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FEATURES Wednesday, September 24,2003 - Page 9 Where Did all the Crosses GO?: Big Baker Loses a Piece of its Symbolism BAILEY FANNIN The United Methodist Church, the new McDaniel College is not Bible (religion), and Francis Bacon "We used to be a Methodistcol- Staff Writer at the time, was not extremely affiliated with a religion. (science) all the as- wealthy, and pects that Western lege" one surveyed student, Jason The roof of Big Baker is barren could not finan- Cashen, wrote, .. but we broke ties College and ridged. It's missing something cially support the Maryland its self on. because of a law suit, before it was prided that it had had for years and years college. Now all that re- even settled. before. The college It's quite disrespectful to God, It is missing its cross; it's iden- was trying to Jesus Christ, and our students to break ties because we made one titication as the religious center of build Lewis Hall person upset." Western Maryland College. at the time and Although most of the surveyed It has been 36 years since the could not fund students liked the fact that campus of Western Maryland Col- both the suit and McDaniel was not affiliated with a lege has been affiliated with a reli- the building. religion, most supported having gion. Pre-1974 our official affilia- Since losing vigils for the war victims. tion was with the United Method- a previous suit in ist Church. 1962 for our re- Nick D' Agostino wrote, in re- All of our presidents were ligious affilia- affected sponse to the question of whether Methodists and 3/4 of our Board lion, the presi- or not the vigils for the war victims of Trusties consisted of Methodist dent of WMC were appropriate for a non-affili- ministers until the 1960's. decided that, ated school, "As a non-affiliated In 1972 the ACLU brought a from a financial school we should be open to all re- lawsuit on a number of religiously standpoint, offi- ligious gatherings. no matter what affiliated schools, including West- cially breaking religion." ern Maryland College, Loyola, and from the Meth- One surveyed So was the break from the College of Notre Dame of Mary- odist church was ::;::;':;liill••• Methodist Church for the best? land. the best course ----- __ student reports that Who knows? Would the campus of • they like the fact that These colleges were being sued of action. Stop for a moment to compare McDaniel College is not affiliated McDaniel College have a different for not upholding the separation of According to Lightner most stu- the seal of Western Maryland Col- with a religion "because it allows sensation if the break had never church and state. dents did not realize the fact that lege to the new McDaniel College people practice their beliefs more occurred? The ACLU claimed these col- we had broken from the church, seal. Of course. Now McDaniel Col- Another leges were getting money from the even at the time. There is a minor change be- freely".' mat the non-affiliated student at- lege has more religious freedom, believes state as well as from their respec- There was no out rage, no riot- tween the two. mosphere "creates a more open more tolerance and more of a tive religions they were affiliated ing of students or faculy. Aside A hand holding a lit torch is re- learning environment" and gives rounded religious atmosphere. with. from "nit picky alterations", as moved, while only the rays of light students the opportunity 10 grow in This draws students 10;11 LiberBl where they call receive Arts school James Lightner, a fanner math Lightner described the changes, the that the torch once bore remains. their own personal faith. a quality education and have the professor of McDaniel College, re- main change on campus was the re- The hand in the WMC seal re- On the other side of the spec- freedom to practice whatever reli- calls that the Church from the be- moval of all the crosses. sembled the hand of God shining trum some students are not as posi- gion they want. ginning never really financially The absence of the crosses is down his rays of light on to the tive about the break for me Meth- supported Western Maryland Col- not the only physical reminder that books of Plato (liberal arts), The odist Church. lege. in C_;I~I~E,K L,1:<.-: rrT I~R We Specialize Shirts RUIIIllll Screen Prlndng & Embroidery T-shirtsSweats Hats Jackets & Much More STUDENT D,ISCOUNTS WESTMINSTER.MD 837 E Baltimore Blvd. 410.871.9600 Highway Center - Above Boomer's FAX: 410.871.9661