National News

The Cadre + 22September 1998

Religious group raises concerns on Dalhousie campus )

HALIFAX (CUP) -- A number of students at Dalhousie University have complained about on-campus soliciting by a fringe religious group, raising questions about what role the university can play inregulating faith.

At least one student has complained to the university’ s student union, alleging he was harassed by someone from a branch of the International Church of Christ.

And several other stu- dents have complained about the same group, saying they were uncomfortable with the way they were approached, says Brian Kellow, executive vice-president of Dalhousie’s student union.

“I’ve had about a half a dozen students who came to me who said they’d been ap- proached,” Kellow said.

One student said he was called repeatedly athome. And

the family of another student who was approached called

portant freedoms on both sides,” said Eric McKee, Dalhousie’s vice-president of student services. “There’s the rightto hold and advance views and the right to peace and quiet and to be left alone.”

“The campus is an open place, but it’s not legally pub- lic. The right to advance views and ideas is guarded.”

Kevin Robins, the minis- ter for the Halifax-Dartmouth branch, says he’s upset by al- legations church members were harassing students.

He also says the allega- tions are ridiculous because forceful recruitment tech- niques go against the basic beliefs of the church. If mem- bers of his congregation are using such tactics, Robins knows nothing about it, he says.

“I disagree it [harass- ment] happened here at Dalhousie,” Robins said. “I find it very hard to believe.”

“Tf it really was harass- ment an arrest can be made

to recruit new members. “We've had people com- plain that they were ap- proached and harassed, and eople were calling their ome,” said Pam Persaud, of York University’s student af- fairs office in Toronto. “They usually approach this time of year, to first year students and new Canadians

who look lost or alone,” she said of the group.

Inresponse to those com- plaints, York University used an old student harassment regulation to try to limit the group’s behaviour.

Applied to solicitation practices of the Church of Christ, York defined harass-

ment as continuing contact after a student has refused to attend a meeting.

If the person doing the soliciting is a student, he or she can be asked to stop or pun- ished under the regulation. If the solicitor isn’t a student, he or she can be removed from campus.

UBC to teach alternative therapies to medical students

BY JAMIE WOODS

VANCOUVER (CUP) --

Medical students at the Uni-

versity of British Columbia

willsoon be able to learn how

to treat patients with acu-

puncture as well as Tylenol.

Beginning in January,

the university will become the first in Canada to offer its medical school students a

tions about complementary medicine and if we turn around and say, ‘look this doesn’t ex- ist,’ then we are only fooling ourselves,” she said.

An Angus Reid poll con- ducted in October 1997 re-

vealed 7 in 10 Canadians think provincial health care plans should coveralternative medi-

“T’malittlesurprised that [UBC is] putting the course on,” he said. “I think that our major concern would be that we would always emphasize that medicine should be evi- dence based, and some alter-

native therapies are less than adequate in a scientific evi- dence base.”

police over the matter, said andit’sneverbeendone.A lot course in alternative thera- cine costs, and 56 per cent of Chris Lam, a doctor and Kellow. hee . Of people justdon’tlike being pies. The fourth-year class British Columbians now use acupuncturist who But the issue is a sensi- invitedtochurch.Idon’tthink wil] introduce students to alternative medicine. the course along with Merali, tiveone, he warms. there’s a harassment issue on —_ techniques suchas acupunc- The widespread use of says there are weaknesses in slt's a tricky business. campus. I think there’s an in- ture, ayurveda, homeopathy, alternativetherapies istherea- every medical tradition thatan You don’t want to stifle any vitation issue on campus,” he rthomolecular medicine, son UBC’s faculty of medi- integrative approach could help legitimate religion on campus, _ said. ' : shen therapy, Native Ameri- cine is introducing the course, offset. and we don’t want to be decid- Church of Christ mem- canspiritualhealingandthera- says Andrew C ers, asso- “The weakness in tradi- ing ye logitinstpche a bers feel it ster ereer peutic touch. ciate dean of the faculty’s un- tional Chinese medicine is in “The group’s beliefs ity to invite others to atten Students who elect t program. the aggressive surgical areas have nothing to do with our theirchurchservicesifthere’s take theclass will also spend “Studeutsnned totniler-~ dcate medial contin ties actions. It’s their methods we any chance they may want to amonthstudyingoneormore stand what people are doing, trauma,” said Lam. disagree with,” added Kellow. attend, Robins explained. of those fields with a certi- they need to understand what “Conversely, the short- Butthe university’ s chief “We don’t know who fied practitioner. kinds of potential problems comingsof western medicine, of security says as far as he might be interested,” he said. The course, which will there are, as some comple- suchasmind-body conditions, knows, the Halifax-Dartmouth “It’s too bad everyone who is operate on a trial basis from mentary medicines react very chronicconditions, canbe dealt Church of Christ, which has interested couldn’t wear a January to May, will go one _ nastily with some of our tradi- with much better by traditional been soliciting students on- green shirt or something, but step further than an existing tional therapies,” he said. Chinese medicine.” campus and around the city they can’t.” class that outlines the con- “Theyalso need to understand Megan Corcoran, afirst- for the past year, hasn’t done Onechurchmemberwas cepts of alternative, or com- thatcomplementary therapies year medical student, sa anything wrong. told he wasn t allowed back plementary, medicine. have a ic effect.” she'll consider taking the ‘Aslongaseveryoneacts into Dalhousie’s student union Dr. Nazmudein Merali, But Dr. Jim Lane, presi- course. appropriately there isnoneed buildingbecauseofcomplaints, 4 general practitioner who dent of the British Columbia “[’mnotastrong believer for intervention (on the part of added Robins, who said he proposed the course to the: Medical Association, says in that stuff, but I'd take campus security),” said Sandy advised the member nottore- faculty, says UBC needs to while it’s OK to make stu- course to be aware of it so I MacDonald. turn to the school. ) integratealternativetherapies dents aware of complemen- know what’s out there and ____ The university says the —_- Dalhousie isn’t the first into itsteachingifitwantsto tary medicine, he’s ckeptical what it’s al about,” she said. issue isnotclear-cut. __ Canadian campus where the —_ keep up with the times. about the scientific basis of “There are certain im- Church ofChristhas attempted “People are asking ques- alternative therapies.

:

ee ee ee ee ee ee ee 2 ee ee eee