Monday, May 22, 2006

Of eye-kissing and making eye-babies . . .

In 2001, the Taliban were removed from power in Afghanistan. They promptly set up shop in Pensacola, Florida:

Rules at PCC are similar to those of other fundamentalist Christian colleges; the college maintains that "Attendance at PCC is a privilege not a right." The college has four levels of punishment; students can be socialed, campused, shadowed, or expelled. Students who have been socialed are not permitted to speak or interact with members of the opposite sex for two weeks. Campused students are not permitted to leave the campus grounds or speak with any other student being disciplined for two weeks. Individuals who are shadowed are assigned to a floor leader (a fellow student who is paid by PCC to enforce campus discipline) and must attend that person's classes, sleep in their room, and cannot speak with anyone else for the duration. The final form of punishment is expulsion from the college. Shadowing is often used in conjunction with expulsion, while a student is awaiting arrangements for him to leave campus. In certain circumstances, students have been made to leave campus within the 24 hour period after expulsion without arrangements being made.

Regulations govern all aspects of student life, including clothing, hairstyles, dorm room cleanliness, types of outside employment, borrowing, magazines, and music (only classical and traditional Christian music are permitted). It is currently being petitioned for the genre of country music to be allowed at the college, on the account "Southern" and "Christian" feel. In the past, PCC has only permitted students to listen to classical music or limited, traditional Christian music. Mixed-gender interaction has the strictest rules. Stairwells and elevators are segregated by gender, members of the opposite sex are not permitted to touch in any way (even shaking hands is against the rules), mixed-gender meetings (even off-campus) are forbidden unless a PCC chaperon is present, and staring into the eyes of a member of the opposite sex, called "eye kissing", "optical intercourse", or "making eye babies", is discouraged by the administration..
More at The Voice of Today's Apathetic Youth. Here are some of the school rules:

You may not allow the end of your belt to hang down from the belt-loops resembling a phallus.

After bed-time ("lights out:" 11:00 every day, including weekends) you may receive demerits for talking, taking your contacts out, having your feet on the floor (or possibly suspended a few inches from the floor), being in the bathroom, or basically doing anything but lying in bed.

No local calls over 30 minutes.

You may not put up a picture of unmarried people in physical contact unless they are "little kids." (these are sold in the bookstore).

You may not sing "too loud" during prayer group.

You may not wipe "boogers" on the wall.

As stated in the Student Handbook, leaving campus is a "privilege;" one which the administration will revoke as they see fit.

Males and Females are to use separate public beaches and may not go to the popular Pensacola Beach or to the nearby Boardwalk.

You may not go to a public library.

Siblings of the opposite sex should not interact in unchaperoned areas to abstain from the "appearance of evil."

No sleeping in church.

No automotive repair on campus.