The Echo

Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Katherine McGehee

Religious groups can come to campus, but the dean of students office would like to know about it first, officials said.

Jim Hicks, associate dean of students, said anyone is welcome onto the campus for discussion and discourse, but that they should come to the dean of students office in the University Center so the administration is aware of their presence.

"Most groups are very respectful and can only become stronger by discussing their point of view," Hicks said.

Chuck Cantrell, assistant vice chancellor university relations, wrote in an e-mail that the university is required to allow outside groups onto campus because it is a public institution.
Hicks said groups visiting the campus are not allowed to do anything that would disturb classes.

"We request that groups try to avoid approaching students by setting up a location that allows students to approach them," he said.

Cantrell wrote, "Some groups are more aggressive in their presentations than others, which can put off some students."
"We have had groups that had to be reminded of the rules of being on our campus," he wrote.

According to Hicks, two weeks ago, a church group on campus was reportedly approaching students and asking them to pray. However, the dean of students didn't know about it.

The Abba's House Church in Hixon, Tenn., sponsored a speaker for the Great Awakening Revival Program. The program lasted for four days and consisted of around 700 people from various churches, Hicks said.

"We heard some complaints about the group from some students, but I didn't see them doing it," Hicks said.

Kelly McDermott, a sophomore from Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., participated in the program.

She said she did not approach students on campus, but she did talk to people on 23rd Street.

"It's more about encouraging people for me," McDermott said.
" I didn't try to see how many people I could convert. It was more about helping them."

"People always have the option of walking away if they don't feel like talking or don't like what the other person is saying," she continued.

But if that were to happen on campus, Hicks said to report it to the dean of students.

"Typically we don't have many problems, but if a student feels like they're being harassed, they should separate themselves and come report it to us," Hicks said.

Cantrell wrote, "Students always have the right to walk away or to tell a visiting group that they disagree."

"If students feel they are being harassed by an individual or a group, they can contact the campus police," he wrote.

Jazmine Wright, a Knoxville sophomore, said she thinks that the presence of religious groups on campus benefits students.

"I think that this is a really good thing because people need to talk to college students about religion more often," Wright said.

"I know that a lot of students at college don't attend a church so it is very important that they still be exposed to God, Jesus the Bible and these people talking on campus are helping to make that happen," she continued.

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