April 2004

See also: What other students said

Were Logan students forced to lie?

Three Logan students deny supporting WCA, although all filled out and signed membership applications

Last year, Logan students were invited to a presentation on the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) by WCA President Terry A. Rondberg, D.C. He spoke to them about the political situation in the profession, and the positions and accomplishments of the organization he heads. At the end of the talk, the students were asked if they wanted to join the WCA and 23 of them filled out and signed membership applications.

The students were then asked to gather for a photograph that would be used, Dr. Rondberg explained, for a front page story in The Chiropractic Journal on the new Logan Student WCA Chapter. Rondberg thanked them for joining the WCA and for helping form the Logan chapter.

Among the students were Lisa Hetrick, president of the Logan Student American Chiropractic Association (SACA) chapter; Matthew Cornies, President of Student Doctors Council (SDC); and Breanna Bloom, an SDC officer. (The SDC serves as the liaison between students and the college administration and oversees publication of Logan's student newspaper, the Chiropractic Arch.)

The photo appeared in the February issue of The Chiropractic Journal, along with a report about the new club, which had to be formed off campus because of the college's refusal to grant it official club status.

Within days, according to several students on campus, Hetrick, Cornies and Bloom were called into the office of George Goodman, D.C., Logan President, and severely reprimanded for joining the SWCA.

All three students later either denied joining the group or claimed they didn't really support the group. In a letter to Rondberg, Cornies claims, "At no time did I want to endorse the creation of a SWCA chapter at Logan College, official or unofficial... My membership status of the ACA, ICA and WCA is to expand my horizons and keep an open mind while I continue to learn the philosophy, art, science and politics of chiropractic..."

Cornies also claimed that he "was invited to the lecture under false pretense. When I was invited, I had no knowledge of the political undertones that would be discussed, but once it was evident, I decided to stay to become more informed of the political environment of chiropractic."

When SACA Chairman Andrew C. Cohen learned of the incident, he wrote to Rondberg and accused the WCA of misrepresenting the students' actions at the meeting. "They had no idea that they would be listed as members for simply going to the off campus meeting," he argued. "They are not members, and in fact are SACA members who did not agree to be in a picture for this purpose."

Logan SWCA President David Sheitelman says the students couldn't have been unaware they were joining the WCA or helping form the SWCA chapter, since it was mentioned repeatedly. "We all knew what we were doing, and we were proud to do it," he said, after hearing about the three student denials.

Fellow student and SWCA chapter member Gerald Kennedy agreed. "My name is the first one on the list under that picture. I'm proud of it! Frankly I'm not surprised that someone who wants to be associated with the ACA is upset about having their name in with true chiropractors. I think it scares many of them to think they might actually have to stand for something for once in their life."

Michael Sutter, who appeared in the front row of the photo, also verified the accuracy of the Journal report. Referring to Hetrick, he noted, "She signed up to become a WCA member... It was up to them (the students) to sign up for the WCA. They obviously had a choice to pick whichever suits their personal philosophical needs. I chose ‑‑ as many people did that night ‑‑ the WCA because it offers subluxation‑based wellness care that separates all chiropractors for the allopathic mindsets. Now I heard yesterday that the members of SACA and the president of the Student Doctors Council at school were being reprimanded and maybe even punished for joining and/or being shown in that photo. I don't know what the punishment is but it may have to do with some loss of privileges within the school!"

Rondberg said that, although he feels sorry for the three students, he needed to dispel the rumors and false accusations that they were coerced or tricked into joining the group. "We have their membership applications on file," he noted. "They are completely filled out and signed, even with their credit card information. There is no way for them to claim they didn't know what they were doing. They need to learn to take responsibility for their actions."

       
Click on image to see enlarged application forms

He noted, however, that the real problem rests with Logan's lack of tolerance for groups and individuals who try to expose students to a more traditional approach to chiropractic. "It's wrong for any school to use threats and intimidation to force students to march in lock step with the administration's view on the character of chiropractic," he emphasized. "Logan students are given ample indoctrination into chiropractic medicine. Why is Logan so afraid that students may spend an hour or two a week talking about the philosophy of subluxation‑centered chiropractic?"

The school has repeatedly blocked the WCA's attempts to start on official, on‑campus club and students have reported that Dr. Goodman vowed "it'll never happen here." Logan's opposition to the SWCA escalated to new heights after the publicity of the off‑campus chapter. In March 2004, the school returned a check from the WCA for advertising in the student publication. No WCA advertising would be permitted, Rondberg was told. The school's animosity toward the WCA and its student branch stems from the increasingly medical characterization of chiropractic by the school.

In the "President's Message" posted on the Logan website, Goodman explains to prospective students that, as a D.C., "You will be helping people through the unique service provided by chiropractic physicians. You will be trained as a primary health‑care provider skilled in the areas of diagnosis including physical diagnosis, clinical laboratory diagnosis, radiological and imaging diagnosis and chiropractic evaluation." (emphasis added)

Rondberg sees in that explanation the basic area of disagreement with the WCA view.

"The use of the term 'chiropractic physician' and the emphasis on physical diagnosis is a clear indication of the direction Dr. Goodman is taking his school. Nowhere in his message does he even mention the subluxation."

Even the college's "What is chiropractic?" webpage fails to mention subluxation by name. Instead, it defines chiropractic as "a branch of the healing arts concerned with human health and disease processes" and notes that chiropractic can include "the treatment of intersegmental aberrations for alleviation of related functional disorders."

This completely contradicts the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) definition of chiropractic which Goodman and all other college presidents endorsed. The definition states that "Chiropractic is concerned with the preservation and restoration of health, and focuses particular attention on the subluxation."

"Logan signed and endorsed that statement, yet instead of focusing particular attention on the subluxation, it has virtually renounced the concept in favor of the chiropractic medicine model," Rondberg ‑‑ a Logan graduate ‑‑ noted. "The school has that right, but they should not have the right to deny students access to information about subluxation‑centered chiropractic or the organizations that promote it. If I were a student paying tuition, or an alumnus giving a donation, I would be up in arms about this blatant denial of academic freedom."

SWCA chapters have been formed on many other campuses, although some, like the one at Logan, have had to do so as unofficial, off‑campus clubs.

"Of course we'd like to see all colleges let their students meet freely on campus in official campus chapters," Rondberg said. "But the unofficial status isn't keeping them from being exposed to subluxation‑based chiropractic and joining the SWCA. It's a movement that continues to spread and build momentum throughout the country. A growing number of future D.C.s are determined that even if their schools refuse to teach them the real purpose of chiropractic, they won't be stopped from learning about it."

Students interested in learning more about the SWCA or a chapter on their campuses can contact the World Chiropractic Alliance at 800/347‑1011.