Classes have yet to commence at Davidson College in North Carolina, but Chick-fil-A is already not welcome — at least for now.
Students led a petition to ban the restaurant chain from monthly “After Midnight” events — free food and entertainment events from midnight to 2 a.m. run by the Union Board, a student activities organization. The nighttime events sometimes feature Chick-fil-A sandwiches.
The Union Board has decided not to schedule Chick-fil-A sandwiches until they get more feedback from students.
“The college Union Board has said in light of the petition, they are not going to schedule Chick-fil-A sandwiches until they can get student input from students on the situation,” Bill Giduz, director of media relations at Davidson College, told News14 Carolina Tuesday.
The chicken chain has been under fire since last month from gay marriage activists for Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy’s comments in support of traditional marriage. The chain has stressed that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
Union Board president Adriana Nassar and vice president Cameron Joe claim they are trying to create an inclusive environment for the student body.
“The Davidson College Union Board is firmly committed to building an inclusive community that serves each member of our student body,” Nassar and Joe said in a joint statement Monday.
But News & Record editorial writer Doug Clark pointed out Tuesday that Davidson College was founded in 1837 by Presbyterians of North Carolina and states in its constitution an intent to stay close to its historic Christian roots.
“Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man,” Clark quoted from the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church.
“For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage a lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each other, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.”
Classes at Davidson start Aug. 27. The Union Board is expected to settle the matter after classes begin.
