Premarital sex topic
Birth control practices debated
By WILL HARDESTY
Should unmarried undergraduates be given birth control information and/or materials through Watkins Hospital?
"NO MATTER WHAT other problems we solve in the world, if we don't solve the birth rate problem, it doesn't matter," Simmons said.
A priest, a minister, and a doctor discussed this question and others concerning control of the population explosion yesterday as part of a Student Union Activities (SUA) religious forum.
He said the idea of birth control is not a new one, but goes back to the days of the Egyptians.
Members of the panel were Father Edwin Falteisch, chairman of the moral theology department of St. Louis University; Rev. John Simmons, minister of the United Campus Christian Fellowship; and Dr. Raymond Schwegler, Director of Watkins Memorial Hospital.
"The university not only has a right but also has an obligation to make information on birth control available to any student who wants it."
Simmons spoke first.
Dr. Schwegler said the doctors at Watkins give information to anyone who wants it, but prescribe drugs only to married women.
There are two reasons for this.
"FIRST, THERE are at least two Catholic doctors on the staff and they don't prescribe birth control pills to anyone. Secondly, our job is to watch out for the health of the students and this is not strictly a health matter," Schwegler said.
Father Falteisch said there is "a growing awareness" in the Catholic faith that the population explosion and its implications are problems with which to be contended.
Father Falteisch said that the question of whether unmarried students should be given birth control materials implies the question of whether pre-marital intercourse is right or wrong.
He said pre-marital intercourse is wrong for two reasons. "First, because it is prohibited by God's Word. Secondly, psychiatrists say it is a form of 'using' the other person as an object. There is no total commitment as there is in marriage."
Governor—
(Continued from page 1) "the federal government requires some kind of race information."
"THIS IS false if it implies that the federal government requires the state . . . to report racial information in the form of individual names with racial codes," continued the letter.
Concluding, the letter asked Governor Avery to rescind the race code directive.
"...we suggest that the future information as to race collected by the state ... be of statistical nature only, not connected to individual names on any state records, not gathered through payroll records, and surely not gathered by means of coercive threats of loss of pay for noncompliance," it read.
Speaking of birth control methods, he said;
"UNTIL ABOUT FIVE to eight years ago, the church recognized only the rhythm method as a legitimate form of birth control. Since that time, there has been a growing feeling that any responsible use of a contraceptive would be an adequate response."
Schweegler said the health service would not give birth control materials to unmarried students under any circumstances.
"I know this is old fashioned,
mid-Victorian, and the Kansan will cut us to ribbons, but I don't want to do it and my staff backs me completely."
During a discussion period after all three had spoken, Simmons challenged this policy.
"I don't think this is altogether fair," he said, "unless the university would say something to the effect that anyone known to have pre-marital intercourse would be dismissed from the university."
SCHWEGLER SAID he didn't think that would be adequate grounds for dismissal.
"We'd have trouble keeping the student population up," he said. "But Watkins will not contribute to the recreational activities of the campus.
"I know the administration feels the same way because I was over speaking with the Chancellor just a couple of hours ago and he said the same thing."
Schwegler said he knew the entire staff of Watkins stood behind him to a man.
Schweigel said there was no possibility of this happening because "all of the doctors are hand-picked—by me."
SOMEBODY asked about the possibility of a "rebel doctor."
"If I had somebody over there who I thought was as far out as some of the teaching faculty, I'd fire him. I want a conservative hospital that can be respected, but I am not knocking the individual professors."
Daily Kansan Friday, November 4,1966