Every Friday in the theater, the Sun Salutatorians meet to practice yoga. However, the group has made sure not to call the relaxing activity of breathing, stretching, and breathing, by its popular name. So every Friday, the Sun Salutatorians meet to… salute the Sun, or something. But not do yoga.

I have come to understand the reasoning behind the odd name as follows: there was a yoga club started at Holy Family Catholic High School, and some extremist parents (or maybe just one) complained to the school––because Yoga (when capitalized) is a Hindu religious practice, and not Catholic or Christian. The school then prevented the club from using “yoga,” regardless of capitalization.

When the Sun Salutatorians was founded, the club took a preemptive strike against any extremist parents and stopped the club from using the y-word. I find this action to be ridiculous. The club did not need to give in to a nebulous fear of angry parents.

Quite frankly, I believe parents at BSM are logical, level-headed people––while occasionally being too worried about their children’s grades. I presume that they won’t call the school worried that stretching and breathing will make their children start worshipping Ganesh, the elephant-faced Hindu god.

What is the worst action that could be taken by an uptight parent? A couple of angry emails? A furious phone call? Or would they maybe remove their child from BSM and enroll them in another school?

If any parents sent the school––or specifically the Sun Salutatorians––an angry anti-yoga email, I would like it forwarded to me, so I could see exactly what they are mad about. And if there was a parent angry enough to remove their child from BSM because of the existence of a yoga club, I wouldn’t mind––I wish them all the best in finding a school that isn’t open to a hint of diversity.

Don’t give in to a fear of ridiculous parents. Breathe, stretch, breathe, and call it yoga.