Friday, February 27, 2009
In response to Everett,
First, I would like to acklowledge the positive message you created in your bullsheet article. While I thank you for your contribution to rape discussion, I cannot help but feel that your entry only scraped the surface of rape’s enormous influence.
In your article, you were rightfully disgusted and seemingly surprised to discover that rape happens “all the time” at Denison. Unfortunately, rape is not just the reality of this miniscule population of students, but also the reality of rape as a general issue everywhere. While I agree that a cost of 500 dollars for ruphie testing is repulsive, I must also point out that “blatant” rapes involving ruphies or any other type of drug only encompass a mere fraction of sexual assaults on this campus. I regret to inform anyone who might not already know that rape on this campus is most often NOT from ruphies or any other type of date rape drug. In fact, rape commonly grows and multiplies its disgusting self through the very activity we college students deem to be stress relieving. …Parties. Unfortunately, ALCOHOL has become the new rape drug as it has excused countless acts of sexual assault through the “blurred mental state of intoxication.” Intoxication? Is that the new ruphie? Well, apparently so. Sadly, at least three of my friends on this campus, as well as many other women I know have fallen victim to rape that has been downplayed by alcohol and “situational factors.” These women have been made to feel that they were not victims of rape, simply because in our society, rape is defined as either a black or white issue that has no pity for those stuck in the grey. I guess its just tough lovin’ for my friend who had to re-arrange her room twice before she could even begin to erase the association between her bed and the “middle ground” rape excused by alcohol and “poor decision making” that occurred in her dorm. Bullshit.
I wish we lived in a world where true friends supported you if you chose to voice a rape. Again, I regret to inform you that it is not a simple matter of friends vs. foes. Again, I witnessed the process my friend had to go through when she made the brave decision to speak out about her rape. While you might imagine that this process proves who ones’ true friends are, I can assure you that the process of standing up to rape is so much more scarring. Out of the three women I spoke of earlier, only one chose to come forward. Anyone know why? Because every other woman I have ever known who chose to come forward after being raped within the realm of intoxicated “grey” situations not only lost many of her friends, but was also put through a process that was in fact public, humiliating and forever emotionally scarring. So you see, convicting a rape is not a one time event that erases itself in a month and leaves you with “true” friends. In strong contrast, the experience and rarely subsequent conviction of rape is a long, grueling process that alienates a woman and creates an element of guilt within her for the rest of her life.
So, in this response to your entry, I only intend to extend the definition of rape only to show that rape is often masked by situations that may appear to be normal, college occurrences. I think its important to remember that rape grows in many forms and extends its branches everywhere and in every way. However I do agree with you, Everett, that rape has now become “cool and ordinary” occurrence, creating a phenomenon disguised by the commonality of party hook-ups. Unfortunately, the definition of rape has become so narrow that it excludes all but few circumstances.
Marge Curtis
curtis_m@denison.edu
8789
First, I would like to acklowledge the positive message you created in your bullsheet article. While I thank you for your contribution to rape discussion, I cannot help but feel that your entry only scraped the surface of rape’s enormous influence.
In your article, you were rightfully disgusted and seemingly surprised to discover that rape happens “all the time” at Denison. Unfortunately, rape is not just the reality of this miniscule population of students, but also the reality of rape as a general issue everywhere. While I agree that a cost of 500 dollars for ruphie testing is repulsive, I must also point out that “blatant” rapes involving ruphies or any other type of drug only encompass a mere fraction of sexual assaults on this campus. I regret to inform anyone who might not already know that rape on this campus is most often NOT from ruphies or any other type of date rape drug. In fact, rape commonly grows and multiplies its disgusting self through the very activity we college students deem to be stress relieving. …Parties. Unfortunately, ALCOHOL has become the new rape drug as it has excused countless acts of sexual assault through the “blurred mental state of intoxication.” Intoxication? Is that the new ruphie? Well, apparently so. Sadly, at least three of my friends on this campus, as well as many other women I know have fallen victim to rape that has been downplayed by alcohol and “situational factors.” These women have been made to feel that they were not victims of rape, simply because in our society, rape is defined as either a black or white issue that has no pity for those stuck in the grey. I guess its just tough lovin’ for my friend who had to re-arrange her room twice before she could even begin to erase the association between her bed and the “middle ground” rape excused by alcohol and “poor decision making” that occurred in her dorm. Bullshit.
