THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 10, 1995 TAG: 9505100495
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
While the U.S. Supreme Court considers their discrimination lawsuit, University of Virginia students have resurrected a religious magazine and made no attempt to tone down the evangelism.
``We weren't trying to keep it low profile to trick people into thinking it wasn't a Christian magazine, when it was,'' said Heather Brown, a U.Va. sophomore from Alexandria who helped publish Wide Awake. ``We were gung-ho about it.''
The 21-page spring edition of Wide Awake is the first issue since the editor sued the university in 1992 for rejecting a funding request.
It contains articles on the biblical principles behind America's founding and Jews who believe Jesus was the Messiah. On the cover is a detail from Michelangelo's depiction of God giving life to Adam.
``People have given their lives for this across the centuries,'' said Erick Sierra, the magazine's editor-in-chief. ``We wanted to make a strong statement.''
``We Christians can't, upon the denial of an appropriations check, cower back into our closets of anonymity, quiet and defeated, to rot forever,'' says a letter from the editor. ``Out of our mute closet we've come tumbling; here we are, to awake and be awakened, unto the glory of God on high.''
Founded in 1990 by former U.Va. student Ronald W. Rosenberger, Wide Awake applied for a university subsidy in 1991 and was denied on the grounds that the magazine constituted a religious activity. U.Va. maintains that no religious, political or social organizations may receive money from a student activity fund that all students are required to contribute to.
Rosenberger, who published four issues without the university's help until 1992, sued, charging discrimination and abridgement of his free speech rights. He pursued his case in federal district and appeals courts, both of which sided with U.Va.
The U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments in March and is expected to rule in June.
Wide Awake will continue even if the Supreme Court doesn't force the university to subsidize the magazine, Sierra said.
``Check or no check, funding or no funding, help or no help,'' he said, ``this is something that people believe very strongly in.''
Sierra said the national publicity the case garnered has been both a blessing and a curse. Selling advertisements to raise the $1,700 in printing costs, for instance, was not as easy as he expected. by CNB