Sexuality club explores limits of expression
Student erects phallus, but can’t keep
it up
By Christine Morrissey
The Human Sexuality club tested
the boundaries of freedom of expression on September 29 when
they erected an unauthorized eleven-foot papier-mache penis on
the Quad during LPC Club Day.
Dan Vallentyne, the student founder of the Human Sexuality
club, chained the structure to a bench next to their display
table. While the penis was “not anatomically correct”
according to Rich Butler, LPC Director of Safety and Security,
students paid $1 to have their picture taken with it.
The fake phallus was apparently realistic enough, however,
to raise the ire of the LPC administration.
“It crossed the line to obscenity and it violated the
student conduct code,” said Karen Halliday, Vice-President
of Student Services. “And I wouldn’t have approved
it.”
LPC Student Conduct Code says, “students are subject
to disciplinary action for engaging in lewd, indecent, or obscene
behavior (either through conduct or expression) on campus property
or at a campus function.”
According to student government president Chris Conlon, the
display came to the attention of the LPC administration after
he passed the display while on a campus tour with a group of
representatives from the Chancellor’s office from Sacramento.
“It became very apparent that this was not a group trying
to raise some money to become a club, but a person with an ulterior
motive trying to see what the limit for freedom of expression
was on campus,” Conlon said.
When Conlon told Halliday about the display, she wanted it
removed, but when Conlon passed this message on, problems ensued.
According to Conlon, Vallentyne informed him that the display
was chained to the bench and that he did not have a key. Vallentyne
did cover the penis with a sheet.
Vallentyne said he chained the display to the bench because
its base was not stable and he was afraid of student vandalism.
Soon after covering the structure, LPC Security Officer Steven
Smally arrived to assess the situation. Within minutes he had
a pair of bolt cutters and two custodians at the scene.
According to Conlon the following events then took place.
Smally gave Vallentyne ten minutes to remove the display or
else he would take it down himself. An argument arose between
the two of them, at which time, Vallentyne pulled out a written
copy of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on how to define
obscenity.
Smally moved in to remove the
chain but Vallentyne repeatedly blocked his way. Smally and the
two custodians eventually cut the chain but when they tried to
remove the penis Vallentyne again intervened.
“It was a tug-of-war between the student and the security
officer,” said Rich Butler.
Another student stepped in to help Vallentyne, and in the
struggle a portion of the display ripped. Smally and the custodians
then carried the penis away.
Vallentyne met with Halliday, Smally, and Butler following
the incident.
“Fortunately, it didn’t turn out to be too big of
a crisis,” Butler said. “[Vallentyne] was testing his
perimeters. There were lessons learned by everyone.”
Halliday said that while there was no physical contact between
Vallentyne and Smally, student disciplinary actions are under
way.
Vallentyne said he was still unclear as to why the structure
was taken down.
The Human Sexuality club is not yet a bona fide club. The
Inter-Club Council has not voted to approve or deny the group
official club standing.
In order to be come a club, there must be at least eight active
members, an advisor, a statement of purpose, and a written constitution.
Sarah Thompson is the club’s advisor, but, according to
Halliday, paperwork has not been submitted by the club to Student
Services for approval.
Vallentyne did not receive approval from either Thompson or
Halliday to display the penis at Club Day.
“There was poor communication between me and the advisor,”
Vallentyne said.
This is the second time Vallentyne has bypassed Student Services
for approval, according to Conlon. Last month, he reportedly
posted flyers around campus that had phony approval stamps on
them. Apparently, Vallentyne took a flyer off one of the bulletin
boards on campus and photocopied its stamp. Then, he pasted the
stamp on his flyer and made copies of it. The flyers were unrelated
to the Human Sexuality club.
“I don’t have a problem with having a Human Sexuality
club, but I have a problem with the founder and the way he does
business,” said Conlon.
Mark Tang, the Inter-Club Council Chair, is recommending to
the council to deny Human Sexuality official club standing. ICC
will decide the fate of Human Sexuality at their next meeting
on November 3.
As for the eleven-foot penis itself, Vallentyne is looking
into selling the display to a local pornography shop. He did
not mention names of prospective buyers.