Y. rally quite tame: Demos object to Cheney speech; other students protest the protest

PROVO — The only thing burned Wednesday at a midday campus protest at Brigham Young University was the students' skin.

Student Democrats at the private, religious school left the burning-in-effigy of oppressive leaders to Cal-Berkeley and other public universities.

Still, they considered the relatively tame sit-in a success because more than 300 students, faculty and staff demonstrated their concern about the choice of Vice President Dick Cheney as BYU's commencement speaker on April 26.

There were a couple of highlights. One woman wore a paper sack over her head. Another poured water over a second hooded student's face to symbolize torture tactics supported by Cheney.

"This is much larger than anyone expected," said Byron Daynes, a political science professor who spent last year at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. "As a William J. Clinton Fellow, I'm delighted."

So was German professor Rob McFarland, who like many of an estimated 50 faculty who joined the demonstration, hoped the protesters would behave themselves so the administration would OK future rallies at a school where they are scarce.

"It's very kind of BYU to provide this kind of venue where without vandalism and slander we can share ideas," said McFarland, who earned a degree at Berkeley.

The group did not call for BYU to pull Cheney's invitation, although some demonstrators would like to see that happen.

"I object to his speaking at commencement," neuroscience major Heather Marsh said. "Generally commencement is for role models. I don't think he is someone we should emulate. By protesting, we're sending a message we don't like the current trend, and that gives the government a chance to respond. That's how a democracy works."

Most objected to the vice president's policy on torture and what they said was his war profiteering through Halliburton. They also wanted to make it clear that BYU is not exclusively conservative.

The White House offered Cheney as a commencement speaker to BYU this spring because President Bush couldn't accept the university's invitation last year. The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints then extended the invitation to Cheney in their roles as the leaders of BYU's board of trustees.

"The church is neutral but says to be politically active," McFarland said. "They invited a political speaker, and I think it was a good idea for BYU. They've handled it well by making it a catalyst for discussions."

The dialogue will continue Monday with a panel discussion sponsored by BYU's Kennedy Center for International Studies. Four panelists will discuss "Vice President Cheney and the Global War on Terror" in the Varsity Theater at 2 p.m.