Guys Just Wanna Have Studs

How Inconsistent Rule Enforcement Punches a Hole Through the Liberty Way

Studs, rings and septum piercings are now a common sight on Liberty University's campus.

Like most younger siblings, Nathaniel Quirion, a former Liberty University student, grew up imitating his older brothers.

Watching each of them get unique nose and lip piercings through the years, Quirion became determined to get his own septum ring. He always thought the piercing looked cool, but took his time trying out a fake hoop to make sure he really wanted the prominent piercing.

“I want to do my best to make sure that the actual rules reflect what is actually practiced,”

The time had finally come to take the plunge and Quirion headed to his local tattoo parlor, where the body piercer approached with a “giant pair of pliers,” and needle used to pierce through the septum. The pain was short-lived, but Quirion knew the consequences could be long-lasting.

“I wanted a nose piercing, but I didn't want one on the side, because those are always there. I got a septum piercing so I could hide it,” Quirion said.

According to the Liberty Way - a set of guidelines to be followed by Liberty University students - small nose studs are permitted for female students, but no facial jewelry beyond ear piercings are allowed for male students. This rule, however, is not uniformly enforced, which begs the question – which parts of the Liberty Way should students take seriously?

“It is creating a culture of selective enforcement, enabling RA’s or the administration, or whoever to enforce the rules… to get students that they don’t like in trouble,”

A.J. Strom, an active member of the House of Delegates, has worked on amendments to address this issue - what he said is one of potentially multiple inconsistencies in the Liberty Way.

“I don’t like it when the rules aren't fair or aren't enforced properly,” Strom said.

Strom said that his process of writing legislation consisted of filtering through the code of conduct, searching for anything that was “questionable or needed to change,” and amending it.

“I want to do my best to make sure that the actual rules reflect what is actually practiced,” Strom said.

Liberty's academic lawn. (From: https://www.vmdo.com/liberty-university-student-center.html)

Caleb Fitzpatrick, the 2017-2018 speaker of the House of Delegates, said he could see many of these resolutions passing in the future.

“The culture change… is already here. Most of these resolutions are just asking that the Liberty Way be amended to reflect reality at this school,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick said that unenforced policies in the code of conduct could create an appearance that Liberty University would not want to promote.

“I think it suggests that unique thought or critical thinking or new ideas are not necessarily welcome and that should not be the culture that exists at our school, and if it exists, we’ve got a major problem,” Fitzpatrick said.

Quirion said policies like the face-piercing rule are arbitrary, and believes that administration holds onto these rules because it is what has always been done.

“We change…we don’t do the things we used to do, we are different from who we once were,” Quirion said, “Those laws… and guidelines placed in the Bible regarding piercings don't apply to us anymore.”

Liberty University's 2017-2018 House of Delegates. (From: https://www.liberty.edu/studentaffairs/sga/index.cfm?PID=22597)

Fitzpatrick says that there is no biblical justification for the facial-piercing rule. To him, no interpretation of scripture makes it wrong, it is a matter of cultural differences. Although he agreed that unjustified policies need our attention, Fitzpatrick said that there are other urgent matters to address at Liberty.

“If I had to rank the top 10 issues facing the student body, the Liberty Way probably wouldn't be on the list,” Fitzpatrick said.

Where should the efforts of students be focused instead? Fitzpatrick said that leadership development, growth, and marginalized communities on campus are more deserving of attention.

“There’s a lot that the student body can do independent of administration,” Fitzpatrick said.

To some students, though, Liberty Way policies are incredibly restricting. Quirion said that outlawing male facial piercings stifles self-expression. To him and his friends, piercings are a way to show their style, relate to each other, and tell their personal stories.

“Too much stereotyping is added to piercings sometimes, that they carry meaning that the person who got them doesn’t really mean,” Quirion said.

When the office of the Dean was contacted about the policy, they were unavailable for comment.

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To many students, this rule is more than just an unjustified policy in the Liberty Way.

“It is creating a culture of selective enforcement, enabling RA’s or the administration, or whoever to enforce the rules… to get students that they don’t like in trouble,” Fitzpatrick said.

Quirion said that there have been multiple situations where he believes this authority has been abused and he has been treated unfairly.

“Selective enforcement is a thing at this school, 100 percent,” Fitzpatrick said.

Students aren’t just trying to get a lighter code of conduct here; Strom and Quirion agree that buckling down and implementing all the rules would be a positive solution to the selective enforcement on campus. For Quirion, though, the rule is sexist for allowing one standard for females that isn’t permitted for males.

Without consistent policies, Fitzpatrick said he is concerned that what is expressed online by the university isn’t the same as what students experience on campus. And for adamant rule-followers like Strom, this feels unfair.

“I think consistency is extremely important when it comes to rules,” Strom said, “The importance of this is that if you have a rule that you don't enforce, it takes away from the validity of your authority to enforce other rules.”

Fitzpatrick said he sees a real issue with the school portraying an inauthentic environment.

After being asked his opinion on the fairness of school policies, he paused for a long time before saying: “I think that the people who put [the policies] in place are well-intentioned.”

Nowadays, piercings and tattoos can be seen as casual or unprofessional in the workplace.

Similarly, Quirion said he could understand the motivation of the administration in making the policies in the Liberty Way. Regardless of this, he still says that many of the rules are too legalistic, and that selective enforcement is inappropriate.

Quirion said that facial piercings mean something different to each person who has one. In his opinion, anyone can be a good student and a good Christian, regardless of the accessories they choose. He said that piercing prejudice isn’t just in the Christian community, though.

“Going into professional fields, people can be really judgmental,” Quirion said.

Regardless of the pain, lengthy healing time and prejudice, Quirion said he is still just as happy about his decision. He said that there are multiple rules like the facial-piercing policy that are kept in the code of conduct for invalid reasons.

“I’ve never had too much respect for the Liberty Way, because I think a lot of it is arbitrary,” Quirion said.