The Impact News

Issue date: 3/15/06 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Armando Reyes The crucifix that was displayed at Main Hall, before it was hidden behind a banner.

Some individuals might only vaguely remember the Cross which was displayed the commencement of Christmas break hung over the north wall of the Main Hall foyer at Mercy College's Dobbs Ferry campus. However, the memory of that symbol still looms in the minds of some students who don't understand why it is currently covered behind a Mercy College banner.
According to Phil McNamara, the Manager of Public Relations at Mercy, the cross was covered on Jan. 5 of this year.
"The cross was covered to avoid marginalizing members of our community. Mercy has no plans to reverse a decision that was made after considerable debate," said McNamara.
United States Act No. 474 U.S 484 states that colleges subsidizing or sponsoring religion will not receive federal aid.
The Impact made several attempts to contact the Financial Aid office at Mercy, but received no response.
So the question still lies, is this act the reason for Mercy covering up the cross? Is the real issue marginalizing the community or marginalizing funds?
While the college has made it's decision, students such as Chakayla Thompson, a liberal arts major and Christian, take serious issue with the covering of the cross.
"The cross was one of the positive aspects I admired when I first started in 2003. It is considered by us Christians as one of the most effective ways to warding off evil," said Thompson.
The Christian cross is a very familiar religious symbol of Christianity. It is significant for Christians world wide based on the gospel accounts of the New Testament, which describe the manner of Jesus Christ's death at crucifixion.
However, while the college is concerned with the marginalization of non-Christians in the college, students such as Sharon Sklar, a psychology major, state that they were not bothered by its symbolic meaning, but rather respected it.
"Although I am Jewish, I really did not have a problem with the cross being up. It represents dignity and pride for Christian individuals," said Sklar.
Other non-Christians, like Felicia Graiser, a retired Yonkers Public School teacher and a Jehovah Witness, disagree and feel excluded by the lack of cross representation and religious symbols displayed.
"Since the 1930s, Jehovah Witnesses have taught that Christ died suspended not on a cross, so why should only a Christian Cross be displayed in a public school, or even a four year institute. What about the other thousands of forms of Cross," said Graiser."
What do we as students think of the Christian Cross being covered up? Is it right or is it wrong? Log on to www.The ImpactNews.com and send your comments in today.

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