I wish we lived in a world where true friends supported you if you chose to voice a rape. Again, I regret to inform you that it is not a simple matter of friends vs. foes. Again, I witnessed the process my friend had to go through when she made the brave decision to speak out about her rape. While you might imagine that this process proves who ones’ true friends are, I can assure you that the process of standing up to rape is so much more scarring. Out of the three women I spoke of earlier, only one chose to come forward. Anyone know why? Because every other woman I have ever known who chose to come forward after being raped within the realm of intoxicated “grey” situations not only lost many of her friends, but was also put through a process that was in fact public, humiliating and forever emotionally scarring. So you see, convicting a rape is not a one time event that erases itself in a month and leaves you with “true” friends. In strong contrast, the experience and rarely subsequent conviction of rape is a long, grueling process that alienates a woman and creates an element of guilt within her for the rest of her life.
So, in this response to your entry, I only intend to extend the definition of rape only to show that rape is often masked by situations that may appear to be normal, college occurrences. I think its important to remember that rape grows in many forms and extends its branches everywhere and in every way. However I do agree with you, Everett, that rape has now become “cool and ordinary” occurrence, creating a phenomenon disguised by the commonality of party hook-ups. Unfortunately, the definition of rape has become so narrow that it excludes all but few circumstances.
Marge Curtis
curtis_m@denison.edu
8789
Monday, February 16, 2009
My name is Melanie Beth Hale and I am racist. I am racist and I hate myself for it. Three and a half years ago now I was raped by a black man, a student who finally is no longer on campus, not because of anything the school did or could do, just because he graduated. For a while I could only stand to be around white women. Anyone who was black or male, especially black and male, would only be accepted if we had already been introduced. Even then, it often didn't feel completely safe. I have no problem with white men and black women now, but I'm still racist. There are even some black men that I have met since then with whom I have had normal encounters. But a "token black male friend" does not make up for the tension in my body every time a black man I do not know comes near me. It does not wipe away my transgression of being afraid of another human being because of his gender and the color of his skin.
My counselor says I am not racist. She says it is a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that it is a completely normal response. She says it is good that I recognize it because then I can get past it. My psychologist agrees. No matter how much I recognize that it is illogical, I do not seem to have found the power to change my reactions. I can not seem to get past it and I still hate myself for it.
Today, Sunday, February 15, 2009, I met a/the kid that wore black face. We weren't formally introduced. I do not know his name. A friend, with whom I was eating dinner, and I merely overheard a conversation that hurt us deeply. I cried. He turned around.Finding myself to be racist, I felt that I did not have the right to say anything. It was the same self hate of being a hypocrite that kept me from the events of the day Denison recognized Martin Luther King Jr.
He does not seem to understand why what he did was wrong. He does not seem to understand why the forum happened. He does not seem to understand why "black people were bitching about their lives" or why saying that tonight was racist. He does not seem to think he is racist.
I was not at the forum. I was not present for the events in the fall of 2007. I was away from school dealing with other symptoms of PTSD. I heard about it though. People kept me informed. My friend who was at dinner tonight made sure I knew because in his eyes this was still my campus and he felt I should know. Because of him, I was able to listen to the events at the flag pole up until the battery on his cell phone died.
So what? What changed? How do you make a person understand who does not want to listen? He heard the arguments my friend put forward, but possibly only so he could refute them. He said that the things black people were complaining about were perpetuated by themselves. He said they were lazy. He said that if only they stopped acting like thugs and did not drop out of high school they would not be stuck in the slums. I asked him if he had ever been to an inner city school, the only time I spoke. He either did not hear my weak voice or ignored me.
All five of us were angry, he and his two friends and my friend and me. They left. We shortly did the same but not before I thanked my friend. He looked at me oddly and asked "for what?" I thanked him for turning around, but I suppose he did not see that there was another option. He did not seem to understand I was thanking him for saying all the things I do not feel I have a right to say because I am racist and I hate myself for it.
Potentially the only thing that separates me from the person I met tonight is that I recognize that what I am doing is wrong. But this is what perpetuates the cycle. Someone who generalizes a race based on one experience and someone who refuses an attempt to understand another human being.
Melanie Beth Hale
hale_m@denison.edu
Slayter Box 9271
I thought about not using my name because of the personal nature of this submission, but I feel that the person I met tonight has the right to know who is accusing him and where retaliation should be directed.
