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Do You Agree?

Events similar to UA's "Dave Week" popping up nationwide

Christian student groups nationwide have a new group of guides to follow - a group closer to home than long-dead saints, martyrs and prophets.

While standard tenets of Christianity have always been written in books, a new trend involves believers turning to their peers.

In a week-long November event, UA sophomore Dave Goffeney made his name public with the slogan "Do You Agree With Dave?" which appeared on neon green T-shirts and signs around campus.

Campus Crusade for Christ and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship leaders decided on the campaign and developed a list of five Christian beliefs held by Dave, which he signed in an advertisement in the Nov. 15 Arizona Daily Wildcat.

The idea for an activity to increase awareness of Christ on campus did not come originally from Goffeney, or campus Christian groups, who sponsored the event.

"It originally came from Humboldt State University ... my friend heard about it," said Goffeney, a religious studies and history major.

During December 1998, the advisers for Humboldt State Campus Crusade for Christ - Keith Phinney and Eric Leon - were praying with then junior Tom Rickstren.

Every December the organization places an full-page ad in the student newspaper, The Lumberjack, where students in the organization sign an agreement supporting their belief in the Christmas season.

"We were praying for the ad ... when Tom had an idea to have just him sign the ad (as opposed to all the members)," said Leon.

From there, the Campus Crusade made buttons which read "I agree with Tom" and posters which had a photo of Rickstren and the caption "wanted."

Rickstren then wore a red T-shirt, which on the front read "I am Tom" and on the back, "Ask me."

"I really liked it because it was personal, people would come up to him and ask him what it was all about," Leon said.

"It was better than neat," Rickstren said. "It was a supernatural phenomenon."

The activity was not designed to spread Christianity, but rather the reason for the Christmas season.

Since then, at least six schools, including UA, have followed this idea with their own versions of "Do You agree with Tom?" sponsored by various campus Christian organizations.

"There's about 20 schools aiming for information about what we did. They heard through the grapevine. It seems to be some type of movement or idea caught on," said Bob Krepps, director of UA's Campus Crusade for Christ. "I'm shocked and surprised."

Two weeks ago, campus Christians at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley held a "Do You Agree with Aaron?" activity.

"There were ads run in the paper but not a big response by the students," said Tanner Jones, editor in chief of UNC's Daily Mirror.

In February, students at the University of California at Santa Barbara saw a two-week "Do You Agree with Glenn?" event co-sponsored by all campus Christian groups.

UCSB senior Melissa Dogero is a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the organizations which chose junior Glenn Racz.

"He is humble and not by any means a superstar," she said. "He can also take a lot of criticism."

The inspiration came from the UA's "Dave Week," Dogero said. The students who agreed with Glenn's Christian beliefs at UCSB wore orange T-shirts and the week concluded with him giving a speech.

Also in February, Christian groups at Pennsylvania State University held a "Do You Agree with Adam?" week.

"He advertised in our paper expressing four or five points he agreed with about Christianity," said junior Chris Antonancci, a staff member of The Collegian, Penn State's student newspaper.

A "Do You Agree with Joden?" activity is in the planning stages for "Jesus Week," right before Easter, at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

"Our students talk to students at the U of A, which is where we got the idea," said NAU's director of Campus Crusade for Christ Dan Barton.

The student is junior Joden Caine, who volunteered for the position and submitted a column-style article for the student newspaper, The Lumberjack.

"I am leery with the idea, about the shirts and about my name being in public," Caine said. "But I have a desire to share what I believe is the truth and dispel the myths."

Goffeney is aware of the fame he has gained from the activity.

"I am extremely joyous about the following," he said.

Although all six reported activities have been headed by men, Goffeney said that does not believe this to be an act of sexual discrimination.

"There's no significance in being male," he said. "It's just best when headed up by a person who loves Jesus enough to be bold enough to talk in front of groups."

Goffeney said he does not see the reenactment of his activity as flattery, but rather an act of Christian pride.

"It's not about me, or copying me or my footsteps. It's about catching on to the idea that everyday college students can stand up for what they believe in and share with our peers," he said.