Morality at a Christian school
Trinity Western University has a set of moral values, all clearly defined in its Community Covenant which every community member signs. Yet in the areas of sexual activity and drinking, there is a balance the University has found between prioritizing health and safety, yet not condoning otherwise immoral action.
The Community Covenant asks that students abstain sex outside of marriage, but not every student abides by this rule, which can create a tension in the Wellness Centre when people seek out contraceptives.
“Do we just give out condoms? No,” states campus nurse Michele Regehr. “The more important question,” Regehr argues, is how are services provided for students. “We want to give the best care when it comes to the individual.”
She continued to explain that the first priority is providing the best care on an individual basis, which sometimes includes prescribing contraceptives, providing STI tests or treatments, and giving the HPV vaccine. She shared that the TWU Wellness Centre staff have a unique opportunity that differes from other clinics to educate students on all their options.
“Thereís no judgment involved–I might say you have that right [to be sexually active] however, I’m not going to leave it [there but try to] educate [you] on all options,” Regehr stated.
Options like abstinence, which she reminds is the only 100 percent effective form of birth control and prevention against sexually transmitted infections. Regehr defines the care at the Wellness Centre as “holistic. We would rather talk with them, not to try to change mind[s] but present education.”
Regehr stated that their care is “well received” and they have not really run into problems with complaints from either students or others.
Another issue that has received some attention is what role the University should play in stopping students from drinking and driving. Off campus alcohol consumption is allowed by the Community Covenant, but drunkenness is forbidden. With the legal blood alcohol limit recently lowered to .05, some think a service should be provided offering students safe rides home.
Christian Sawka, Director of Operations and Services on TWUSA, looked into such a service, believing the lowered limit is “almost unrealistic.”
Sawka clarified that he was actually against the drinking rule being amended in 2008, but with the change being implemented, “something needs to be done to keep people safe.”
Ultimately, the idea never went further than that. TWUSA determined it wasn’t “necessarily something [they wanted] to look into” stated Sawka. “It’s a little too controversial.”
Controversial-schmontroversial! When student safety is potentially compromised based on the cowardice of the few, then something is wrong with that picture.
Sawka, if you read this, push the issue! TWUSA reps, you were elected into office to be the voice of the student body. Where’s our voice?