandin By Ameshia Cross SENIOR WRITER As one of the most well known livestock man- agement consultants, Temple Grandin has earned a worldwide reputation. But what is the most sur- prising part of Grandin’s life is that she is autistic. Although the disorder provides its challenges, Grandin does not let it keep her from accomplish- ing her goals. “My life has been enriched and inspired by her strength and ability to transcend the obstacles in her life,” Dr. Mike Pinter, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. Grandin spoke at a convocation event Tuesday, Oct. 30, to a crowd of 1,500 students and community members. Grandin describes autism as a lack of long dis- tance cables to brain. She stressed that there are ways of knowing that don’t involve language. Autistic individuals view the world in a different way than the average person, she said. “Animals and people with autism see details,” Grandin said. Research shows that the normal human mind gives up on details and focuses on the abstract.