At BYU, where random T-shirts are the norm, white shirts featuring a face covered with tape haven’t attracted too much attention.

But upon further observation, the shirt reveals a more political motive. The face has tape covering the mouth and printed on the tape is BYUSA’s logo. Nearly 25 students around campus have added these $1 shirts to their wardrobe in protest of the recent termination of BYU employee Todd Hendricks.

These T-shirts aren’t alone. Another group of students have designed shirts using the BYUSA logo but with a different message. The shirt reads, “BYUSSR, shady selections and regulations.”

The motivation for creating T-shirts ranges from a disappointment in BYUSA to frustration with BYU’s administration.

Ashley Sanders, a senior who has worn the taped face shirt several days this week, said she believes the issue that the Hendricks case raises is the epidemic of silence at BYU.

“In my opinion BYU stresses honor and integrity and encourages people to consider the issues as long as they don’t criticize BYU in any way,” Sanders said. “At BYU where being critical, even in a constructive way is considered heretical, people fear expressing themselves for getting in trouble for it,”

A major problem is people confusing divine revelation with administrative hierarchy, Sanders said.

“They start to believe that whatever is said by someone higher on the hierarchy is right, true and whether or not it is, they defer that responsibility onto an administrator of facilitator,” she said.

Paul Garbett, who orchestrated the “BYUSSR” T-shirts, said he is wearing the shirts to show his distaste for BYUSA’s authoritarian position and their inability to accept criticism.

“They have really alienated the students,” Garbett said. “A lot of people have such a bad attitude towards BYUSA and they need to get rid of all the political stuff that’s happening trying to address student issues. Put my phone number and contact information in there if anyone wants T-shirts.”

Adam Larson, BYUSA president, said students are attacking the wrong avenue in protesting the Hendricks’ termination.

“If it was BYUSA, I would have fired Todd Hendricks,” Larson said. “It’s a completely different audience that you are dealing with. A person attacking BYUSA is essentially attacking itself since BYUSA represents the students’ interests.”

But students have become disenfranchised with the organization of BYUSA.

Neil Ransom who designed the face on the T-shirt said he thinks if BYUSA wanted to represent students they would make changes.

Neil Ransom, who sketched the face on the T-shirt, said the issue isn’t Todd Hendrick’s termination. Ransom is more concerned about the money Hendricks could have settled for if he didn’t tell his story.

“If he did something he deserved to be terminated for that’s not the issue. “His standing up and not taking the hush money that’s at least the virtue of Todd Hendricks.”

Mike Maughan, who has volunteered for BYUSA for the past two years, said making a martyr out of Hendricks demonstrates ignorance about the situation.

“They don’t know him,” Maughan said. “They are just piggybacking on a situation that they feel further their own personal agenda.”

Larson said he wonders why the firing of a BYU employee is even an issue.

“The university has thousands of employees and it never ends up on the front page of the newspaper,” Larson said. “Somebody got fired. Let’s move on.”

Maughan said Hendrick’s actions following his termination have been frustrating.

“I am disappointed that Todd is choosing to use this situation to defame BYUSA, an organization that he once purported,” Maughan said.

Ransom, Garbett, Sanders and nearly 40 others are continuing to wear their shirts on campus.

Randsom said if his T-shirt inspires conversation then it was worth the $1.

“I think there is power in wearing a T-shirt, it tells people that I don’t agree with this culture of silence,” Ransom said. “I don’t think it’s going to change the world but I don’t think it has to.”

Hendricks' Letter to the Editor: 'BYUSA's Special Interests'

Students Protest Against BYUSA

Onlookers Respond to Student Outcry

BYUSA Carries Out WSC Handouts



Copyright Brigham Young University 30 Mar 2006