THE DISCORDIAN MESSENGER The Official Journal of the Ryerson Alliance of Pagans VOL. 1. ISSUE 4............................................... JANUARY 1999 "The Discordian Messenger" will be the official journal of the alliance, and will carry the status of the Alliance as we go from non-existant to gaining those 20 people we need! We want your input, articles, poems and anything else you wish to contribute. (Recipes are welcome also!) Just send them via e-mail to ryeap@fcmail.com Full credit will be given, unless you request to remain anonymous. PLEASE NOTE that this journal will appear on our web site, so if you wish to remain anonymous outside the Alliance, let us know. All submissions must be submitted no later than the 10th of the month. *************** D.A. SEEKS DEATH PENALTY Death Penalty Politically Motivated in Shepard Killing 30-DEC-98 LARAMIE, Wyoming. -- The District Attorney's plan to seek death penalties for the slaying of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard is politically motivated, a lawyer for one of the suspects says. Russel Henderson and Aaron McKinney, both 21, are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated robbery in Shepard's death. He suffered 18 blows to the head and died Oct. 12, five days after the attack. "There have been other cases in this county that have been just as heinous or more heinous in which he has not requested the death penalty," said Wyatt Skaggs, an attorney for Russell Henderson. Testimony at a November hearing indicated he may have been targeted because he was gay. Prosecutor Cal Rerucha filed notices of intent to seek the death penalty against both men Monday. Neither notice outlined his reasons. "To request the death penalty on an individual like Russell who does not have a significant criminal record and who does not have a juvenile history, and if convicted would be involved in basically his first criminal act is really heavy handed," Skaggs said Tuesday. "I think it's heavy handed to say the least and somewhat politically motivated." Rerucha declined comment to the Associated Press, who conducted the interviews. One of McKinney's attorneys, Jason Tangeman, also refused comment. The bottom line: Is the death penalty really what should be sought in the case? Yes, an injustice was done to Matthew Shepard, however, is it really fair to do the same back to the people who killed Shepard, should they be found guilty, and sentenced to die? It seems some people have some food for thought. Some files from the Associated Press. *************** MESSAGE FROM THE ELECTED ONE We are now just getting back in to the swing of things, after just under a month off from school. (That sure felt nice!) It sometimes feels like we are still back in September. Except for the weather, not much has changed. The trees have lost their leaves, small and large animals have gone into hibernation for the winter, and we all still sit here in awe. Wondering what we have done right, and wondering how we can improve in the future. No doubt that all of us have created those dreaded "New Year's Resolutions" that you just list out, but never really keep, no matter how hard you try. As we get settled in, not wanting to get too bogged down with extra-curricular activities, we must not forget our goals and objectives as an Alliance. We must continue to strive and to reach our goal. For it is within our reach, but we have to try just a little bit harder. Love always; Phoenix The Elected One *************** FEATURE ARTICLE Forming a Pagan Student Group by Phoenix (originally appeared at The Witches' Voice. Reprinted with Permission.) So we are all excited to be in University! We have been accepted, and we are going to the place we wish to study for the next 3 - 4 years. (This depends on the length of your program!) When you researched the institution you would attend, you probably researched what type of degree you would receive (or diploma should that be the case), and you probably researched what the student life is like at the higher place of learning, and you probably decided to join the local pagan group... WAIT! Hold on one minute! The place I thirst to attend, with the excitement and anticipation curdling through my blood, doesn't have a pagan group! This isn't necessarily a problem. Most Universities and Colleges have somewhat complex procedures for starting a student group. This can usually be sought by going to the Students Services office, or checking with your Students' Union. (Believe it or not, at some institutions, the Students' Union does the recognizing of student groups.) This is where you begin to tread cautiously. BEFORE you begin, take out a piece of paper. First I want you to write the name of your group at the top. If you don't have a name, then just write "Pagan Student Group". Next brainstorm what goals and objectives you would like your group to have, for 10 minutes AT THE MOST. Now put that piece of paper away, and don't come back to it for 24 hours. When you do come back to it, you will likely get even more ideas from it, and you will have a place from where to start. 1.Most places require you to get a certain number of student's to sign up, before they will recognize your group. 2.If you are not out of the broom closet, #1 could be a problem. From my own experience, I did an interview with the Campus newspaper to gain attention. It worked, however, everyone will know you are pagan. (Especially if you live at home while attending University or College.) In addition, some campus papers offer free classified ads. TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THESE! 3.Should you do an interview, also place posters of how people can contact you. MAJOR WARNING: NEVER, EVER post your phone number or address!!! The best idea which has been somewhat successful is putting up an e-mail address, from somewhere like hotmail.com or mailexcite.com etc. A pre-determined meeting time and place would also work, but make sure there is a contact for people who may not be able to attend, and make sure it is a very public place, with lots of security! (We held our meeting in a public place on campus, however it was only announced over our e-mail list, once people contacted me.) 4.Go to one of those free web page providers such as freeyellowpages.com, geocities.com or angelfire.com and get some free web space. Your web page doesn't have to be fancy, but it is something you can put on your posters, where people can go for more information. DO NOT forget the guestbook! International visitor's are a great for signing it, and then you get the chance to brag about the support. 