It is probably safe to assume that students who go to a Christian college are there for a reason and have a solid faith in the religion.
That is why I was a little disturbed by the choice made by the Church of Christ College (a Christian college in Arkansas) to pull magazines from students’ mailboxes that contained content they did not agree with.
A 22-year-old senior, six weeks away from graduation, found a yellow slip in her mailbox saying that her Cosmopolitan magazine was returned to the publisher.
She is a grown woman and does not need the university telling her what to read and what not to read. I fully believe that she has a right to her own opinion and if she is not offended by a bare navel and some cleavage, the college should not tell her otherwise.
I understand that some of the content could be considered inappropriate to some, but you learn to take it with a grain of salt. It is true that there are columns on which nationality makes the best lover or on how to make him yours forever. That is not all that is in the magazine – although it is a large portion – there are some in-depth stories buried in the back and a few makeup tips here and there. Regardless of whether the pages are filled with fluff and a little filth, the magazine is in the subscriber’s name and should not be returned by anyone else.
The woman obviously has a strong faith and most likely values that have been instilled by the church. The fact that she reads the magazine doesn’t make her a bad person. Who knows, maybe she just likes the fashion tips. The university didn’t bother to ask her why she had the magazine delivered to her.
She was not the only student with this problem either. Students who subscribe to Maxim, Rolling Stone and Victoria’s Secret catalog were also left empty-handed.
Maxim and Rolling Stone are the same as Cosmopolitan – they are not the most appropriate pieces of literature, but they are not pornography.
As for Victoria’s Secret catalogues, those are for sales purchases. Sure, a few men here and there will get their hands on them for other purposes, but many women just want to purchase underwear, clothes or swimsuits. It is completely unfair to prevent them from making those purchases.
The students are notified upon enrollment that they are not allowed to receive pornography, but this is different. The decision was made last week that no more magazines would be taken from students this semester. No other comment was given. However, the college did decide that this matter will be discussed in the July student handbook.
It is a private college so they believe they should have a say in what their students can and cannot see. I disagree.
I think they are in a Christian environment by choice and obviously have enough morals to know the difference between right and wrong. I am not saying these magazines are good, nor am I saying they would be my first choice to read. But these students are near adulthood and can decipher for themselves what belongs in their mailboxes.