Evangelist moves to meadow

Outside Woodburn Hall, for the second day in a row, evangelist Jim Gilles preached on his salvation at a Van Halen concert and his views on homosexuality and women to a growing crowd of students walking to and from class. Around him evolved a scene that put the IU administration on edge, and freedom of speech to a short lived test. \nAfter a dialogue of shouting, Bible verse and attempting to answer the challenges put to him by the students, Director of the Student Activities Office Jim Gibson, his assistant Tim Haskel and IU Police Department officer Deborah Delay approached Gilles with a manila envelope. \nGibson offered Gilles a copy of the University's "Campus Demonstrations, Picketing and Assembly Ground policy" which indicates that one may demonstrate on campus provided they do not "interfere with teaching, research, administration or other University-authorized activity." \nHaskel said this clause was the "peg under which we operated" when the noise produced by the crowd of nearly 100 students prompted a call to the IU Police Department at 12:46 p.m.\n"The caller reported a large crowd and was worried that the preacher might get attacked due to what he was saying," said IUPD Sgt. Tim Lewis. \nGibson said he then received the call to investigate.\nGilles is no stranger to run-ins with university administrators. He is currently in settlement disputes with the University of North Carolina-Greensboro after similar events led to his six-month trespass ban from the grounds, Gilles said. He did not favor Gibson's offer to allow him to continue preaching in Dunn Meadow. \n"I don't believe that birds and squirrels can be saved," Gilles later said, noting the absence of student activity in the area offered for him to preach.\nGibson then left Gilles to digest what had passed between them, which was followed by a brief and less-energized student-Gilles exchange. Gilles claimed that he shouldn't have to vacate the area because of the word "student" in the drawing of the regulations, and to him, the policy therefore did not apply. \nGibson then approached Gilles a second time, and both parties left for Franklin Hall to meet together with Dean of Students Richard McKaig. As they left, a contingent of some 10 students followed, demanding to know under what grounds Gilles was being taken from his preaching area. \nAs the meeting with Gilles took place, Associate Dean of Students Damon Sims held a conference with the curious followers in hopes of explaining the University's stance on the issue of free speech on campus grounds. \n"This has become an issue through the years because it (the area by Woodburn Hall) has become a popular place for ministers to gather and students who have something contrary to say," Sims said.\nSims said in addition to the issue of interfering with University proceedings, "public safety" was taking precedence, and that was the reason for the IUPD's involvement. \n"This is a place where the First Amendment ought to breathe. We try to operate with as wide of restrictions as possible," Sims said. Due to the number of students who were present and the report from the police, Sims said, "we ended up with a scene that invites more things to happen."\nThe claim was that the move to Dunn Meadow would alleviate those concerns.\n"One hundred people in Dunn Meadow is not a problem," Sims said.\nThe students in the meeting didn't approve of the move, maintaining that there was no audience for Gilles at Dunn Meadow.\n"We're not obligated to provide the best possible venue; we're obligated to provide a venue," Sims replied.\nSimilar reservations were expressed in the meeting with Gilles, as evidenced by the tape recording Gilles made. In fact, he said he tape recorded and videotaped his entire proceedings outside of Woodburn.\n"You have to carry a camera for situations like this. If you don't defend it (free speech), you lose it," Gilles said. \nConcerning the notion that the move to Dunn Meadow was in the promotion of his safety, Gilles said he was not convinced. \n"I have been coming to IU since 1982, and I have never feared for my safety," he said. \nRegardless of the outcome and his eventual relocation to Dunn Meadow, Gilles remained optimistic. \n"I was drawing a great crowd," he said. "Today was fun"