http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/index.htmlSAFEendrewhinkle@springarborgsa.comCopyright 2007 SAFE2007-05-11T02:46:32-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Fri, 11 May 2007 05:19:41 -0400drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-05-11T02:46:32-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/6c2a7f3f6b4e12651a9f499a9df93135-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/6c2a7f3f6b4e12651a9f499a9df93135-0.html#unique-entry-id-0Spring Arbor University cancels partnership with Lansing Community College
By Todd A. Heywood-Capitol Correspondent
(Issue 1519 - Between The Lines News)

LANSING-- Spring Arbor University has notified Lansing Community College to tell the third largest community college in Michigan, that the partnership between the two schools is over before it ever got off the ground.

"They felt, based on the language in the contract, they would have to relinquish some of their rights as a Christian institution," said Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt, chief operating officer for the University Center for strategic partnerships at LCC.

SAU has been under pressure since it fired a transgender professor earlier this year. In addition, the university has an antigay policy as well as a policy allowing them to tell unwed pregnant students where they can live.

LCC has policies preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, as well as gender identity and expression. The college sent a letter to the SAU weeks ago laying out the legal expectations for SAU were they to join in partnership with the college. This included following Lansing's Human Rights Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

"It was clear LCC thought it should follow its policy," Shanblatt says.

In a press statement, the VP of Communications for Spring Arbor, Tim Johnson, said SAU could not sign the agreement because it would "relinquish" their rights as a "Christian university," in doing so.

"It's unfortunate that the students of LCC will now be unable to benefit from the diversity that would have come from including a top-tier Christian university at the center," he wrote.

Dr. Julie Nemecek, the transgender professor fired by the university earlier this year, says the move is good. "They knew that if they were in Lansing, they would have to change their core values."

"It is disappointing that SAU would choose to position itself in that way and further alienate many of it's students and staff," says Drew Hinkle an openly gay student at SAU. "It's unfortunate they can't abide by the law in the city of Lansing."

LCC says once it receives the formal letter it will meet and discuss it, and possibly respond. In the meantime, they will begin the search process for a replacement partner for the University Center. The University Center is an educational center designed to bring four-year and graduate level programs to the community college campus, making them less intimidating.

Current partners are Northwood University, Sienna Heights University, Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, Central Michigan University, U of M Flint, and Lawerence Tech.]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-05-10T03:59:30-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/c93bc8cd67a89a0f8f912fd220f02ac1-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/c93bc8cd67a89a0f8f912fd220f02ac1-11.html#unique-entry-id-11drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-04-26T04:03:40-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/cc144c861daf877b0ac3f8b14fd6644c-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/cc144c861daf877b0ac3f8b14fd6644c-12.html#unique-entry-id-12Soulforce visits Spring Arbor
Off-campus visit requested by students
Laniaya Alesia Hoofatt
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: Features

On April 21 the Soulforce riders arrived across the street from Spring Arbor University in the community park pavilion. The group, who supports freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from religious and political oppression, met with SAU students, faculty and community members during their off-campus visit.

"I am excided that Soulforce decided to come and share in discussion on faith. They did not come to push their views, they came to share their stories and open up dialogue with everyone that is here in attendance," said Drew Hinkle, President of Students Aligned for Equality (S.A.F.E.).

Soulforce is comprised of 33 young adults who separate into two buses, one westbound and the other eastbound in order to address the issue of homosexuality and the church. Their goal is to challenge the Christian Church to live up to its name.

"I feel that being gay and being Christian is not exclusive," said Robin Reynolds, Soulforce Rider from Valdosta, Georgia.

Members of S.A.F.E held a barbeque for the Soulforce riders and the individuals that attended the event. Burgers, veggie burgers and hotdogs were all on the menu. While the food was being cooked, the Soulforce riders had a chance to talk to everyone who attended.

Attendees broke up into small groups, where riders spoke to students and faculty. This paved the way for a variety of conversations to take place, and each rider seemed genuinely interested in the stories that students shared while at the same time sharing their own. This time seemed foster great conversations on Christian faith, the church and school policy.

