Vagina Monologues ads stir free speech debate

Advertising by student groups has once again raised the issue of what constitutes obscenity on a college campus.

The issue of indecency which escalated over the past week focuses on chalkings for "The Vagina Monologues" which appeared across campus grounds. Earlier in the year, posters advertised the play "Seven Blowjobs" and announcements for "free B.J." promoted a Ben and Jerry's event.

Prior to the play's debut, there were large, chalked advertisements in front of Tisch Library. Included in the chalking was the word "c**t."

Although one of the aims of the play is to make such words commonplace, one student was offended enough by the chalking to complain. On Feb. 11, "a student entered the library and complained about the language the 'Vagina Monologues' advertisement used," Tisch Library Director Jo-Ann Michalak said. "We forwarded that complaint to Facilities, which arrived and removed the chalking."

The group of students performing "Monologues" was upset to see their ad removed. "I felt as though I was being supported within the theatre, but when [our cause] got outside, it got shut down," said Assistant Stage Manager and Producer junior Louise Weed.

According to the student handbook, the Pachyderm, chalking on campus can include "no profanity or explicit sexual material." However, there is no clarification of what constitutes profanity or explicit.

"Part of the answer lies in the context of the advertisement," Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said. "Leeway is given to certain words if it is used in an appropriate way." Reitman said that University policy does not permit advertisement or stand-alone graphics to remain if its objective is merely to shock the viewer.

In 1988, the University implemented free speech zones in response to complaints about a student who was selling T-shirts with the slogan "15 Reasons Why Beer is Better than Women at Tufts." Academic buildings were designated "limited tolerance" for obscenity and dorms were designated "no tolerance."

In response to campus and national outcry, the University eventually eliminated the free speech zones, though several large state universities still maintain the distinctions.

Last school year, Reitman explained his opposition to free speech zones. "People have to be able to express how we differ in background, race, and religion, to name a few," he said. "We at this University wish to promote and naturally cherish the tenets of freedom of expression."

The controversy surrounding the "Vagina Monologues" comes at a time when similar boundaries are being tested at other colleges nationwide. At Harvard University, a new student publication called H-Bomb has recently gained administrative approval. It will focus on "issues of sex and sexuality" and the students involved have already been warned by the administration to stay clear of any format resembling "porn."

The Harvard administration did not elaborate on what would actually constitute pornographic material.

On a similarly risqu?© note, Yale University provides alternative education during Sex Week, where students learn about various sexual issues in fraternity houses with the Porn and Chicken Society, which has brought porn stars to campus as speakers. Items discussed this year ranged from the logistics of a threesome to what is the best condom.

Freshman Caitlin Johnson said she was not offended by the chalkings on campus, and that she supports the play's goals. "By celebrating my sexuality, I am not being obscene," she said. "I will not deny one aspect of myself for the sake of puritanical mores."

According to Weed, the ambiguity surrounding the appropriateness of the "Vagina Monologues" ad campaign is that, "the Vagina Monologues itself is shocking, so many of our chalkings will be too."

Freshman Liz Hammond agreed that the advertisements were appropriate and successful. "Advertising is supposed to attract attention, and this was just good advertising. They just happened to be selling vaginas," she said.

There are others on campus, however, who feel that public places are not an appropriate medium for sending such controversial messages to the entire community.

University Chaplain Rev. David O'Leary said that "people have the freedom to go and pay to see the 'Vagina Monologues'. But people do not have that choice when drawings or wordings are written on the plaza."

O'Leary said that forcing issues on people in public spaces -- especially younger children -- was not a positive thing. "Some folks do not want to have to explain to a little child what function body parts have, and I do know the library is used by more than college-aged students," he said.

Women's Center Director Peggy Barrett said that since Tufts is a fairly liberal campus, students and the administration must make allowances for many different ideas. "[The students advertising for the "Vagina Monologues"] feel that the value of women being able to talk about their bodies themselves outweighs the discomfort of others," she said. "The real question here is: do we want to place limits on what people can say?"