A group of six graphic design students were mistaken for members of a gay rights group and were questioned by BYU Police Thursday afternoon about their supposed suspicious activities on campus.

"[The police] said 'are you or have you ever been associated with Soulforce'?" said Jon Troutman, a junior majoring in graphic design. Soulforce demonstrated by walking around the perimeter of campus throughout the day Thursday, and two members were arrested at a news conference Thursday morning when they walked onto campus after being told they could not do so.

The graphic design students were doing a class assignment later in the afternoon and were taping up letters they had created on buildings around campus to get a reaction.

"Well, they got their reaction," said Lt. Michael Harroun of BYU Police.

The students started posting the letters at the Joseph Smith Building. Troutman said they saw a man in a blue sweater walking in and out of the building staring at the students.

"He was really worried," said Jeremy Ames, a senior majoring in graphic design. "I think he was eventually the one who called [the police]."

The students made their way to the Eyring Science Center where an unmarked police car pulled up and two men in suits got out. Then another police car drove up from the opposite direction with two more police officers. The police officers had been in a meeting when they received the call from the JSB Copy Center and responded to the call, thinking the students were members of Soulforce, Harroun said.

Anna Nichols, an English major from North Carolina, said a man came into the JSB Copy Center where she was working and said there were people putting the letters Z-E-A-L-O-T over Joseph Smith's face.

"I was really upset," Nichols said. "I thought they had to be from Soul Force. Who would put the word 'zealot' over Joseph Smith's face?"

She said the man then used the copy center's phone to call the police and report the incident.

All six of the graphic design students had a good attitude about their mistaken identity. They agreed Thursday probably wasn't the best day for them to do this assignment, but they didn't realize they would be mistaken for members of a gay rights group.

"Just for the record," Troutman said, holding up his ring finger, "I am married."



Copyright Brigham Young University 22 Mar 2007