Chad Hardy is the gentleman who put together the "Men on a Mission" calendar that created an uproar not too long ago. The uproar wasn't people upset with him because he made the calendar, the uproar was because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints excommunicated him when he refused to give up the project. The whole thing was stupid, and even most believing Mormons I talk to roll their eyes at the church for turning this into something so huge. He didn't deserve to be excommunicated for taking photos of men with their shirts off. Since when is that porn? Give me a freaking break!
Anyway, Chad Hardy graduated from BYU not too long ago. He even went to the ceremony with the rest of his class. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his diploma, but it never came. He eventually called the appropriate people at the University and they had little to say. Turns out, they have no intention on giving him the diploma he rightfully earned.
Nearly everyone I have spoken to about this is outraged. He completed the necessary requirements to graduate, yet they hold back the one thing he needs to prove it? What are they trying to do? Punish him?
I find this sickening, and I, along with tons of other people have sent off emails to the BYU folks to tell them exactly how we feel. I beg, plead and grovel to you to do the same. Help us make some noise! Here is a list of information you can use to help the cause that came from Chad, himself. Please help him out, he earned it and he deserves his diploma!!!
Norm Finlinson, PH.D.
Executive Director
Student Academic and Advisement Services
Brigham Young University
B-202 ASB
Provo, UT 84602
email: norm_finlinson@byu.edu
phone: 801-422-3641
Call, write, email. Let's bombard his office with complaints.
Also these people also deserve phone calls, who were cc'd to my letter:
Michael R. Orme
Janet S. Scharman
Vernon L. Heperi
Jeffery Bunker
Also, call the president of the school.
You can call school info to be directed to their offices:
801-422-4636
It's a shame that a University that prides itself on a strong sense of right and wrong has to be reminded that they should be honest and trustworthy...
Andee
Edited to Add: The amount of people reading this article from BYU.edu is insane... Keep reading... PLEASE... open your eyes
October 14, 2008 at 10:05 AM
This could be helping the Institutions PR machine, by showing folks at .edu, they should be shaking in their boots, if they disobey.. Free PR
October 14, 2008 at 2:48 PM
They shouldn't have to live in constant fear. That is exactly the atmosphere that exists at BYU. Fall in line, fit in, do as they say, or you will be treated just like Chad Hardy.
They need to step up and get the hell out of there.
October 14, 2008 at 2:54 PM
wow, really?! So messed up! I'll write a letter too.
October 16, 2008 at 2:16 PM
One of BYU's requirements to graduate (and attend) is to follow the honor code. He didn't follow the honor code - unfortunately that negates his academic work as well.
Whether that is fair or not is not really the issue - that's the contract he signed when he decided to attend that school.
I do feel bad for him. It's a crappy situation. I hope you allow this comment, even though it doesn't agree with your point.
October 16, 2008 at 3:36 PM
anonymous,
I am well aware of the insane honor code, I just think the timing is suspect. They gave him the go-ahead to participate in the college graduation ceremony, and then left him waiting for his diploma.
Technically, they have the "right" to do this, but that doesn't make it right. Was it the right thing to do? No. Is this something Jesus would do? No.
They did this to spite him and everyone knows it.
At least the media is picking up on it, and maybe they will get some negative press for doing this.
October 17, 2008 at 10:19 AM
I am a BYU graduate - there was nothing in the honor code when I attended that would remotely give anyone he idea that publishing a calendar with bare chested men on it was a violation. Moreover, the excommunication only occured after he had already completed the requirements for grauation.
I will not pay for any of my children to attend BYU under any circumstances. I will to my best to disuade all my neices and nephews from attending as well.
I am ashamed to be a BYU graduate.
October 17, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Thank you for the comment, anonymous.
He deserves his diploma, the right thing to do would be to give it to him. Instead, they want to punish him for not doing what the brethren wanted him to.
Just as you are ashamed to be a BYU Graduate, I am ashamed to be a Mormon at all...
Comment anytime!
