LETTER: Backpage offensiveness alienates readers

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by Arisa Miller

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By the people, for the people ... this is the foundation of the Rice Thresher , and I would be the last person to advocate any university interference with how the Thresher is run, or what is included or omitted at publication time. However, I do not feel that therefore the staff of the Thresher should have the freedom to do just any old thing at all. There is still the issue that the student body pays for the Thresher and is its main audience as well... The Thresher should reflect as truly as possible those it means to represent. The students need to voice their wishes for the direction of the Thresher . However, rather than doing this, many have chosen the alternative of just not reading it anymore. It's unfortunate when a student publication reaches the point where the people who "support" it , and pay for it can no longer read it without being offended... I am speaking specifically of the infamous Backpage.

While I understand that everything printed on the Backpage should be taken with a grain of salt, the March 11 issue has gone too far. Most have probably not read it ... to avoid being offended once again.

Those who have seem to be split into two camps: first, those who find it funny; second, those who find it offensive. Odd that the groups are nearly consistently split male/female respectively.

" A Realistic O-Week Advisor Application" is about the saddest commentary I have ever read about the Rice community. The frightening part is that, especially in the past, this hit all too close to home. But the colleges have worked very hard at changing this, and strive to get truly sincere upperclassmen to volunteer and run O-week. Jacks have become funny, not hurtful or destructive. It's now more than ever a week for bonding and introducing the newcomers to the most positive aspects of Rice. And here, on the Backpage, all of this is being undermined. I would expect more from a former O-week coordinator! The "questions" are just about advocating date rape, an overwhelming problem currently here at Rice, illegal substances and slander. It promotes freshmen and women (women especially) as objects meant to be taken advantage of and ridiculed with subhuman carnal behavior. .. And we are meant to laugh at this?

Here is a lot more to Rice than drinking, drugging and molestation ... and as a former (and hopefully future) advisor, I do my utmost to show the positive sides to my freshmen and women. I treat them as equals and try to earn and uphold their trust in me. And I think the majority of advisors feel the same.

I find it terribly sad that our community has become so desensitized. We are overwhelmed with the "Rice party" image of our university, and as a result, let a lot slide by without voicing opposition.

We are asked to accept and even laugh at gravely serious problems. But who wants to be labeled a radical? Who wants to be labeled a dirty feminist?? So no one says anything. And the message is, "It's OK to be derogatory towards women ... really we don't mind. You asked us to laugh, and so we will." Our perspective is greatly skewed. Many do mind, but no one wants to be alone in a seemingly hopeless fight.

It is especially ironic that this most offensive Backpage to date (within my six years of reading it) has come on the dawn of Sexual Assault Awareness Week. What timing! This says too much about how seriously such issues are taken here.

This is a plea ... a plea to all students, male and female alike... Stop the madness! This is your university... This is your newspaper... This is your life! Don't let a thoughtless minority convince you that they are right and you must accept it! Speak up! Make noise! Protect your rights!! The vocal minority is stepping on the silent majority. Don't let them tell you what to think! If people must be prejudiced, they should keep it to themselves, or at least keep private opinions out of "publicly" funded publications!

Arisa Miller

SRC '95

Amy Lazarides

Brown '97

Caroline Schaeffer

SRC '96

Kim Hunter

Jones '95

Monica Erceg

Brown '95

Marc Elliott

Hanszen `89

Stella Lin

SRC '97

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the March 18, 1994 issue.

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