Gimme an ‘O’!

What’s in a name? Plenty, say the members of H*yas for Choice, a Georgetown University group that is not allowed to use the university’s nickname.

Georgetown will not recognize the group because its primary mission — promoting abortion rights — conflicts with Roman Catholic values. But members contend that their group should receive the same rights as other campus clubs whose stances conflict with Catholic doctrine, like Georgetown University Pride, a support group for gay students.

“We as individual members of this group are Hoyas, without the asterisk and with the ‘o,’” says Kate Robinson, a senior and member of the group’s board.

Last month the H*yas strung black flags among trees to illustrate the number of women in other countries who die each year from illegal abortions, as part of a counterdemonstration to a right-to-life event. But the banners were removed because of a university policy that forbids displays hung from trees. The incident prompted an online petition drive for university recognition.

Jeanne Lord, vice president for student affairs, says that although Georgetown does not give the group student-activity funds, “We respect the rights of free speech and expression for all of our students and allow H*yas for Choice to distribute information, demonstrate and hold meetings on campus.”

Mai Ratakonda, a H*yas board member and a senior, says the group hopes its efforts will help students at other Catholic colleges: “Because we are at Georgetown, we are under scrutiny from the Vatican. It also means that if Georgetown is so prominent, it could be the one that changes things given enough public pressure.”

Send ideas to short.subjects@chronicle.com

http://chronicle.com Section: Short Subjects Volume 52, Issue 36, Page A6