• Christopher Jenkins with some of the material Notre Dame University wanted removed. But it made no move against a nearby stall advocating extra military spending. Photo by David Bell
NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY is again trying to censor left-wing students who promote issues at odds with Catholic orthodoxy.
But the university appears quite comfortable with students advocating increased military spending.
At the February 20 orientation day the Socialist Alliance club stall was twice told to remove equal marriage and pro-choice material.
Equal marriage against uni values, but guns okay
When a senior university staff member threatened to confiscate material, SA member Christopher Jenkins said it would, “make a fantastic photo for the Fremantle Herald”.
“At that point she decided to turn around and leave,” he smiled.
NDA’s Rommie Masarei says the SA, along with all stall-holders, had signed a “binding agreement to not promote or distribute any materials that conflict with the objects of the university”.
“It is incumbent on the university to uphold its objects,” Ms Masarei says.
Mr Jenkins, a nursing student, says NDA is sending mixed messages about what its values are.
“Notre Dame’s position statements and ethos, when you look into it, is actually all about critical thought, supporting those in need, freedom of expression, inclusiveness, so we feel banning us and asking us to remove materials, contradicts all of these ideals.
“The agreement that the university respects freedom of speech on campus has—up until now—only been a verbal reassurance.
“What we are seeing now is that this means very little and the university is still applying pressure on students to not discuss certain topics,
“University should be a place for intellectual debate, and people cannot make informed decisions unless they have a full slew of information available to them.”
He notes NDA completely ignored the nearby stall of the Military Action club, which advocates increased military spending, and questions how that fits with Christian values.
“The Liberal party are also allowed on campus, who campaign for mandatory detention,” he says.
“The main point isn’t to have a tussle with the university, the objective is to be able to have a conversation about things that impact people, in a respectful manner.
“Same-sex marriage rights and abortion rights are hotly debated issues in our society and to say we cannot have that conversation, I feel, neglects the responsibility the university has.”
by CLARE KENYON