'I gave my word'
Hrnicek said he gave his word to the COCL thatmembers of his group will not violate collegerules or harass students.
Fine said he and other students on the COCLbelieve Hrnicek's pledge.
"Mike has given his word to me and the COCLthat his group will be autonomous," Fine says."Everyone [in the COCL] agreed Mike Hrnicek was astudent of honor and integrity and that to me wasthe biggest reason we should recognize the studentgroup," he says. "The leader isn't harassingstudents and has no plans to harass students."
College officials remain unconvinced, despiteHrnicek's promise. "There's no way Michael Hrnicekcan promise that members of this group are notgoing to recruit or proselytize or harass people,"DeGreeff says. "The students on [the group's] listare some of the major recruiters on campus whocontinue to harass people."
Five or six students in DeGreeff's entrywayhave complained about harassment, he says."[Members] will follow people around and they'realways in the Union. One student was called athome 60 times in a day over Christmas break."
DeGreeff characterizes the recruitment processas "deceptive." "[Members] will ask people to cometo Bible studies, not telling them that they'reled by the Boston Church of Christ," he says."People will show up at the door and ask them tocome to events when the student didn't want tojoin or do anything with the Church."
DeGreeff compares the harassment by studentmembers of the Boston Church of Christ to sexualharassment. "There are a lot of silent victims oncampus because they're embarrassed," he says.
Just Say No
Experts and past members say students should befirm in rejecting church invitations.
"[Members] will keep harassing you and callingyou unless you're definite to them," Cloutiersays. "In trying to be polite, people may say theymight come," she says. "Someone in the BostonChurch of Christ feels like it's their obligationto keep asking until they say no."
Students who continue to be harassed shouldstick together in groups, Thornburg says.
"If you think you're going to get hit onbetween now and the next class and now and whenyou're going in the dining room, have someonewalking with you," Thornburg says. "They'll try toskirt you off by yourself or get two groups onyou. Saying `No' is the best way."
Hrnicek views the harassment issue from adifferent perspective. "When someone talks to meabout God, I'm very serious about it," he says."
I will press people and challenge theirbeliefs," he says. "[Christianity] is notsomething I punch my time card in on Sundaymorning. It's something I do every day, I study mybible every day, I pray every day, that's veryserious."