"We come to talk and share stories engage in dialogue," said Rachel Loskill a Soulforce rider from East Lansing, Michigan.

"There is a lot of suffering happening feeling rejected and were here to affirm you," said Jarrett Lucas, Co-Director of Equality Ride East Bus and Young Adult Director of Outreach.

After the discussion time the riders started their presentation. They started with a worship song. Lyrics such as 'Joy inside of my world where love is moving me' were sung throughout the pavilion.

After the song, Hinkle spoke. He described how many of the students wanted more than a Facebook group, they wanted to meet in person and organize. He briefly described the harassment some students endured, the Federal Mail Investigation and the Julie Nemecek issue. He then explained S.A.F.E was not allowed to post flyers, or hand them out on campus to promote the event. The group resorted to Facebook, a popular website, using their flyer ads to get students to come and engage in dialogue.

Joanna Nemecek then spoke about her struggle in coming to an understanding about John, her husband, becoming Julie. After prayer, crying, searching scripture, she decided that she would stay married to Julie.

"Her brain was born that way and I need to love her for who she is," Nemecek.

There was a presentation with a "Gender Gumby" where riders drew different lines of definition regarding their given gender, how they see themselves and how society sees them. Angel Collie, a rider that identifies as transgender, talked about how a person sees themselves and how that idea can fluctuate with how the person feels.

There was a presentation called "The Transgender Umbrella" where they discussed the different terms that were acceptable in the community, such as transitional, cross dresser, inner sex, gender-bender, androgynous, MTF and FTM. Then they spoke on the terms that can be used to harm someone, such as "transvestite."

Robin Reynolds a Soulforce Rider from Valdosta, Georgia briefly spoke on how many groups were previously oppressed, trying to distinguish their struggles from those who are LGBT.

The Soulforce Equality Ride had been planned for months in advance, starting in October. The directors of Soulforce sent letters to colleges and universities in order to open up dialogue with administrators to see if they would be able have access to the campus and its students. Although Spring Arbor University was not originally on their list of schools to travel to, several members of the Spring Arbor University community wrote letters requesting they come visit the school. Since Soulforce had not been in conversation with SAU administration, they visited off campus to meet with the students, faculty, and community members that wanted to discuss the recent events on campus and university policies.

"You find that schools administrators will do many things to minimize presence… even actually threatening the students with discipline," said Jarrett Lucas, Co-Director of Equality Ride East Bus and Young Adult Director of Outreach.]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-04-26T03:12:07-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/6cfd46293b25c5796a81c9d15400a416-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/6cfd46293b25c5796a81c9d15400a416-1.html#unique-entry-id-1Soulforce Equality Ride visits Spring Arbor University
By Todd A. Heywood
Originally printed 04/26/2007 (Issue 1517 - Between The Lines News)

SPRING ARBOR - The East Coast team of Soulforce Equality Ride met with students, faculty and community members in Spring Arbor Saturday afternoon. Joining the 25 activists were about 20 students and community members.

Spring Arbor refused to allow the activists on campus, so the group met across the street at Township Park for four hours.

Across M-60, troopers from the Michigan State Police, deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and officers from Spring Arbor Township patrolled the campus of this conservative Christian university. Spring Arbor students say they heard administrators tell student leaders Soulforce came to Christian universities to "embarrass" the universities with "megaphones," and plans to get arrested.

However, Soulforce had already promised they would not enter the campus and they didn't. They spent the afternoon having a barbecue picnic, tossing a football, playing on the playground equipment and discussing transgender issues with the gathered students and faculty.

They did promise they would be back next year.

"Spring Arbor will definitely be on the list," Katie Higgins, co-director of the Soulforce team, said. "We want to continue this conversation."

After a careful and rousing chorus of Om Shanti, the group launched into what organizers called a dialogue.

