Tufts Collective for Men Against Violence (TCMAV) wants to publicly express some of our views on certain campus events and issues. Many women on our campus have stated their views on recent events, and as a group that primarily consists of men, we feel that more men should get involved. We do not want a rift to form between genders. It's time for some of the men to speak up.
The beginning of TCMAV's mission statement reads, "as students concerned with issues surrounding violence, we will explore our identities, educate the community and ourselves, and create social change."
Communication is key. We are optimistic, and believe that through discussion the Tufts community will gain further understanding. It is important that we all voice our opinions, and that we respect each other.
TCMAV discussions have shown us that everyone has unique views about violence and what it means to be against violence. We hope that our views will encourage dialogue amongst individuals and campus organizations.
Recent campus controversies including the DTD Fall Rush poster, Iris Halpern vs. The Primary Source, and assault at the cannon deserve our attention.
Delta Tau Delta
This semester, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity posted an advertisement for Fall Rush events. However, a prominent picture of a female model posing in her underwear overshadowed the actual events advertised.A message to DTD: What are you promoting? Sex or fraternity? We know sex sells, but we think you can be more creative. We hope that your Fall Rush advertisement does not accurately reflect your principles of brotherhood. We think there's more to being men than sex. You should sell DTD on other merits of the group. (And we're pretty sure that Jaime Pressly is not a DTD member.)
Iris Halpern vs. The Primary Source
We looked at pages eight, nine, and 14 of the Oct. 11 issue, and found inappropriate and offensive references to both Iris Halpern and the Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM). The Primary Source tried to be funny, but the attempt was not well received. Was this sexual harassment?
We support the Committee on Student Life's (CSL) decision: we cannot censor publications, just as we cannot censor complaints about those publications. Our junior co-chair wrote an insightful article about this in the Fall 2001 edition of The Window. The point is that freedom is a double-edged sword - it's frustrating. The verdict was read through clenched teeth: case dismissed; we don't condone The Primary Source, but we must protect its freedom.
Has the Tufts community reached the point where we need to restrict a group's right to free speech? Thankfully, we have not. If we censored The Primary Source, we would set a precedent that any student may propose censorship of any group. Coming Out Day chalkings also offended students, but censoring the Tufts Transgendered, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Collective would also be wrong.
A message to The Primary Source: Your articles are often informative, rational, and articulate. Why do you tarnish professional journalism with petty insults? "From the Elephant's Mouth," "Fortnight in Review," and "Fool on the Hill" all contain attacks on individuals. Most of these attacks are biting, mean-spirited, and personal. You enjoy humiliating others, but you should consider how this affects your reputation. We feel that all members of our community deserve respect. You should continue to criticize ideas, opinions, and actions, but not people. We know that you can still be funny without targeting individuals.
Assault at the cannon
This is a clear example of intolerance. Insults, bullying, harassment, and assault took place the morning of Oct. 2. Regardless of the outcome, we are ashamed that this situation happened in the first place. There was a lack of respect for cannon painting rules, and therefore three students were found guilty of harassment. Why did a confrontation have to occur? Additional messages could have been added to the cannon by that evening.Many of the topics that we have addressed are still considered controversial, and we realize that there are many opinions that have yet to be expressed. We hope that our opinions will spark further dialogue.
Scott Pherson is a senior majoring in biology and environmental studies. Kenny William is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. They are both executive officers of Tufts Collective for Men Against Violence.