I would also like to ask people who already know me not to treat me differently because you now know I was raped.
My counselor says I am not racist. She says it is a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that it is a completely normal response. She says it is good that I recognize it because then I can get past it. My psychologist agrees. No matter how much I recognize that it is illogical, I do not seem to have found the power to change my reactions. I can not seem to get past it and I still hate myself for it.
Today, Sunday, February 15, 2009, I met a/the kid that wore black face. We weren't formally introduced. I do not know his name. A friend, with whom I was eating dinner, and I merely overheard a conversation that hurt us deeply. I cried. He turned around.Finding myself to be racist, I felt that I did not have the right to say anything. It was the same self hate of being a hypocrite that kept me from the events of the day Denison recognized Martin Luther King Jr.
He does not seem to understand why what he did was wrong. He does not seem to understand why the forum happened. He does not seem to understand why "black people were bitching about their lives" or why saying that tonight was racist. He does not seem to think he is racist.
I was not at the forum. I was not present for the events in the fall of 2007. I was away from school dealing with other symptoms of PTSD. I heard about it though. People kept me informed. My friend who was at dinner tonight made sure I knew because in his eyes this was still my campus and he felt I should know. Because of him, I was able to listen to the events at the flag pole up until the battery on his cell phone died.
So what? What changed? How do you make a person understand who does not want to listen? He heard the arguments my friend put forward, but possibly only so he could refute them. He said that the things black people were complaining about were perpetuated by themselves. He said they were lazy. He said that if only they stopped acting like thugs and did not drop out of high school they would not be stuck in the slums. I asked him if he had ever been to an inner city school, the only time I spoke. He either did not hear my weak voice or ignored me.
All five of us were angry, he and his two friends and my friend and me. They left. We shortly did the same but not before I thanked my friend. He looked at me oddly and asked "for what?" I thanked him for turning around, but I suppose he did not see that there was another option. He did not seem to understand I was thanking him for saying all the things I do not feel I have a right to say because I am racist and I hate myself for it.
Potentially the only thing that separates me from the person I met tonight is that I recognize that what I am doing is wrong. But this is what perpetuates the cycle. Someone who generalizes a race based on one experience and someone who refuses an attempt to understand another human being.
Melanie Beth Hale
hale_m@denison.edu
Slayter Box 9271
I thought about not using my name because of the personal nature of this submission, but I feel that the person I met tonight has the right to know who is accusing him and where retaliation should be directed.
I would also like to ask people who already know me not to treat me differently because you now know I was raped.
A Submission from Everett Daily- daily_e@denison.edu
Hello all,
The past two weeks, I have found myself once again disgusted with Denison University. My disgust is not due to racism this time but to sexism. In the past two weeks, I found out that rape on Denison’s campus happens ALL THE TIME through my conversations with students. Prior to these conversations, I had no idea that it happened so frequently. I had these conversations with two women in sororities, a women’s studies class, a female athlete, a male athlete, and general students. EVERYTIME, I had these conversations, it seemed that I was the only one unaware of how often rape happens on this campus. I found it very interesting how nonchalant the conversations went. I would say, “Did you know that people get raped on this cam….” And before I could finish my sentence the other person always says “ALL THE TIME.” So, then my question turned into: If women are getting raped on this campus all the time, why is it that nobody is doing anything about it? I get these explanations: If a woman wants to get a test to see if someone put a “ruphie” in her drink, it cost nearly 500 dollars, meaning that if this woman does not have 500 dollars to see if someone slipped something into her drink, then she will never know. She would also have to come up with the 500 dollars within 3 days because it can only be proven up to 3 days after the incident. Why does it cost 500 dollars for a woman to relinquish a guilt that she may feel after being raped? Why does it cost 500 dollars for a woman to prove that someone sexually assaulted her? Why does it cost 500 dollars to get a coward persecuted for his crime? I also got: People are scared to come forward because they know the person who raped them and they all have the same friends. These friends, I found out, end up protecting the rapist and not the woman who is raped! WHAT KIND OF FRIENDS ARE THOSE? With friends like that, who needs enemies? If those people are your REAL friends they would stick up for you not matter what. People are scared because they don’t want to be excluded. If they come forward then they will be looked down upon because the rapist could be kicked out of school (which is not necessarily true, ask Huey, who finished his four years) and they would be “starting trouble.” How backwards is that shit? Why isn’t it that the woman is protected and the rapist excluded? OH WAIT, I HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT ONE. YOU READY? It’s because there are so many rapists on this campus and it happens so often that it has become acceptable. It’s now cool and ordinary for a guy to slip something into a woman’s drink and force himself inside of her while she is passed out. It is perfectly okay for this guy to go and brag about it because he knows for a fact that nothing is going to happen to him. The system of Denison University tells gives him permission and so do his frat brothers and his sorority friends who protect him when he rapes another girl. And because a woman does drugs, drinks, or wears promiscuous clothing does not mean that she deserves to be raped, does not justify the rape, and does not make the rapist less of a monster or a coward. It does however; make him less human and less of a man. There is an honor that comes with a woman allowing a man to have sex with her. Who are you to steal it? How much of a man are you to, not only steal from a woman, but to attempt to steal her womanhood from her and to do it when she can not defend herself? And then you go and hide behind your friends and other woman for protection, and the brag about it later. Coward. Denison University is a university full of rapists who are not penalized and are allowed to continue their lives care-free, while the women that they rape are scarred for live. Just remember ALL YOU RAPISTS OUT THERE, YOU TOO MIGHT HAVE A DAUGHTER SOMEDAY.
