We write in response to Thursday's article, "Making hunting for hookups into a science," March 10). We find it hard to believe that The Tufts Daily not only condones, but clearly encourages, the behavior portrayed in the article by men on campus. By portraying this lifestyle as normal and acceptable, the Daily is, in turn, encouraging sexual violence against women and unsafe and unhealthy attitudes about sexuality. To begin with, college women are referred to as girls (clearly indicating their inferiority to men), but they are also treated as animals to be hunted. The headline, "Making hunting for hookups into a science," in combination with a quote from Bill saying that "girls want to be chased," directly implies that men are predators out to hunt their victims. Women are also referred to as "prey" throughout the article. According to the article, women are projects for men to pursue; they are voiceless and dehumanized, making the job of a player that much easier.
Not only is Bill clearly stalking his prey by observing her, observing her friends, and "find[ing] out what kind of guys she used to hook up with," but there are also signs of sexual assault in the article. Bill says that if you take a woman back to her room to hook up "she'll be willing to let go of her inhibitions there." But this only happens after both prey and predator are clearly intoxicated, according to Bill. Taking advantage of someone while they are intoxicated is rape. What does this say about consensual sexual relationships on this campus? Is this type of behavior common and do students at Tufts realize the effects of this behavior?
As two students heavily involved with organizing this year's Sex Fair at Tufts, we condemn this behavior and hope that programs like the Sex Fair help spur discussion on what healthy sexuality and sexual responsibility is to students. Why don't more students speak out against treating women like animals instead of using their energy to speak out against sex education programs? We hope that this article and the Daily's choice to condone this lifestyle will make you to think about what a healthy sexual lifestyle is to you. This was both an offensive and distasteful article and we hope students begin to make healthier decisions regarding sexuality.
Judy Neufeld,
President of Tufts Voices for Choice
Louise Weed,
Head Organizer, "The Vagina Monologues"
