North Central students to showcase love, tolerance

Members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., have set their sights on Naperville's North Central College.

And if they arrive Monday as expected, they'll be greeted by students who say they will be armed with messages of love and tolerance.

The church group, known for demonstrating at military funerals saying God is punishing the West for its acceptance of homosexuality, announced plans to protest the college's 7 p.m. screening of the film “The Anatomy of Hate,” which features the group's anti-gay campaign.

The film is being shown Monday to begin the school's Anti-Hate Week.

If the group shows up, members will be met by a counter-rally led by North Central senior Elizabeth Micheletti.

“We have a full faculty and student body that is anti-hate and full of love and we're ready to represent that the best way we know how,” she said. “We don't need them to have our love movement but they definitely pushed us to gather.”

As of press time Friday evening, 498 members of a Facebook page created for the event, had pledged to attend Micheletti's love fest.

“It's pretty amazing,” she said. “These people intend to come to our campus and spread hate and violence and they are going to be met and overpowered by our army of love.”

Students, wearing red shirts and purple armbands are expected to gather at 6 p.m. Monday at Koten Chapel and proceed to Meiley-Swallow Hall for the 7 p.m. screening.

Neither campus nor Naperville police are anticipating any problems from Monday's gatherings.