Drew Hinkle, an SAU student who is openly gay, told the gathered Soulforce team what LBGT and ally students have endured in the last months while attending SAU, including harassment of students who attended a bowling event recently. "Apparently you're not allowed to bowl with gay people," Hinkle said. "They think we're intolerant of their religious perspective."

Joanne Nemecek, wife of Julie Nemecek the transgender professor recently fired by Spring Arbor, joined the group and spoke as well. She told the story of her struggle to accept Julie, and her struggle with God, which she says was resolved when she prayed. "I told God I didn't love the whole person,"she said. "I turned it all over to God, and God turned my heart right around."

She spoke of seeing the "fingerprint of God" in all people, and finding an amazement at God's diverse creation.

Soulforce arrived without incident and left without incident. They added the stop to the Equality Ride after a concerted letter writing campaign to bring them to Spring Arbor. The university was between a stop in Ohio and the group's next stop in Grand Rapids, where they will attempt to dialogue with students, faculty and staff at Calvin College and at Cornerstone University.]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-04-12T03:55:11-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/8e21c720ac03626ca8be1698966da83b-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/8e21c720ac03626ca8be1698966da83b-10.html#unique-entry-id-10drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-04-12T03:25:43-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/31cc6fba83fbaef6a36094d449acff53-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/31cc6fba83fbaef6a36094d449acff53-3.html#unique-entry-id-3Censoring mail
Originally printed 04/12/2007 (Issue 1514 - Between The Lines News)

Letters to the editor

I suppose National Geographic and Star magazine are against the rules as well (At Spring Arbor)? Wouldn't want people thinking or seeing inappropriate images. Spring Arbor is crazy if they can ban "Out" an alternative magazine. I can't believe they think that they can go through an individual's mail. If they can't act as a post office, they should just end the service all together. Our brilliant leader, President Bush was trying to pass a law that would allow the government to look at other peoples mail. It's weird to think who might be thought as a terrorist or what would be considered terrorist activity. I seriously doubt there is a conspiracy against Spring Arbor. Thus they shouldn't be opening any mail not addressed to them. I do hope more students at Spring Arbor stand up cause they are doing nothing wrong.

Frank Vaca
Holt, MI]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-04-10T04:12:25-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/364d5620e7ea2d63798532afe264ff0d-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/364d5620e7ea2d63798532afe264ff0d-14.html#unique-entry-id-14Student newspapers pulled
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
By Chad Livengood
clivengood@citpat.com -- 768-4918

For weeks, officials at Spring Arbor University have hoped the story about a fired transgender professor who filed a discrimination claim would go away.

Last month, the administration took matters into their own hands, removing from racks about 500 copies of the Crusader, a university-funded student newspaper. The issue included a story about the university's settlement with Julie Nemecek.

The papers were confiscated on the morning of March 23 -- a day after being placed at sites around campus.

Five days later, administrators gave the student editor-in-chief the option of getting the papers back -- but only if the Nemecek article was cut out. Rebecca Eve Schweitzer complied, taking the scissors to 75 copies for redistribution. The rest were thrown out voluntarily.

"It was frustrating," said Schweitzer, a Sterling Heights senior. "But I was happy to get the rest of the issue back because there were a lot of good articles."

University officials declined to answer questions about their action, but issued a statement saying Laniaya Hoofatt's article, "Settlement reached in Nemecek issue," contained inaccurate and incomplete information.

"The student newspaper is a legal entity of the university and as such has an obligation to adhere to the highest standards in reporting and journalistic integrity," the statement read.

The statement did not specify what was deemed inaccurate.

The article reported a settlement had been reached in Nemecek's equal employment opportunity complaint and that the terms were not disclosed.

It also included statements from the former John Nemecek that appeared on a blog posted by her son, myfathershe.blogspot.com.

The student editors acknowledge the story misidentified Nemecek's wife as Pam. The former professor's wife's name is Joanne.

That error could have been corrected in the next edition, said Mike Hiestand, attorney and legal consultant for the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va.

"That's why you have correction space in a newspaper," Hiestand said. "You do mess up on occasion."

