Secular Student Alliance: Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics & Others - On Campus

Help! Our Flyers Keep Getting Torn Down!

4-March-2010

A vandalized flyer at the University of Chicago, shredded by a key. Others were torn down altogether, had crosses drawn on them, and derogatory comments written in.

I hear from a number of affiliates each semester that the flyers they post for meetings or events are being torn down or vandalized. This is an unfortunate and all-too-common problem, and it's a shame that some people can be so threatened by the mere presence of our groups that they feel the need to prevent interested students from participating.

Frustrations aside, we've put together some strategies that your group can try to alleviate or overcome this problem. Some might work better than others, depending on your campus environment and policies, and we're always happy to hear what happens when you try these ideas.

A Polite Response to an Impolite Article

29-January-2010

Lucy Gubbins is the president of the Alliance of Happy Atheists, a secular student group at the University of Oregon. In January, their campus newspaper made the strange decision to reprint an anti-atheist screed which had first been published at Portland State University three months earlier. Lucy mobilized her group to respond with polite letters to the editor. Here's the letter she got printed:

Reprinting anti-atheism commentary offensive, lacking balance

Lucy Gubbins, President of the UO Alliance of Happy Atheists

By Lucy Gubbins | President, Alliance of Happy Atheists

Secular Student Alliance Advisory Board Chair on Fresh Air 12/23 and ABC World News on 12/27

14-December-2009

Humanism and Secularism will receive some great national media attention this week as Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe, by Harvard Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein, will be the subject of this Wednesday 12/23's episode of NPR's "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, and of a segment on Sunday 12/27's ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.

Epstein chairs the Advisory Board of the Secular Student Alliance and has worked closely with students at several SSA chapters beyond Harvard—including Yale, Tufts, Boston University, and Brandeis. The book describes the work of the SSA in its appendix; and Greg mentioned the Secular Student Alliance in both of these big interviews, though of course we don’t know what the shows will choose to include.

Good Without God has drawn strong praise from both secular commentators as an introduction to Humanism, yet it has also managed to win a very positive response from influential religious leaders who are increasingly realizing they can work with and even learn from the nonreligious.

image credit

Harvard Professor and noted author Steven Pinker has said, “Good Without God is not just a brilliant book title but an indispensable and humane ideal. Greg Epstein's wise and warm explanation of the humanist world view goes beyond the recent atheist bestsellers and speaks to the moral and spiritual impulses that have traditionally attracted people to religion.”

Associated Press covers Secular Student Movement: Atheist student groups flower on college campuses

20-November-2009

We were delighted to see the Associated Press story by Eric Gorski, Atheist student groups flower on college campuses, that came out yesterday. It might be the most accurate and thoughtful piece about the secular student movement that has ever been written. It has been a long time coming, but we're delighted to see the seeds that we (and so many other people and organizations) have planted over the last decade flower in such numbers! Keep up the excellent work everyone!

Release: Secular Student Alliance Spooks Ray Comfort

11-November-2009

For Immediate Release
Contact: August Brunsman – (614) 441-9588 – august[AT]secularstudents[DOT]org

November 18, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a move that avoids the counter-protests organized by the Secular Student Alliance and other organizations, Ray Comfort and the Living Waters Ministry covertly began their Origin Into Schools project today, November 18th, instead of the previously announced November 19th. Altered copies of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, which contain a introduction which misrepresents the theory of evolution, were distributed on college campuses today. The Secular Student Alliance has been mobilizing groups on college campuses to respond with a positive, science-based campaign but took Comfort at his word that the distribution would occur on the 19th.

“We’re sorry that Mr. Comfort felt he had to mislead everyone just to avoid the counter-efforts of our campus groups,” said August Brunsman, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance. “Apparently he thought his deception would only work if nobody was around to tell the truth.” Counter-efforts were planned at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, the University of Virginia, UNC Chapel Hill, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, San Diego State University, University of South Florida, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, University of New Brunswick, and elsewhere.

The altered version of On the Origin of Species distributed by Living Waters Ministry contains a 50-page introduction written by Comfort attempting to cast doubt on Darwin’s theory of evolution and connect Darwin to Hitler. The books feature Comfort's section in a much larger font than Darwin's section. Comfort's section is rife with illustrations, but the single illustration in the original Origin of Species has not been reproduced.

In an attempt to prevent the ministry from tricking college students, the Secular Student Alliance national office assisted affiliated college groups to schedule protests, host speakers, write letters to the editor, show films, and distribute the original version of Darwin’s 150-year old masterpiece. Their plans will go forward despite Comfort’s sudden, unexplained change of dates. The Secular Student Alliance has collected resources to counter Living Waters' efforts at http://www.secularstudents.org/originintoschools.

“The best way to defeat misinformation is with education,” said Brunsman. “We would have loved to have a peaceful exchange of ideas with the ministry, but we’ll settle for having the last word in students’ minds.”

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The Secular Student Alliance is an educational nonprofit that supports a network of over 180 campus groups which promote the ideals of scientific rationality, secularism, democracy, and human-based ethics. Learn more at http://www.secularstudents.org.

Release: Atheist Youth Movement Leads Charge Against Anti-Darwin Book Project

7-November-2009

Release: Atheist Youth Movement Leads Charge Against Anti-Darwin Book Project

November 10, 2009

For Release: IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT

Contact: August Brunsman – (614) 441-9588 – august[AT]secularstudents[DOT]org

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Secular Student Alliance is mobilizing student groups to counter the Living Waters Ministry program to distribute an edition of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species containing a special introduction misrepresenting the book’s claims. The SSA national leadership is encouraging its campus affiliates to schedule protests, host speakers, write letters to the editor, show films, and distribute the original version of Darwin’s 150-year old masterpiece.

