By Kimiko L. Martinez
Assistant News Editor
Image is everything. Or nothing, if you believe the Sprite commercials.
At this Christian university the images in a Playboy feature involving a Pepperdine student have sent rumors of expulsion racing through the Peppervine.
But junior Liorah Stuchiner has not been expelled, so far at least, for her recent appearance in Playboy’s College Girls issue. Nevertheless, the seven photographs of Stuchiner are making waves campuswide.
Curiously, Stuchiner denied in an interview with the Graphic that she even posed for the infamous magazine.
However, the woman on the two-page spread in the magazine currently on sale is clearly the Seaver psychology major.
The layout lists her as a Pepperdine student and also includes “vital stats” and some brief comments, including her goal of becoming an international film star.
Stuchiner is quoted in the magazine as saying: “I’m comfortable with nudity, so it was a neat experience.”
Stuchiner responded to Graphic inquiries, though, by denying she posed at all.
“I go to a Christian university and I’m not involved in anything like that,” Stuchiner said when asked about her Playboy appearance.
Featuring “the hottest coeds on campus,” the magazine is scheduled to be on newsstands until April 15 and contains representatives from several top schools including UCLA, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Florida.
The images of Stuchiner, in contrast to many of the women who appeared, are modest and include no below-the-waist frontal nudity.
Several students, however, have wondered aloud whether the model’s actions fly in the face of university policies. In the Code of Student Conduct section of the Student Handbook, the General Conduct Expectations cites as inpermissible, “engaging in or promoting conduct or lifestyles inconsistent with traditional Christian values.”
In regards to off-campus activities, the Handbook states that “whenever its interests as a University community and/or pursuit of its objectives are adversely affected, the University may take disciplinary action.”
Additionally, the “violation of published University policies, rules or regulations” and “lewd behavior or indecent exposure of any kind” are listed as examples of misconduct “that may result in disciplinary action,” as well as “activities or incidents (that) result in a formal complaint to the Dean of Students Office.”
Stuchiner, of course, has a First Amendment right to pose nude in a publication. There is also the possibility that state law may prohibit Pepperdine from disciplining her, although the application of the law in this situation is unclear.
Section 94367 of the state educational code, commonly known as the Leonard Law, gives students at private colleges in the state of California all the free speech rights that they would be entitled to off campus.
However, according to Dr. Mike Jordan, who teaches mass media law on campus, it’s unclear in this situation whether the Leonard Law would cover First Amendment-protected activities off campus that might lead to discipline on campus.
“I’m pretty sure this is not the kind of free speech the writers of the Leonard Law had in mind, but I guess it is still free speech,” Jordan said. “Since it happened off campus, and the Leonard Law is aimed at on-campus speech rights, I’m not sure it would apply. That might be a tricky one, though, because the discipline part of it would be on campus.”
Although the buzz around campus allude to Stuchiner’s expulsion, both the Dean of Students Affairs’ and Seaver Dean’s Offices seemed to indicate that no action had been taken against Stuchiner.
Seaver College Dean Dr. David Baird commented that he was “unaware of any action in this case.”
Similarly, Dr. Mark Davis, dean of Student Affairs, said: “All I can say at this point is that my office is not aware of the situation.” He also commented that it is his office’s policy not to comment on a student’s disciplinary record.
“Regarding posing in adult magazine,” Davis continued, “my concern lies not as much with the image of the university as it does with the way women are exploited as objects of desire rather than a reflection of the image of God.”
Student reaction is mixed.
“I think it’s degrading to women,” junior psychology major Paloma Nunez said. “It devalues them to sex objects and that’s not what women are.”
Ashley Conroy agrees.
“I don’t think there’s any reason for it,” the junior art major said. “It’s just tasteless.”
Others, however, strongly disagree.
“Everyone takes their clothes off everyday, so why not get paid for it,” senior Nathan Jacroux said. “I’m sure it has some reflection on the school, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Junior Sarah Pederson applaudes Stuchiner’s actions.
“I say go for it. I think that’s awesome,” Pederson said. “There are a lot strippers and other ladies of ‘ill repute’ at Pepperdine. And people try to cover that up. But this girl is making a big statement. Girls like this at Pepperdine are really not all that uncommon.”
March 14, 2002