The past two weeks, I have found myself once again disgusted with Denison University. My disgust is not due to racism this time but to sexism. In the past two weeks, I found out that rape on Denison’s campus happens ALL THE TIME through my conversations with students. Prior to these conversations, I had no idea that it happened so frequently. I had these conversations with two women in sororities, a women’s studies class, a female athlete, a male athlete, and general students. EVERYTIME, I had these conversations, it seemed that I was the only one unaware of how often rape happens on this campus. I found it very interesting how nonchalant the conversations went. I would say, “Did you know that people get raped on this cam….” And before I could finish my sentence the other person always says “ALL THE TIME.” So, then my question turned into: If women are getting raped on this campus all the time, why is it that nobody is doing anything about it? I get these explanations: If a woman wants to get a test to see if someone put a “ruphie” in her drink, it cost nearly 500 dollars, meaning that if this woman does not have 500 dollars to see if someone slipped something into her drink, then she will never know. She would also have to come up with the 500 dollars within 3 days because it can only be proven up to 3 days after the incident. Why does it cost 500 dollars for a woman to relinquish a guilt that she may feel after being raped? Why does it cost 500 dollars for a woman to prove that someone sexually assaulted her? Why does it cost 500 dollars to get a coward persecuted for his crime? I also got: People are scared to come forward because they know the person who raped them and they all have the same friends. These friends, I found out, end up protecting the rapist and not the woman who is raped! WHAT KIND OF FRIENDS ARE THOSE? With friends like that, who needs enemies? If those people are your REAL friends they would stick up for you not matter what. People are scared because they don’t want to be excluded. If they come forward then they will be looked down upon because the rapist could be kicked out of school (which is not necessarily true, ask Huey, who finished his four years) and they would be “starting trouble.” How backwards is that shit? Why isn’t it that the woman is protected and the rapist excluded? OH WAIT, I HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT ONE. YOU READY? It’s because there are so many rapists on this campus and it happens so often that it has become acceptable. It’s now cool and ordinary for a guy to slip something into a woman’s drink and force himself inside of her while she is passed out. It is perfectly okay for this guy to go and brag about it because he knows for a fact that nothing is going to happen to him. The system of Denison University tells gives him permission and so do his frat brothers and his sorority friends who protect him when he rapes another girl. And because a woman does drugs, drinks, or wears promiscuous clothing does not mean that she deserves to be raped, does not justify the rape, and does not make the rapist less of a monster or a coward. It does however; make him less human and less of a man. There is an honor that comes with a woman allowing a man to have sex with her. Who are you to steal it? How much of a man are you to, not only steal from a woman, but to attempt to steal her womanhood from her and to do it when she can not defend herself? And then you go and hide behind your friends and other woman for protection, and the brag about it later. Coward. Denison University is a university full of rapists who are not penalized and are allowed to continue their lives care-free, while the women that they rape are scarred for live. Just remember ALL YOU RAPISTS OUT THERE, YOU TOO MIGHT HAVE A DAUGHTER SOMEDAY.
A Delayed Post of a Delayed Response
Right. So. This was going to go in a few days ago, err like Monday actually, but things kept coming up (like dinner, and like dinner) but today I ate early so here it is.
