In its own Jesuitical way, Boston College is trying to be Catholic in more than name only.
For example, courtesy of Andy Rota at the The Observer at Boston College, we have learned that BC Law took down the link to Planned Parenthood which had appeared on its website guide for students. Similarly, Kerry Cronin, a philosophy professor at BC recently satirized and tried to offer an alternative to the hookup culture prevalent on many campuses, including the Jesuit preserved where she works, in a speech there.
“She listed ten rules of the hookup culture—among them the requirements to be chill (not awkward), drink alcohol, not talk, not act interested, and to remove one’s feelings completely,” Dennis Carr reported in The Observer At Boston College. “Many laughs were shared throughout the night, especially with some hookup rules like ‘know where your shoes are’ and ‘it’s a good story—now tell it to people.’
“Some people nodded their head as Professor Cronin listed each rule, simultaneously laughing and acknowledging the truths about the hookup culture that she was delivering.”
By way of contrast, “Having diagnosed the problem, Cronin offered her prescription—the alternative to the hookup culture—a thing called ‘dating,’” Carr wrote. Incidentally, Cronin gets rave reviews on ratemyprofessors.com.
That same issue of The Observer featured a review of a BC performance by “the popular all men’s dace group Sexual Chocolate” by Brielle Killmartin. Less benignly, in the November 16, 2010 issue of The Observer, Max Bindernagel elaborated on the activities of a group called Boston College Students for Sexual Health.
University officials interviewed by Bindernagel hastened to point out that BCSSH carries no official imprimatur at BC. Dr. Patrick Rombalski, Vice President of Student Affairs, told Bindernagel that they “are not a recognized student organization nor have they attempted to become one.”
“At Boston College, they do not have the rights that recognized organizations hold such as reserving a room or sponsoring a program on campus.”
Nevertheless, “The Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) have become more noticeable on campus lately,” Bindernagel wrote. “The group’s recent actions, such as distributing condoms, protesting the Pro-Life Club, and hosting ‘Sex Toy Bingo,’ all force Boston College to assess its mission as a Catholic school.”
Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.
If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org