But pulling the paper off the racks and ordering a student editor to self-censor seems to cross the line of ethical treatment of the press, he said.

"It may be legal, but it certainly is not the right thing to do," said Hiestand, who deals with similar issues at private colleges across the country.

It particularly rankled the student editors that Crusader stories on Feb. 8 and 15 about the Nemecek issue and the national press attention it has received were never called into question.

"We didn't get in trouble for that at all," Assistant Editor Aaron Mueller said.

The university has never had a prior-review policy, where administrators review material and have the right to edit and pull stories before publication. Such policies are common at other private colleges and high schools.

"It really is unclear to us what we can get away with and what we can't," Mueller said.

The Crusader's media board of directors -- consisting of students, professors and other campus constituencies -- will meet later this spring to discuss the issue, said Wally Metts, co-adviser of the newspaper and chair of the communications and media department.

"They're a great group of kids and they care about the community," Metts said. ]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-03-30T04:15:06-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/85120b18a78e9558ad731cd1873f11b4-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/85120b18a78e9558ad731cd1873f11b4-15.html#unique-entry-id-15Spring Arbor University erred in treatment of faculty member
Friday, March 30, 2007
Kalamazoo Gazette
By Maxine Thome

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the largest professional organization of social workers with more than 150,000 members worldwide, has firm policies regarding the ethical treatment of people who are of diverse gender expression or identity. As executive director of the NASW-Michigan Chapter, which represents more than 7,500 social workers from all across the state, I am writing to express our deep concern over the unethical and dehumanizing treatment and eventual firing of a transgender professor at Spring Arbor University.

The NASW policy on gender identity issues is clearly set forth in ``Social Work Speaks,'' and among other guidelines, its requirements include the following:

1. NASW ``promotes proactive efforts to eliminate psychological, social and physical harm directed toward transgender people and to portray them accurately and compassionately.''

2. NASW ``supports the development of programs within schools'' that ``educate students, faculty, and staff about the range of gender diversity.''

3. NASW ``endorses policies in the public and private sectors that ensure nondiscrimination, that are sensitive to the health and mental health needs of transgender people, and that promote an understanding of gender expression and identity issues.''

4. NASW ``encourages the repeal of laws and discriminatory practices that impede individuals from identifying with and/or expressing (their) gender.... in all areas of the public arena, especially employment.''

Spring Arbor University includes satellite educational facilities in 14 communities across Michigan. Students and community members learn not only by attending classes at Spring Arbor, but also by observing the actions of the school's administration.

When President Gayle D. Beebe and the Spring Arbor Executive Team removed Professor Julie Nemecek from her position as Dean of Adult Learning and severely curtailed her ability to perform her professorial duties, subsequently dismissing her from the university, they set a particularly poor example, not just for Spring Arbor students, but for the citizens of Michigan as well. Rather than teaching from a Christian perspective, they taught from a perspective of unfounded fear.

Whether Julie Nemecek is a woman, a man, or a transsexual, one thing is certain -- her gender is clearly female. She has always been a female, and this is confirmed by her health providers. No administrator, whether at Spring Arbor University or at any other such institution, can refute her gender status as a woman without risking a charge of practicing medicine without a medical license -- nor should they be able to challenge her status. Ethics, and even simple good manners, require that Julie Nemecek be treated with the same respect as any other faculty member who identifies as a woman or as a man.

I urge Spring Arbor University's administration to stop demanding that Julie Nemecek come to campus in men's clothing, when she is clearly a woman -- this is a very strange request, and would only be acceptable if you were to require all of your female faculty and staff to wear men's clothing at work. I further urge Spring Arbor University to return this fine professor to her job, both as a faculty member and as a dean.

President Beebe, how would you maintain your dignity and self respect if you were required to come to campus dressed as a woman, while knowing that you are a man? What your administration has required of Julie Nemecek is no less reprehensible than this.

I call upon the administration of Spring Arbor University to set a better example for their students and campus communities throughout Michigan. You may just have enough time left to use this as a learning experience for your administration, and thus as an example of a genuinely enriching educational process occurring at Spring Arbor University.

