Student Voice (newspaper)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the concept related to young people's perspectives on education, see student voice
The Student Voice was an unofficial newspaper of Pensacola Christian College (PCC) that ran from 1996 to 2003. It is said to have made significant challenges against the rules of PCC.
A PCC alumnus, along with several students, anonymously started and ran this newspaper. The editors saw the rules as a form of legalism and asserted that the rules prevented the college from attaining its objectives. The president of PCC, Dr. Arlin Horton, responded to the newspaper's first issue with a speech in the campus chapel, calling the newspaper an attack from Satan, reminding students that they agreed to follow the rules when they came, that they were not forced to attend the school, and that anyone involved with the newspaper was subject to expulsion. [1] PCC still lists "Participation in [an] unauthorized petition, newsletter, demonstration, protest, or riot" as an offense resulting in expulsion. This rule extends to alumni; alumni who are participating in such protests are removed from the alumni records. Because of this, the editors of The Student Voice edited their earlier issues under pseudonyms, such as Mr. X and Leibniz, though they did eventually reveal their identities.
The Student Voice later moved to the Internet under the domain name of "PensacolaChristianCollege.com". Because the domain name led visitors to believe it was the college's website, the college sought to have the name revoked, but the arbitration board found that it was obtained in good faith and did not grant the transfer.[2] As of 2005, the newspaper's archives are still being hosted there; but the newspaper's editors have not released an issue of The Student Voice since 2003 and now encourage readers to participate at PCCBoard rather than expect new issues.
The website of The Student Voice also hosts a Rules Compendium, which is a comprehensive listing of the rules which the newspaper protested, as well as a copy of PCC's student handbook from the 2001-2002 academic year. PCC's website makes no mention of the rules and provides no copies of their student handbook, so The Student Voice hosts the only comprehensive online copies of those documents.
