To the Editor, Recently the Women’s Center Club has had their throats stuffed with red tape regarding their upcoming event “Pussies, Pens, and Politics.” As a student of West Chester University, I am outraged at such censorship and sexism. The Women’s Center Club is being questioned by a (male) administrator who seeks to “protect” female students from harsh language. Asking the group “Pussies, Pens, and Politics” to change their name not only insinuates that they do not understand the potential harm and connotation of the word but also undermines the experience, politics, and identity the group has maintained and exhibits in their performances. Groups of minorities and/or oppressed people often reclaim words which were originally used to insult or offend them, as is the case with “pussy.” To take this word out of the name of the program continues the systematic oppression of women by stripping them of their right to take back that which has been used against them.
Our administration, in attempting to protect the “fragile” female students, rips away the empowerment feminism inspires. In my experience with the Women’s Center Club, they have shown no desire to humiliate, degrade or insult women (or anyone else) but rather present ideas in a progressive way which inspires change and movement toward equality.
For now, this problem may seem small and easy to brush aside. But in the future what other issues will be dismissed as offensive and therefore ignored? What exactly are we gaining from this censorship? It seems to me that the classic idea of “protecting” women from any sort of “coarse” language in order to preserve their innocence pervades the administration. The air surrounding the officials denying us our right to empowerment stinks of old-fashioned sexism – a stench I am unwilling to dismiss.
-Alicia Moyer, West Chester University Student
To the Editor,
Since 1993, the number of college students who drink and binge drink has remained about the same, but the intensity of excessive drinking and rates of drug abuse have jumped, according to the national center on addiction and substance abuse at Columbia University in New York City. A four-year study of college alcohol and drug use reveals that each month, 49 percent of full-time college students, about 3.8 million, binge drink and/or abuse prescription and illegal drugs. In 2005, about 1.8 million of those students, 22.9 percent, met the medical criteria for substance abuse. An estimated 8.5 percent meet the criteria for substance abuse, making the proportion almost three times higher for college students. Why must we follow in these footsteps? I believe that if we have more fun, free activities to do on the weekends that there will be less partying and the numbers of these studies will decrease.
-Alyssa Pane
To the Editor,
This letter is in response to the Critic’s Corner: Love Songs article written last week. First of all, James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful,” worst love song ever. Really? I guess we must have bought two different copies of the CD.
Regardless the copy, I can only assume the lyrics are the same and that someone must either be getting over a recent breakup or does not enjoy falling in love. I think you missed the key part of the song,
“And I don’t think that I’ll see her again, but we shared a moment that will last till the end”
These are probably the most important lines of the song not to mention, the story of most peoples lives. You say meeting a complete stranger, having an intimate moment that only you two share, and then walking away to leave fate as is, is simple and dumb.
This “moment” is only of attraction? How do you figure? I think there is a small part of all of us that enjoys falling in love on a fairly regular basis. Not the head over heels, “Notebook,” true love most people think of, but a different kind of love.
A love that can be boiled down to a single moment in time shared between two people and then simply disappears just as it came. You do not need to know this persons name, likes/dislikes, religion, or anything else. In fact, none of that matters.
The reality is, if you actually did pursue this person, you would probably find out you two are not compatible, thus ruining that moment that you once shared.
Maybe he is trying to tell us that when you love something you must let it go. You have seen it, felt it, shared it, all culminated into a single moment. What else is there? Nothing.
“The idea that love can beat anything…is just freaking awesome.” Wow. Deep. I guess you have not seen the recent data on divorce rates in this country.
Anyways, like so many other musicians who choose to lie to us about the strength of love or whatnot, James Blunt has chosen to be honest. He has made it clear that you two might not be soul mates, hell, you will probably never see each other again. But at least you have that moment you two will share until the very end.
“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” once spoke some wise words on this very song and I too will choose to end on the same note.”It’s actually a pretty good song.”
-Craig Haber, West Chester University Student