An open letter mostly to Kaitlyn (but to a few other people too now that I've procrastinated this for a day*):
Personally, I think Redneck Literature Hour sounds hilarious. I tend to have kind of a weird sense of humor though, so I checked with other people, and according to my thoroughly unscientific random survey of people I've seen in the last few hours, Redneck Literature Hour is, actually, extremely funny. At any rate, I'm sure your friends have probably been deluged with requests and so on, but - can we get H.P. Lovecraft on this too? Redneck H.P. Lovecraft would be just incredible levels of awesome.
As for a venue, I do a radio show Sunday nights, 9:30 to 11:30 PM, and all I play really is "that indie shit," so it'd be nice to shake things up with a guest spot or two. Maybe the Redneck Literature Half-Hour? The Redneck Literature Twenty Minutes? Because, quite honestly, Jane Austen, no matter what accent it's in, is a lot more interesting than anything I'm bound to discuss in between shitty indie songs (nipples, the Nazi Youth). Exec's opinion seems to be that your friends needed to tighten up their show - the only thing I had to tighten up when I was a newbie was my sleeping schedule, but again, whatever - so I daresay that might give them a bit of practice too, if they're interested in that kind of thing. My show's pretty casual, people come and go, some guy in Heath calls in and asks for groovy chick music. This is the first semester I've been completely awake for the whole thing, so it's at least marginally classier than it used to be.
Now, I was a bit confused when Jacs referred to the skill level of your friends' dancing - the most energetic ever, apparently, but still not up to Doobie standards regarding dance. I am awfully touched that WDUB at least occasionally chose to make dancing one of the requirements for their auditionees. Dance and radio have always been deeply intertwined art forms, and I'm so glad that the Doobie prioritized finding DJs who are really capable of exploiting the visual possibilities of radio.
No, I'm a bit fucking confused actually. When I auditioned as a freshman, you got asked about the music you wanted to play, any show ideas you'd suggested, and a few funny questions to see if you could think on your feet. You didn't even audition in person; you talked on a mic and heard a few members of the station talk back to you over the headphones. Now I hear that you have to stare down the entirety of exec in a room and do whatever weird shit they egg you into doing. If I'd been asked to dance for a room of ten people or so during my audition, I would've walked out. Maybe that makes me one of those awful snotty shy people, maybe it means I don't have enough of a sense of humor, but it still wouldn't have made me a bad DJ.**
It seems like it wasn't that long ago when the Doobie was pretty chill, open to just about anybody with a student keycard and interesting taste in music. Now when I suggest to someone that they audition, I tend to get a lot of shrugs. Whether it's true or not, a lot of people have started to think you need to be in a specific crowd to get in. I have a friend who's been rejected twice. He can run a station better than I can, and he has interesting music taste, but it's just never gelled for him. And he doesn't dance either. I don't have anything to do with auditions, and all I represent on the Doobie is myself (full disclosure: I was suspended last semester for absences, and quite right too), but I guess I'd like to say that I'm sorry that quite a lot of the people I've talked to had a crummy audition experience. There was an executive decision to make the auditions more like a fraternity/sorority rush process. For some people, sure, that's fun, but for a lot of people it feels like elitism. Look, I listen to opera and the Magnetic Fields, I wear vintage, I have an American Apparel t-shirt, if I got any more elitist I'd pretty much have to shoot myself.***
As for Alex's argument, I have to wonder how much concern the FCC really is. This was covered in my apprenticeship - the FCC defines indecent material as "language that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs." The FCC is concerned with swear words. For the most part, they do not give a shit about racism, and if they did, there's a lot of conservative daytime talk-radio that would be completely screwed. The FCC expects you not to offend the reasonable person, not the reasonable knee-jerk liberal. As long as you're not reading Jane Austen's sex scenes in a redneck accent, you're pretty much in the clear. Could they decide to fine us for some "indecent" offense? Absolutely. But in order for that to happen, sufficient numbers of listeners have to be offended enough to write to the FCC. The FCC is not actually wiretapping us themselves. They just have the legal right to.