This Week: Austin Dacey On Campus

6-November-2009

The Secular Student Alliance:
Austin Dacey on Your Campus

Student Membership Drive:
Win a $50 EvolveFISH Gift Certificate!

Do your members know what the Secular Student Alliance is up to?
Invite them to subscribe to the eMpirical

Book your travel for Thanksgiving
through our Travel Gateway and support the SSA!

Hello!

Austin Dacey, Ph.D., is a secular philosopher and human rights activist with a new presentation on blasphemy, free speech and the future of human rights. Dr. Dacey developed this timely and notable talk through his work as a United Nations representative during which he participated in the dialogue on free speech limitations related to criticism of religious belief.

Dr. Dacey is also the author of The Secular Conscience and multiple publications in Skeptical Inquirer, Free Inquiry, The Washington Post and Psychology Today. You and your group can learn more about his work and his publications at http://www.austindacey.com/.

Dr. Dacey has contacted the Secular Student Alliance in order to bring his new presentation to campuses across the U.S. We're excited to share this opportunity with your group!

Secular Coalition for America Launches Capitol Hill Scholars Program

19-October-2009

Have you ever wanted to spend a summer interning on Capitol Hill?

Are you looking to boost your resume while defending the values and principles important to you?

Do you want the opportunity to make great professional contacts with important advocacy organizations on Capitol Hill?

Are you interested in earning college credit for promoting public policy that nontheistic Americans care about?

October is Sex-Ed Action Month!

20-September-2009

The Secular Student Alliance
Sex Ed Month of Action

Coming Soon:

October 18: National Secular Service Day
Fall Affiliation Renewal
SSA Student Membership Drive

New Leader?
No Longer a Leader?
Click Here and Let us Know!

Support the SSA

Under the Bush administration, school districts received federal money for promoting theologically-based, ineffective "abstinence-only" sex education rather than medically accurate education. The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act intends to counter this by providing federal funding to support responsible, comprehensive sex education in schools. This education would include age-appropriate, science-based, and medically accurate information about both abstinence and contraception. Currently, there are no dedicated federal funds allocated for comprehensive sex education in schools.

Advocates for Youth has partnered with Choice USA, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, SIECUS, Sierra Club and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom to make October a nation-wide Sex-Ed Month of Action. The Secular Student Alliance is cooperating with Advocates for Youth to help promote the Sex-Ed Month of Action.

We encourage our affiliate groups to get involved and hold an event to take action on sex education!

Secular Student Alliance September 2008 - September 2009 Activity Summary

15-September-2009

The past year has been phenomenally successful for the Secular Student Alliance. Our affiliate count has gone up by over 25%. This report details our campus group affiliate support, our conference, our electronic newsletter, and our summer internships. This report is also available in PDF.

Starting the New Semester with the Secular Student Alliance

17-August-2009

Starting the New Semester

with the Secular Student Alliance!

Contents of this Message

Back-to-School Kickoff Events
New SSA Resources
Take Me To Your Leaders!
Talk To Us

New Leader?
No Longer a Leader?
Click Here and Let us Know!

Save the Date - Oct. 18 is the National Secular Day of Service

Watch your inbox for news on our upcoming programs!

Follow us on Twitter

Join the SSA on Facebook

Hello, Freethought Group Leaders!

It's been a great summer here at the Secular Student Alliance! We had an awesome conference, an exciting trip to the Creation Museum that drew national media attention (almost 300 atheists attended!), and have been hard at work finding new and innovative ways to help you run your student groups.

We hope that your summer was fun and relaxing, and that you're excited to get started on a fun year of exciting events. We're just as excited to help you pull off all the fun and creative ideas you have!

As always, feel free to contact me if your group needs anything. Having full-time staff to help support your group is one of our most valuable resources - and we want you to take advantage of it!

The Secular Student Alliance 2009 Conference: Freethinking Friends & Secular Cephalopods

25-July-2009

Conference attendees getting down with their cephalopod selves!

Help Ashley Help Students

1-July-2009

Help Ashley Help Students!

Ashley Paramore is a member of the Secular Student Alliance Board of Directors. She's asking for your help in supporting the great work the SSA does for student groups. Why now? Because right now, your gift to the SSA is matched by a generous offer from the Vital Spark Foundation. If you donate $1, the SSA receives $2. If 5,000 people donate $1 each, then the SSA will have $10,000 to help provide the great support and resources we offer to our affiliate student groups.

Why the Secular Student Alliance Matters

8-June-2009

Dear Supporter of Humanism and Freethought,

Hi! My name is Lyz Liddell, and I'm the new campus organizer at the Secular Student Alliance. This spring, I’ve been meeting with Secular Student Alliance affiliates all over the U.S. I’ve been amazed and delighted by the creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication of the students and leaders I’ve met. They organize ambitious projects, come up with new ideas, and have the youthful energy to pull it all off.

Society of Non-Theists Holds Annual Fiction for Fiction Event

4-June-2009

Jen McCreight runs the blog Blag Hag, where she talks about atheism, life in the midwest, and more. She is also the leader of the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue University. Her group runs an annual "Fiction for Fiction" event where they accept religious texts in exchange for novels. Here, Jen blogs about her group's latest endeavor and encourages you to explore your own "Fiction for Fiction" event!

Every April the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue University holds its annual controversial event, Fiction for Fiction. The premise behind Fiction for Fiction is that students can come trade in religious texts (the Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, etc.) for novels. It was originally inspired by the Smut for Smut event (in which religious texts are traded in for pornography), but we didn't want to be quite so inflammatory (or lynched), so we toned it down a bit. It's honestly the "worst" thing we do on campus, but so far we haven't had any major issues.