Boston College bans handing out free condoms

fox43.com:

Boston College is cracking down on condoms. According to the New York  Times  the Jesuit University is threatening a group, the Boston College  students for sexual health,  with expulsion for handing out free condoms.  Something they’ve been doing since 2009. But last month the group received a  letter from the dean of students that stated,

“The distribution of condoms is not congruent with our values and  traditions….”  Boston College is a Jesuit College.

So why are students giving away free condoms?  According to newyorktimes.com:

NEWTON, Mass. — Chelsea Lennox, a junior at Boston College, the Gothic university overlooking this natty Boston suburb, picked up a bouquet of brightly colored condom packages and put them into the envelope that she views as a tiny beacon of sexual health resources at the deeply Catholic institution.

“We have S.T.I. facts, birth control choices, how to choose one, and then Planned Parenthood locations and resources,” Ms. Lennox said of the contents, ready for distribution.

“We check for the integrity of every package. Everything we make sure is within its expiration date. The package is completely intact. There’s no lube leakage out of anything,” she said with a sheepish laugh.

Ms. Lennox is part of Boston College Students for Sexual Health, an unofficial campus group formed in 2009 that has worked with campus offices like residential life and health services to plan forums and programming around sexual health. On some Fridays, the group gives away condoms on a sidewalk adjacent to the campus, and it keeps an online list of about 15 dorm rooms, which it calls “safe sites,” where students can get free male and female condoms, lubricant and sexual health pamphlets.

But last month, Ms. Lennox and the other students involved in the effort received a letter from the administration, pressing them to stop. “The distribution of condoms is not congruent with our values and traditions,” read the letter, which was signed by Paul J. Chebator, the dean of students, and George Arey, the director of residential life.

“While we understand that you may not be intentionally violating university policy, we do need to advise you that, should we receive any reports that you are, in fact, distributing condoms on campus, the matter would be referred to the student conduct office for disciplinary action by the university,” the letter said.

Shoot, Boston College officials are going to get Boston College thrown out of the ACC.  Just kidding.  It seems to me that students are being responsible.  Perhaps the students can go off campus to accomplish the same purpose.

I have never figured out why “pro-life” institutions don’t do everything in their power to prevent pregnancy.  Preventing pregnancy is the best, most effect means of reducing abortion.  In this case, condom distribution has the added benefit of cutting down on STDs and AIDS.

Meanwhile the students involved in distribution say they have no intentions of stopping, regardless of threats of disciplinary action.

The NY Times reports that a spokeswoman for the group had the following to say:

“Students are going to be having sex regardless, and unless they have the education to know that you need to use a condom every time — for pregnancy prevention, S.T.I. prevention — and unless they have them available, they’re not going to use it,” said Lizzie Jekanowski, a senior and the chairwoman of the group. “It harkens to a much deeper Catholic morality of caring for your neighbor — and that’s literally what we’re doing, is caring for our neighbors.”

Ms. Jekanowski estimated that the group hands out up to 5,000 condoms a semester, some of them donated by the Great American Condom Campaign. The group receives money from outside sources like Washington-based Advocates for Youth, and is affiliated with the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

“We just wanted to help normalize the presence of condoms, whereas before, they were super taboo,” said Scott Jelinek, a founding member of the group, who graduated from Boston College in 2010 and teaches at a public school in Denver. “Students need the resources to make safe and healthy decisions.”

Students seem to be using their own consciences to implement what they see as doing the right thing.  Boston College officials would be wise to turn a blind eye to these crusaders and just let them alone.  Shame on BC for their ban on bc..