And Alex made an excellent point about the Doobie representing Denison - but unfortunately that was the same day that the Denisonian published their fascinating array of sex tips for the young collegian. Personally, I think that the Denisonian represents us more than the Doobie does - there's the name, after all, and besides - radio is ephemeral, newspaper gets archived. How is it that a publication that is so out of touchit suggests you send a $200 designer coin purse to your sweetheart is now more cutting-edge than we are? What the hell, Denisonian? And what's with advising your female readers to buy expensive lingerie so they can "dress to impress," which is apparently their duty because "men bear the burden of an exceptional performance"? That's a bit fucked up, eh? I'm sure all the straight men on this campus are delighted that you've let their girlfriends know that all they have to do is lie back and think of the homeland; the burden's all on the guys! The only situation I can think of in which the woman can acceptably just lie there and not bother herself is if you're dating a necrophiliac and you're really the best he can do. Frankly I think every guy who has a crummy lay Valentine's Day should write to the Denisonian and let them know. Necrophiliacs included.
So yeah. Alex, obviously we can't get a sex columnist of our own. Let's try to talk the Denisonian out of using theirs again. Otherwise we're going to be at stalemate, and to be honest I don't know where we can go from here.
Thanks,
Kim Davies
Class of 2009, used to be 2010... it's confusing. Go see "Art" next weekend.
*Lots of days.
**All the times when I screw up the computer and there's like forty seconds of dead air... that makes me a bad DJ. Also, sorry to anyone who listened over the last couple of semesters and caught me doing the station ID in Esperanto. That was offensive, I apologize.
***I haven't bought anything from Urban Outfitters yet, but I did once apply to work there, so I guess that doesn't help me. Never mind.
An open letter mostly to Kaitlyn (but to a few other people too now that I've procrastinated this for a day*):
Personally, I think Redneck Literature Hour sounds hilarious. I tend to have kind of a weird sense of humor though, so I checked with other people, and according to my thoroughly unscientific random survey of people I've seen in the last few hours, Redneck Literature Hour is, actually, extremely funny. At any rate, I'm sure your friends have probably been deluged with requests and so on, but - can we get H.P. Lovecraft on this too? Redneck H.P. Lovecraft would be just incredible levels of awesome.
As for a venue, I do a radio show Sunday nights, 9:30 to 11:30 PM, and all I play really is "that indie shit," so it'd be nice to shake things up with a guest spot or two. Maybe the Redneck Literature Half-Hour? The Redneck Literature Twenty Minutes? Because, quite honestly, Jane Austen, no matter what accent it's in, is a lot more interesting than anything I'm bound to discuss in between shitty indie songs (nipples, the Nazi Youth). Exec's opinion seems to be that your friends needed to tighten up their show - the only thing I had to tighten up when I was a newbie was my sleeping schedule, but again, whatever - so I daresay that might give them a bit of practice too, if they're interested in that kind of thing. My show's pretty casual, people come and go, some guy in Heath calls in and asks for groovy chick music. This is the first semester I've been completely awake for the whole thing, so it's at least marginally classier than it used to be.
Now, I was a bit confused when Jacs referred to the skill level of your friends' dancing - the most energetic ever, apparently, but still not up to Doobie standards regarding dance. I am awfully touched that WDUB at least occasionally chose to make dancing one of the requirements for their auditionees. Dance and radio have always been deeply intertwined art forms, and I'm so glad that the Doobie prioritized finding DJs who are really capable of exploiting the visual possibilities of radio.
No, I'm a bit fucking confused actually. When I auditioned as a freshman, you got asked about the music you wanted to play, any show ideas you'd suggested, and a few funny questions to see if you could think on your feet. You didn't even audition in person; you talked on a mic and heard a few members of the station talk back to you over the headphones. Now I hear that you have to stare down the entirety of exec in a room and do whatever weird shit they egg you into doing. If I'd been asked to dance for a room of ten people or so during my audition, I would've walked out. Maybe that makes me one of those awful snotty shy people, maybe it means I don't have enough of a sense of humor, but it still wouldn't have made me a bad DJ.**
It seems like it wasn't that long ago when the Doobie was pretty chill, open to just about anybody with a student keycard and interesting taste in music. Now when I suggest to someone that they audition, I tend to get a lot of shrugs. Whether it's true or not, a lot of people have started to think you need to be in a specific crowd to get in. I have a friend who's been rejected twice. He can run a station better than I can, and he has interesting music taste, but it's just never gelled for him. And he doesn't dance either. I don't have anything to do with auditions, and all I represent on the Doobie is myself (full disclosure: I was suspended last semester for absences, and quite right too), but I guess I'd like to say that I'm sorry that quite a lot of the people I've talked to had a crummy audition experience. There was an executive decision to make the auditions more like a fraternity/sorority rush process. For some people, sure, that's fun, but for a lot of people it feels like elitism. Look, I listen to opera and the Magnetic Fields, I wear vintage, I have an American Apparel t-shirt, if I got any more elitist I'd pretty much have to shoot myself.***
As for Alex's argument, I have to wonder how much concern the FCC really is. This was covered in my apprenticeship - the FCC defines indecent material as "language that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs." The FCC is concerned with swear words. For the most part, they do not give a shit about racism, and if they did, there's a lot of conservative daytime talk-radio that would be completely screwed. The FCC expects you not to offend the reasonable person, not the reasonable knee-jerk liberal. As long as you're not reading Jane Austen's sex scenes in a redneck accent, you're pretty much in the clear. Could they decide to fine us for some "indecent" offense? Absolutely. But in order for that to happen, sufficient numbers of listeners have to be offended enough to write to the FCC. The FCC is not actually wiretapping us themselves. They just have the legal right to.