5.People WILL take down your posters! Even if your institution requires you to get approval to place posters, and you gain permission (This may be a hurdle in itself...), you will end up putting up more and more posters. Be prepared to make more photocopies. If there are several of you, this will be easier, especially if you have to pay for the photocopies. (Keep all your receipts!!! When your group is formed, you may get some funding, and you can get back your money.) 6.PEOPLE WILL QUIT! Pressure will get to people who support you. They will drop out due to rumors about your group, and they will drop out for "emergency" reasons. (Emergency reasons may be legitimate, so take it with a grain of salt.) 7.I have encountered a lot of people, who like the idea of the group, and want to attend our meetings... but they won't sign their name on the dotted line. This could be a problem if your institution requires a certain amount of people to form the group. Before you approach them, have in hand, a plan for your group, and especially... "WHAT IS PAGANISM" You will get this question a lot, and it may just get you that signature. 8.VACANT OFFICES! I am not referring to the Office of the Chancellor of your institution. Many places may require you to form your executive when you start your group, before you go for approval. Sometimes they want the executive to appear before them to answer questions. (This will likely be a big deal when the Students' Union recognizes you.) So you may have trouble getting people to take on an office on your executive. This may be due to (a) fear of retribution and (b) a lot of school work! Find out if the people who do volunteer, are allowed to hold more than one office, until someone can take over an office. 9.PACE YOURSELF. Please, whatever you do, don't let the group take up too much of your time. This can cause several problems which you may not anticipate. (A) Your own school work may suffer, and this is not a good thing. You want to be around next year, so you can enjoy the group you worked so hard to form. (B) You will spend a lot of energy as it is, and you don't need to expend more, because if your bid to start the group fails (which is possible for lots of reasons) then you will be disappointed and let down, and the energy you aren't using anymore hasn't been grounded or anything, so your body may start to feel the effects. 10.FIND OTHER GROUPS. If there are other institutions in the city where yours is, check if they have a group. Usually they won't have a problem if you join theirs (should yours fail...) plus they are a great source of knowledge on how to start a group. 11.TABOOS: When you are going for approval, be sure to watch out for taboos. At the institution I attend, there is a big taboo towards outside support. They don't like anyone interfering with how they work, so they don't like outside support when you are starting a group. Watch out for the reverse too. Perhaps the place will want you to go out and get support from outside too. In this case, have several sources in mind. This isn't a bad idea even if it is a taboo, as likely they are just ignorant, and it may open their eyes. Should you do this, get it in letter form, as it is in writing. Another taboo may be, getting support from inside the institution, such as another student group. If they don't want you to do it, in this case, don't. If they do (some places require feedback of the other groups...) then go out, and actively seek assistance. 12.CONSTITUTIONS: Many places will ask you for one of these. They are a great idea! When you draft yours, be sure to include a "Statement of Faith" or "Articles of Faith". This will save you a lot of trouble, and is a good Public Relations tool! (A good place to start is the Principals of Belief for the Council of American Witches.) The best place to get ideas for your constitution, is none other than from other student groups! Take a look around the net, and take a look at the constitution of the other group's around campus. They are great resources! "Regardless, your chances of finding fellow Wiccans at college are pretty good -- assuming you're willing to be "findable" yourself. Decide whether or not you're comfortable with being open and honest about your faith, about whether you're willing to put up with the misperceptions and occasional act of prejudice. Think about it VERY HARD. College is difficult enough without having to deal with uninformed people who accuse you of being a Satanist."-(Wicca: the College years, Shawn Michael Connelly) Be prepared to fight for what you believe in... especially if you live in a small town. Most of the larger institutions should be open minded enough for you not to have to go through a lot of hurdles and pain to start your group. This isn't always the case. Be prepared with information and be well versed before you go before any committees, Board's etc., to gain approval. Try to avoid saying "I don't know". If you honestly don't know, give it your best guess, especially if it combats any myths, but don't lie. If you know you will be lying, then it is the time to say "I don't know" instead. Lying will just ruin both your reputation and any credibility your group may have, should they be approved. When you first start the process, find out what you are and are not allowed to do. This is important because (a) you may do something that is a no-no and (b) you may find out a way of doing something that you didn't think of. Ask as many questions as you can! These people are there to help you, and they are full of knowledge and resources! "Also, as you are following these steps, don't go "looking for a fight" or expecting to find discrimination at every corner; and realize that the same rules do indeed apply to your group as apply to any other. If discrimination happens, you'll have to deal with it. But one benefit of following the instructions "to the letter" is that if you're doing it right no one can deny you the opportunity to start this group; if they do, you have a legitimate complaint to whatever higher authority you take it to. If you sincerely and openly explain to the Student Activities powers that be what your group is, what Paganism is, and why you want to start the group, you'll probably be fine."