King’s Students Sign Proposal to Filter Porn on Campus Wifi
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A proposal to filter out porn from King’s WiFi was sent out to members of the student body, staff and faculty last Thursday, Feb. 7.
The House of Churchill’s Chamberlain Isaac Coston created and sent the proposal to all house chamberlains. Since then, the proposal has circulated throughout the student body, faculty, staff and alumni. It has acquired 41 signatures, three of them being staff/faculty. According to Coston, the proposal only needed 30 signatures to push a proposal forward.
The proposal has no intention of confiscating technological devices such as laptops or cellphones. He also does not want a school-imposed filter on student property.
He wants to implement a filter on King's funded Wi-Fi.
“Students are old enough to make their own decisions, but that doesn't mean that King's has to pay for those decisions,” Coston said.
Last October, University of Notre Dame students requested that the university implement a filter to make pornography inaccessible on the Wi-Fi.
In The Observer, a student-run publication, Notre Dame students wrote a letter to the editor addressing this proposal.
Over 1,000 students, faculty and staff pledged their support to the cause at University of Notre Dame. This act on behalf of Notre Dame’s student body played a part in the inspiration behind Coston’s proposal to the school.
“I am proposing the filter because my classmates and I believe that pornography is evil and destructive. That is the purpose behind the proposal. It is similar to IDs at bars. It does not stop people from getting fakes, but it sends the message that underage drinking is wrong. While the filter won't stop the use entirely, it is a great first step in addressing the evil of porn. There is nothing redeemable about watching sexual abuse on camera,” Coston said.
Coston hopes that his petition would spark a conversation on campus.
“Pornography is most powerful when it is kept secret, a tab is easily closed. The more open discussions we have about its effects and potential solutions, the easier it will be to address it on both personal and communal levels,” Coston said.
Some students agree with the recent proposal even though they are skeptical on whether or not the filter will actually stop everyone from watching it.
“But then, in itself, porn preys on the men and women involved on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. So given that, I think it's a good idea to block porn wherever possible, especially at a Christian college. Of course, it won't stop some people from looking at porn on other hotspots, especially if they struggle with an addiction, but it does lay a firm boundary that represents the values of the school,” said Corrie ten Boom Chamberlain Arianna Haynes.
Some people support the filter simply because of the difficulty it adds in accessing pornography.
“I think it’s a good idea because if people do struggle with a porn addiction then it’s one more step they would have to [go through to] access it,” said King’s sophomore Lydia Vreeman.
However, some students believe that as adults, King’s students should have the freedom to decide what they watch.
“I think that it is absolutely ludicrous to try and ban porn from King’s WiFi. We’re all adults, and it is our job to be able to choose whether or not we spend our days watching people do sexual things on camera... I don’t see it being implemented. I believe that at least a small majority of students will recognize that this petition is an infringement on their rights,” said junior William Kirkpatrick.
One student, freshman Lauren Smith considers it an, “invasion of her privacy and another way of controlling the student body.”
“I believe the intentions are sound, but sex is inescapable in a world of young adults,” Smith said.
According to Coston on Feb. 11, he has plans to propose the filter to the administration. This proposal contains logistics about which filters could be used and their costs.
As of Feb. 11, Dean of Students David Leedy had not received a proposal yet.
“Once we receive that, we will take it very seriously and determine the best course forward,” Leedy said.