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Author Topic: Donor changes mind  (Read 6036 times)

SoCalwarrior

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Donor changes mind
« on: February 28, 2007, 09:15:30 PM »
Reminds me of the Warriors debate.

College donor changes mind over a cross
William and Mary contributor withholds pledge because of change to chapel
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:31 p.m. PT Feb 28, 2007

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - A longtime donor to the College of William and Mary is withholding a $12 million pledge because of the decision to remove a cross from a campus chapel, the school said.

The donor, who was not identified, changed his mind after school President Gene Nichol decided in October that the cross should be stored in a sacristy to make the chapel welcoming to students of all faiths, Nichol spokesman Mike Connolly said.

The loss of the funds “represents a serious setback to the college,” Nichol wrote in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. “While I know it is intended to make a policy statement, ultimately it only hurts our students.”

Advocates of keeping the cross in Wren Chapel pointed to the school’s founding 300 years ago as an institution of the Anglican Church. The cross, they argued, should be displayed not only as a symbol of faith but as an acknowledgment of history and tradition.

Nichol’s supporters say the school, which has been public since 1906, is obligated to make people of different faiths feel comfortable.

StillAWarrior

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Re: Donor changes mind
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2007, 12:25:57 PM »
“While I know it is intended to make a policy statement, ultimately it only hurts our students.”

I know he was talking about the donor's decision to withold the pledge, but Nichol could just have easily been referring to his decision to remove the cross.
Never wrestle with a pig.  You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.

ONeills Barstool

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Re: Donor changes mind
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2007, 12:39:59 PM »
The loss of the funds “represents a serious setback to the college,” Nichol wrote in an e-mailed statement Tuesday.

Absolutely ridiculous - these PC stories make me ill.  I'm betting that the donor who now has an extra $12,000,000 on his hands is shocked that, with that many reasons, the school hasn't changed direction.  Apparently the setback is not serious enough.  

“While I know it is intended to make a policy statement, ultimately it only hurts our students.”

Um...Hello...William and Mary...anybody home...I think the college already made the policy statement.  

And what hurts the students more,  having a cross at a chapel or NOT having $12,000,000 towards whatever it was going to be used for - which I'm sure would have benefitted students in some way/shape/form.  

I applaud the donor.  Unfortunately, it appears that some of his buddies need to follow suit.

Nichol’s supporters say the school, which has been public since 1906, is obligated to make people of different faiths feel comfortable.

So build a non-denominational chapel to make the "others" comfortable...It wouldn't cost $12,000,000....but it would probably make the atheists uncomfortable....can't have that either.






WashDCWarrior

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Re: Donor changes mind
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2007, 03:33:59 PM »
So build a non-denominational chapel to make the "others" comfortable...It wouldn't cost $12,000,000....but it would probably make the atheists uncomfortable....can't have that either.

Spend $5M on a non-denominational chapel, $5M on a campus bar with a "No Praying" sign, and you still have $2M you can spend to replace the highly offensive Tribe logo with feathers with the politically correct Tribe logo without feathers.  :P

spiral97

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Re: Donor changes mind
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2007, 04:27:56 PM »
College partially reverses direction

Quote
WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) -- Removing an 18-inch brass cross from the altar of the oldest college chapel in the United States proved a costly decision -- dozens of alumni withheld contributions, including one whose pledges totaled $12 million.

An ad hoc committee at the College of William and Mary hopes to defuse the protest by offering a compromise between the school president's plan and its critics when it comes to Wren Chapel.

The committee, created by President Gene R. Nichol to study the role of religion at public universities, unanimously recommended that the cross be prominently displayed in the chapel in a glass case, accompanied by a plaque explaining the school's Anglican roots.

The cross will not be displayed on the altar under the compromise announced Tuesday. Its exact placement has not been determined.

The cross also will remain available for use on the altar during religious services. The chapel's sacristy, where the cross had been stored, will be expanded to house sacred objects of other religious traditions for use in worship.

The practice is similar to that of other universities with historic chapels, including the University of Virginia, officials said.

"I would never make any prediction about things being over, but I think that it's a very reasonable course for the college to take," Nichol said.

He said the recommendation, while perhaps not exactly what he and others might have wanted, is a middle ground that recognizes the school's heritage while also making the chapel a more welcoming place to students of all faiths -- which was his intention when he ordered the cross removed in October.

"I don't think it was the ideal solution, but I think it's something a lot of people can rally around," Ben Locher, a 21-year-old senior from Pittsburgh and a student founder of a group called Save the Wren Cross, said Tuesday.

The cross had been on the altar since about 1940. Under Nichol's change, the cross was removed, but could be returned to the altar for religious services upon request.

"The Wren controversy has been a decidedly difficult and sometimes painful one for this community," Nichol said during a news conference. "It has touched depths of disagreement -- heartfelt and significant disagreement -- that I didn't fully anticipate."

Opponents argued Nichol's action was an attack on Christianity and dishonored William and Mary's heritage. The college was founded by royal charter in 1693 with a mission that included training Anglican ministers.

More than 17,000 alumni, students and others signed a petition opposing the removal of the cross at a Web site started by alumnus Vince Haley, research director at the American Enterprise Institute.

More than 2,000 people signed an alternate Web site petition that cropped up later in support of Nichol.

Last week, the college confirmed someone had rescinded promises to donate $12 million because the cross had been removed. Nichol said such losses are disheartening and the school will make an effort to reach out to all alumni and donors.
Once a warrior always a warrior.. even if the feathers must now come with a beak.

 

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