-(So you want to start a student group, by Doug O'Neal) Should your group not be approved, don't worry about it. You are still a group of students attending that institution, so go on and do the group anyway. There are benefits to being recognized, but no one is saying that you cannot exist, even if you are not recognized. Just be patient, and in time, the Goddess will help you find the way to being recognized. It may take a little time, and much patience, but in the end... it will be worth it. FOR ANY HIGH SCHOOL OR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: The aboveprocess is likely easier to start a group at your school. Many schools only require you to get a teacher advisor/supervisor, and not nearly as many signatures, if any at all. If you wish to start a group in high school, go for it! A really good resource: So you want to start a Pagan student group? by Doug O'Neal from Penn State Silver Circle. Now jump through the hoops, and run after the elephants, and may the Goddess guide you well on your journey, to start YOUR campus pagan group! Blessed Be and good journey. Phoenix *************** WEB MATTERS "Electronic Mail is expanding how we are communicating" Phoenix, The Elected One told The Discordian Messenger. "We are being contacted, because we have a presence on the World Wide Web, and we are reaching out." Phoenix was more referring to the rise in communication recently, from outside student pagan groups contacting and supporting the Alliance. "Renessler's Pagan Student group has us listed on their site, and I have been in communication with the Pagan Society at Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They may even write a letter of support for us." Phoenix said. "I gather from your web page that you are having a time trying to get ratified by your student union? Well, we were ratified a year ago, and If your SU wants to hear from someone who has a little more experience in this area, please let me know!!" said Blue Wave, Co-Founder and Co-Coordinator of the Pagan Society at Mount St. Vincent University. "Your constitution sounds very much like ours, so I think we should communicate. I'd love to trade ideas, especially for events, etc. I've got some good ones, but I need some more. We also have our own bulletin board in the main building of our school. I recommend this method of PR very highly." "One thing we are looking at, and we have the web partially to thank, is a Statement of Friendship, signed by several of the pagan groups, allowing us to support each other, and symbolically reach out." Phoenix added "It would also allow for the sharing of ideas and projects." The bottom line: The web will open up how we communicate with the world. It usually seems to prove positive for minority groups, allowing the truth to be spread. *************** TIME MAGAZINE Magazine neglects online poll Time magazine had set up an online poll where people could vote for the "Man of the Year" for 1998. However, with Matthew Shepard leading in the polls for the most part, Time Magazine decided to give the honour split between Kenneth Starr and Bill Clinton. Why these two men deserve the honour is beyond my comprehension. Time Magazine isn't returning any e-mail or calls to any news service, regarding their decision to name Clinton and Starr to the 1998 honour. However, near the end it seemed that a hacker broke in to the Time Web site and cast 60 000 vote for a write in person. It does also say on the web site that it is for entertainment purposes only. The Bottom Line: Many people believe that it is irresponsible for Time Magazine to neglect the votes of the people that voted for the slain Shepard. Many question the integrity of the magazine and of their commitment to equal rights. Did they ignore the votes because it was for a gay man? What was their decision based on? You can e-mail time by accessing their web site at http://www.time.com *************** REVIEW Shakespeare tantalises the big screen Stars: Joseph Fiennes , Geoffrey Rush, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck The Bard himself makes an appearance in this film as we find William Shakespeare under pressure from a debt-ridden theatre owner desperate for a cash-generating hit. Working under a tight deadline, he churns out a work in progress called Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter. During auditions for Romeo and Ethel he falls in love with his lead actress, whom is believed to most to be a man. In these times, ladies were not allowed to grace the stage with their presences. The Queen of England makes a few appearances. (Of course, he later changes the title of the play to something we are more familiar with.) This show is an instant hit! Miramax obviously did something right, when they choose to do this production. Joseph Finnes (as the Bard) and Gwyneth Paltrow (as Viola de Lessepes) are wonderful in their respective roles. The on screen magic pulls you in, and you just as if you were in the live theatre itself, you are there with them, on the stage as they create their masterpiece. For theatre students and buffs, you also get the opportunity to learn more about the Shakespearean theatre and Christopher Marlow. There is much more to this story, than just William Shakespeare writing and producing one of his works. Says director Madden: Art house is what you would think with the word Shakespeare flying around. It's actually very modern and funny. Rating: AA ***** two thumbs up! *************** QUOTABLES A forum for minority issue or social aware quotes. "No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom; against that power, governments, tyrants and armies cannot stand." -Citizen G'Kar, Babylon 5 "Language is leaving me behind." -Margaret Atwood, "Cat's Eye" "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle." -Plato *************** CREDITS & STUFF The Discordian Messenger is published monthly, and is sent out via our web site and our electronic mailing list on or around the 15th of each month. It is authorized for publication by the Guardian of Public Affairs. For further information on The Discordian Messenger, please send electronic mail to ryeap@fcmail.com The Discordian Messenger is copyright 1999 by the Ryerson Alliance of Pagans. All Rights Reserved. Permission must be granted IN WRITING by both the author and the Alliance for permission to reproduce an article from this publication.