And Alex made an excellent point about the Doobie representing Denison - but unfortunately that was the same day that the Denisonian published their fascinating array of sex tips for the young collegian. Personally, I think that the Denisonian represents us more than the Doobie does - there's the name, after all, and besides - radio is ephemeral, newspaper gets archived. How is it that a publication that is so out of touchit suggests you send a $200 designer coin purse to your sweetheart is now more cutting-edge than we are? What the hell, Denisonian? And what's with advising your female readers to buy expensive lingerie so they can "dress to impress," which is apparently their duty because "men bear the burden of an exceptional performance"? That's a bit fucked up, eh? I'm sure all the straight men on this campus are delighted that you've let their girlfriends know that all they have to do is lie back and think of the homeland; the burden's all on the guys! The only situation I can think of in which the woman can acceptably just lie there and not bother herself is if you're dating a necrophiliac and you're really the best he can do. Frankly I think every guy who has a crummy lay Valentine's Day should write to the Denisonian and let them know. Necrophiliacs included.
So yeah. Alex, obviously we can't get a sex columnist of our own. Let's try to talk the Denisonian out of using theirs again. Otherwise we're going to be at stalemate, and to be honest I don't know where we can go from here.
Thanks,
Kim Davies
Class of 2009, used to be 2010... it's confusing. Go see "Art" next weekend.
*Lots of days.
**All the times when I screw up the computer and there's like forty seconds of dead air... that makes me a bad DJ. Also, sorry to anyone who listened over the last couple of semesters and caught me doing the station ID in Esperanto. That was offensive, I apologize.
***I haven't bought anything from Urban Outfitters yet, but I did once apply to work there, so I guess that doesn't help me. Never mind.
Rose House = Administration Building?
NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Word around the quad is that next year denison has decided to convert ROSE HOUSE to
offices for the administration.
If your a senior, you obviously dont care. If you dont like to party, you obviously dont care.
But, for everyone else if this happens our "college on the hill" will offically be
reduced to one of the best prep schools in central ohio. With no non-dorm party scenes avaliable (sunsets are dorms too)-- we will finally be collapsed to follow every rule, quiet hour and endure the constant harrassment by police and security when trying to act like the immature young adults we all are and want to be. As the final blow to our ability to function socially like normal college students, the lose of Rose House
perfectly fits the old "if you give a mouse a cookie" equation meaning Shannon, Prospect and any chance of fun will be gone next.
DONT GIVE UP.
Oh yeah more news, denison has decided to allow 200 more freshman for next year and they are also converting curtis to freshman housing. So to everyone who has no where to live or party next year, im sorry.
fucked up shit going down
8730
Word around the quad is that next year denison has decided to convert ROSE HOUSE to
offices for the administration.
If your a senior, you obviously dont care. If you dont like to party, you obviously dont care.
But, for everyone else if this happens our "college on the hill" will offically be
reduced to one of the best prep schools in central ohio. With no non-dorm party scenes avaliable (sunsets are dorms too)-- we will finally be collapsed to follow every rule, quiet hour and endure the constant harrassment by police and security when trying to act like the immature young adults we all are and want to be. As the final blow to our ability to function socially like normal college students, the lose of Rose House
perfectly fits the old "if you give a mouse a cookie" equation meaning Shannon, Prospect and any chance of fun will be gone next.