Maxine Thome is the executive director of the Michigan chapter of The National Association of Social Workers.]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-03-29T03:23:36-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/4a4f6247394890128069256575efcdd8-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/4a4f6247394890128069256575efcdd8-2.html#unique-entry-id-2Opening student mail, federal crime?
By Todd A. Heywood
Originally printed 3/29/2007 (Issue 1513 - Between The Lines News)

SPRING ARBOR-- When Drew Hinkle ran into Kim Hayworth, the Director of Student Services at Spring Arbor University saying she needed to talk with him, he was leery. LBGT students fear being called in by this department because it is the department charged with punishment for students who break the rules.

When Hinkle, who is an out gay student, arrived at Hayworth's office, he was stunned to be handed a copy of Out Magazine that had been intercepted and opened. Hayworth told Hinkle it was okay for him to get Out Magazine and have it. However Hinkle says he was told they would prefer he have it delivered somewhere else.

Out Magazine arrives in a black plastic sleeve, much like pornography, which is against the rules for students at SAU to have or view.

Jamie also says a friend of hers who received packages from home also suffered from opened mail.

Officials from Spring Arbor University refused to return phone calls and emails on this situation.

U.S. Postal Inspector D. L. Carter says opening mail is a federal crime. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service.

"The fact that they are a Christian college gives them no right or privilege to open first class mail that is not addressed to them directly," he said. "Absolutely it is a violation of federal law to open first class mail. It is protected by the sanctity of the seal."

Carter says it is important to report the cases of mail tampering to his office. Calling it a "hate crime" based on the description provided by BTL of the incidents of Hinkle and Jamie's friend, who were singled out for mail searches because they were perceived to be gay or lesbian.

Any one who has been a victim of mail tampering at Spring Arbor University is asked to call Carter at (313) 226-8122 or online at USPS.com.]]>drewhinkle@springarborgsa.comNews2007-03-22T03:28:58-04:00http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/416a1220fb2027c8e5cf76f82616d823-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://homepage.mac.com/runyonkate/My%20Website/files/416a1220fb2027c8e5cf76f82616d823-4.html#unique-entry-id-4Contract between LCC and Spring Arbor up in air
Settlement on transgender case offers no resolution
By Todd A. Heywood
Originally printed 3/22/2007 (Issue 1512 - Between The Lines News)

LANSING -The settlement between Julie Marie Nemecek and Spring Arbor University, the conservative Christian university south of Lansing which fired Nemecek last month for being transgender, may not resolve the ongoing concerns Lansing Community College has about a proposed partnership between the two entities.

LCC, Michigan's third largest community college, announced last year that it would partner with SAU to provide classes at a new multimillion dollar University Center Building at LCC. LCC officials say the contract has been on hold since the story of Nemecek, as well as anti-gay and other repressive policies of the organization have come to light.

"We are still investigating the relationships with our partners and how our policies align, including those of Spring Arbor," says LCC spokesperson Tess Brown. "Our equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies are clear, and we are looking at it to see if contracting with an outside agency like Spring Arbor would violate our policies."

Brown says the situation is being reviewed by outside legal counsel.

Nemecek, who began her transition in 2003 when she came out to her wife Joanna, was an associate dean of adult studies at Spring Arbor, and had been there 16 years when the University chose to fire her. In a letter to students, SAU President Gayle Beebe wrote that Nemecek's gender issues were not within the Christian faith. The University, Beebe argued, had to take a stand in order to protect it's Christ-centered education.

Nemecek sued in federal court, and on Monday settled with SAU for an undisclosed financial amount. She says she is looking at other teaching opportunities and wants to pursue diversity training opportunities.

Spring Arbor University put out a press statement saying the settlement was "mutually satisifactory." It says on its website it takes the relationships with outside organizations like LCC very seriously and will continue to work to keep the partnership.

Nemecek said in an email to BTL,"I still do hope, as I said before mediation, that LCC looks carefully at any relationship with SAU."]]>