A BYU student protester?
It may sound like an oxymoron, but Caleb Proulx (pronounced 'Pru'), a 22-year-old junior and self-defined 'peace activist' from Marietta, Pa., earned the title.
Proulx was arrested March 24 with eight fellow members of Utah Citizens for Peace, a group protesting war in Iraq by blocking the entrance to a federal building in Salt Lake City.
Here's the catch: Proulx said he knew he'd be arrested, but did it anyway, despite a clause in the Honor Code that requires students to keep the law.
'I came to the decision to be arrested after a lot of thought,' Proulx said, 'I fully understood I could face expulsion.'
Proulx reasoned that his status as a BYU student would warrant extra attention to the cause. That's why he stopped in at The Daily Universe office both before and after turning himself into the Honor Code for violating the law.
Sadly, by knowingly breaking the law, Proulx set fire to the bridge beneath him.
He had been successful as a vocal anti-war activist on campus, which is not easy to do, considering BYU doesn't allow protests.
To promote his views, he manufactured and distributed dozens of 'No war in Iraq' armbands, which quickly scattered across campus.
He also started his own series of discussions in which BYU professors shared their opinions of the war with students in forum settings.
These proactive methods earned him the respect and trust of the university community. But he lost these when he knowingly went against his commitment to live under BYU's rules.
Proulx acknowledged that BYU authorities provided him with opportunities for unrestricted debates, but he turned them down to participate in protests with the Utah Citizens for Peace.
Proulx says there are 'other options' besides war to take care of problems in Iraq. He should also realize there are 'other options' to promote his views than resorting to publicity tactics and disregard of BYU policy.
To his credit, Proulx realized his protest tactics wouldn't be appropriate while living under the Honor Code and announced last week his decision to leave the university, despite the fact that they said they weren't planning to expel him for his arrest.
Proulx should be commended for taking this responsibility for his actions, and for promoting civic dialogue about world peace during his time on campus.
BYU activists can learn from him that it's possible to share ideas in a variety of ways without violating the Honor Code.
They should also realize that more good can be done outside a jail cell, and in BYU's good graces, than by cutting ties with an accommodating audience.