DONT GIVE UP.
Oh yeah more news, denison has decided to allow 200 more freshman for next year and they are also converting curtis to freshman housing. So to everyone who has no where to live or party next year, im sorry.
fucked up shit going down
8730
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Wingless Angels and APA Welcome You
READ ME
In the dark Ohio winter, pledge season has finally come to an end. It was a hard one (that’s what she said), but many men accepted bids to the frats of their choice. Some chose to join Phi Delt and endure the walk of the elephant while others longed for endless crossword puzzles in Beta. However, for some, bid season ended without a bid and a wicked hangover. If this was you, please do not fret. I say this gentleman because there is still one institution remaining. Yes, one venerated and decorated institution still searching for members. It is Denison’s proud Wingless Angels. Now you may ask, what does it take to be a wingless angel or am I truly right for the job? To answers these queries, the men of ELLIPSIS have provided you with a series of questions to help you determine if you are just cool enough to be a member of Denison’s most sackless secret society.
Can you keep a secret? Do you look sexy in a hockey mask? Are you a little bit shy? Afraid of sunlight? Does burning wood and scaring helpless freshman give you a stify? Do you sit in your room all day and listen to my chemical romance? Do you have a vast rhetoric of angry curse words? Have you always wanted to be in a band, but can’t play in instrument? Would you want to put feces in my food after reading this? Do you talk a lot of shit, but never back it up? If you answered yes to any of these questions then my “nebbi” friends do we have one of “Penisons” most prestigious babysitter clubs for you. Yes indeed the word is out and the wingless angels are apparently running a bit low on membership this year. We would gladly give you a number to reach them, but unfortunately the wingless angels were unavailable for comment. Thus if you desire to be a member, we only suggest you create as much chaos as possible and bitch bitch bitch until you can’t do so anymore. Oh ya and by the way I want to be in the club…who doesn’t.
ELLIPSIS - 7044
_____________________________________
Hello all,
This is a message to the general population of Denison University, but especially to those who are members of IFC and the Pan-Hellenic Council. My name is Cortez Hicks a current sophomore here at Denison University double majoring in Education and Black Studies, a current member of Denison Chicago Posse 7, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc Rho Upsilon Chapter here at Denison which I am president of. In light of the newest members of both IFC and Pan-Hellenic to be initiated on Denison campus who I welcome to Greek Life! However, my friend who is a new member of Kappa Kappa Gamma asked me the question “why don’t we do programs together?” and my immediate response was “because ya’ll don’t know that we exist!” Some may think that I over exaggerate my point however, I don’t. I have been a member of Denison’s Greek life for approximately about 3 months now, after my initiation I began to wear my letters across campus, to my classes and really all of the time. I was and still am very proud of my organization however, my problem lies in the questions and statements that were made to me since that time.
“So you’re a part of Alpha Pi Alpha?
“I didn’t know that there were Black Fraternities and Sororities.”
And my favorite:
“Oh so you started a fraternity?”
I say all of this to make that point that we speak about education outside of classroom and out of class interactions amongst students however when the opportunity arises students on campus seem to remain in their shells. I have no problem with answering questions and I really welcome them whole heartedly because I know of the Fraternities and Sororities on campus, but only on the surface and with 30% of Denison’s student population being Greek affiliated, there is no reason that these discussions should be so limited. I once last semester participated in a panel discussion for prospective students, with student representatives from various organizations and the rep from IFC said that the IFC is comprised of the 6 Fraternities on Campus. I was original shocked and infuriated, because there are more than those on Denison’s campus when you include Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Why aren’t we included? Why hasn’t an invitation been extended? I want to participate in the IFC Fish Bowl in Slayter because the last time I checked I was a member of a Fraternity that has a Chapter here on campus which I am president of. I will not continue to rant because the Bullsheet needs the paper. So I extend an invitation to all of Denison’s Campus, especially IFC and Pan-Hellenic Council to have a conversation with me on the 1st Floor of Slayter at 9pm today still in time for Meal Exchange! Thursday Feb. 5th 2009. We can discuss our organizations, possible programming opportunities and community service projects. For those who do not know me I’ll be the 6’1 Black kid with the Black and old Gold Jacket on with the letters ΑΦΑ on it.
Cortez H.
‘08 President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
Rho Upsilon Chapter
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