Pittsburg State students walking through campus before noon on Wednesday saw a familiar sight.
The area known as The Oval was relatively quiet with just a few organizational booths set up and a few students passing out information regarding domestic violence.
And other than the cardboard silhouettes placed around The Oval representing victims of domestic violence, there wasn't much out of the ordinary.
Then noon rolled around.
Not long after lunchtime, students packed The Oval, many screaming at the top of their lungs at Matt Bourgault, a traveling preacher with Consuming Fire Campus Ministry. The ministry, created by Bourgault and his family, travels to college campuses throughout the United States with a "call to repentance from sin," according to the group's Web site.
Bourgault read aloud from the Bible and spoke about the sins of the human race, more specifically, the sins of PSU students. He criticized homosexuals as homosexual students stood before him. He criticized students for having sex before marriage. He also criticized anyone who wasn't a Christian and said non-Christians would be sentenced to eternal damnation.
"You will burn in hell if you do not believe on Jesus Christ," Bourgault told the gathering of students.
Bourgault's rants did not sit well with the hundreds of PSU students who gathered to listen, but mostly to protest his message. Many students held up signs that read "Jesus loves me" and "Love is love." Some students stood on tables and others stood on the bench right beside Bourgault.
Charlie Cailes, a sophomore elementary education student, took to the bench and told Bourgault that, as a Christian, Bourgault does not represent his views. Afterward, Cailes said he felt he had to stand up for what he believes in.
"I'm not just going to stand by and let him represent me or any other Christian because he's just a lunatic who does not represent me," Cailes said. "God loves everyone. That's the reason I'm a Christian. He's not preaching that. He's just yelling at people and they're yelling back."
Skannd Tyagi, computer science senior, said that as a practicing Hindu, he took particular offense to Bourgault's comments.
"He said all non-Christians would go to hell and that doesn't make sense to me because I think it's one's actions that determine where one is going, not what religion one associates with," he said.
Aside from inciting harsh words from the students, Bourgault's display also distracted many students from a booth providing information about domestic violence. Katie Swadek, a member of Students Against Violence through Education, said her booth was disregarded by many students because all they could focus on was the "angry" speaker.
"It's really frustrating that he's peaking anger levels as he goes on," Swadek said. "It's very frustrating to know that he's right here by our table and causing such a ruckus. It's not helping us at all because people are standing around our table but not really noticing. They're just seeing him."
According to PSU, police asked Bourgault to "take a break" at around 3 p.m. so the large crowd in The Oval might diminish. Bourgault complied and after answering a few questions from students, left the campus. No incidents were reported and the event remained free of physical conflict throughout.
That's not to say precautions weren't taken in case the verbal exchanges turned to physical contact. Along with at least four campus police officers, members of the Pittsburg Police Department and the Crawford County Sheriff's Office were on hand to keep the peace.
"The reason there are so many officers out here is because of the size of the crowd," said Mike McCracken, director of university police at PSU.
According to McCracken, Bourgault initially began his rant on campus on Tuesday. However, he did not previously secure the proper permit to speak publicly on campus and was asked to leave. According to the Campus Life department at PSU, Bourgault did receive a permit before speaking on Wednesday.
Don Smith, director of PSU Campus Christians, said while parts of Bourgault's message are legit and defendable, the way he delivered the message is not "constructive."
"I would suppose he is sincere," Smith said. "I have no reason to doubt his sincerity. But the problem is whether or not this is the effective way to share with people."
On the other hand, Smith said, Bourgault knew he had to make a scene if he was to draw the size of crowd he did on Wednesday.
"It's part of his plan," Smith said of the many PSU students who gathered in protest. "If he just stood up there and said, 'God loves you,' most people would walk on by."
Ashley Taylor, a senior at PSU, echoed Smith's rationale.
"(Bourgault) might as well be riding around in The Oval on a unicycle in a clown's outfit juggling stuff," she said. "It's a spectacle. That's all it is."
PITTSBURG —