Andee
October 26, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I did a little searching on the internet and found some interesting information from whom I assume is Chad Hardy:
"I know everyone is speculating about my excommunication, and thinking there must be more to the story that I am not telling. Well I am the only one who can ever openly say what went on in the court that day, but I will say this, and say it by swearing on the Bible and everything that is good and holy on this planet: There was NO talk of ANY form of personal transgression AT ALL during my disciplinary council. The "other" charges that Frank Davie casually broke confidence and slyly shared with the Associated Press to create this assumption was simply that I do not honor my priesthood (by not attending church meetings) and do not honor my temple covenants (by choosing to remove the sacred garment.) The entire meeting was about the calendar, and after I spoke, all the questions that were asked by the council ALL had to do with the calendar. Just for the record, my reasons for leaving the church had nothing to do with transgression."
and this quote:
"For those who doubt this effort, or think I got what I deserved - there is so much more to the story that I can not share publicly - and when the entire story is told you will realize what a pile of [word not allowed to be posted on USA TODAY] this whole situation really is. Just to set the records straight, producing the calendar was never about money for me. I have made $0 from it. My financial Jewish partner is completely about the money, as he should be. My part has always been the creative and message. And as far as I am concerned, the project has done what it set out to do - to create dialog and offer a different perspective, and to make people think, laugh and talk about the world we live in. I never thought in my wildest dreams that the church would come after me like they have. I thought for sure they were smarter than that. I suppose they wanted to make an example of me, but all it did was make the project more popular - and famous.
It would be ignorant of me to say that the excommunication did not give me a boost - Oh my Gawd, the doors it has opened not only for me, but for the entire project. I have been interviewed by celebrities, been in national magazines, television, radio, etc. However, it was never my intention to make this project about me. I wanted to ride the back seat and just steer the project, but that didn't happen. When the calendar came out last year, that was the scariest thing I ever did. Within 24 hours of launching, I was on MSNBC and from there the rest is history. I almost canceled the interview because I knew I was setting myself up for a [word not allowed to be posted on USA TODAY] storm of criticism and doubted myself that I might not be strong enough to handle it. I learned real fast that everyone has an opinion, and the letters I get from Republican TBMs are Nazi scary! The support has outweighed the criticism and because of that, I have moved forward with no fear.
This BYU situation caught me off guard more than the excommunication, mostly because I finished my coursework back in 2002. I never had the money to finish my religion classes until recently, and I took them independent study so I could finally get my degree. I have not been a full-time student since 2002, and did not realize that my status in the church would have any effect on the posting of my degree. I have not read anything in the honor code about that - only things that apply to registered students. Why did they let me walk? Why did my adviser give me the green light only for Mr. Finlinson to take it away after the fact? We are talking about 32 days from the excommunication to the actual graduation. I applied for graduation and finished my independent study classes before the drama with the church even took place. The crazy thing is I was not ex'd for anything that is in violation of the so-called honor code. When I was as student there, I was an active, tithe paying member.
By the way, I still owe $8,000 on my stafford loans outside of the pell grants Uncle Sam gave me to attend BYU. I never really wanted to go there. I was pressured to go there like most of the kids. Had I known then what I know now, I would have the knowledge to make a better choice and would have attended a different school that does not discriminate based on religious affiliation. I was so indoctrinated that I had no idea what I was signing when I signed the honor code agreement. "
So this leaves me with more questions than I'm able to answer. If the church wants to excommunicate someone, I guess that's their prerogative. What I don't understand is the legal situation. I hear some people saying BYU is privately funded and can pretty much do anything they want, as long as it's stated in a contract such as the honor code. But what about the fact that some students attend on the basis of government subsidence such as Pell Grants? If Chad was a recipient of the grants, doesn't this equate to BYU receiving money from the government?
I think BYU is walking a fine line with the whole separation of Church and State thing. If BYU is truly private, then all funds should be privately funded. What adds more confusion is that BYU has a policy of accepting non-members as long as they agree to abide by the honor code. Since Chad is technically not a member any longer, does he have right to request his degree as long as he states he will abide the honor code for a short interim? If BYU then denies his degree, wouldn't this be considered religious persecution?
All in all, without knowing all the facts and just going simply off of what I know, I think BYU has made a mistake.