Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / March 8, 2013, edition 1 / Page 9
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OPINION March 8, 2013 Letter te the Editer; the difflcult world of insensitive jonrnalism IN RESPONSE TO “GAY OR PLAY: THE DIFFICULT WORLD OF SPORTS AND HOMOSEXUALITY” IN THE GUILFORDIAN, VOLUME 99, ISSUE 16 BY EMILY MORAZAN GoestWrjtbi While I have recognized instances of heterosexism at Guilford, my only experience with anti-gay sentiments has been with the "Gay or Play" article published last week. I understand this was not the intention of its author, which is why I need to point out a few things to elevate the conversation. Let's begin with the title. "Gay or play" constructs a binary: gay identity versus sports, which frames LGBTQ athletes as a contradiction to or in conflict with sports. Gays and lesbians have been athletes since the inception of sports. This title perpetuates the anti-gay sentiments the article purports to investigate. The vain attempt to be catchy trivializes this important topic and is insulting. My second point: language. The term "homosexual" is antiquated to the point of being derogatory. According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, "The Associated Press, The New York Times and The Washington Post all restrict usage of the term homosexual' — a word whose clinical history and pejorative connotations are routinely exploited by anti gay extremists to suggest that lesbians and gay men are somehow diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered." Language like, "The difficult world of sports and homosexuality," and, "the ramifications of being openly homosexual," suggest that LGBTQ student-athletes are the problem when in reality homophobic athletes are the problem. No quote was attributed to a person who identifies as LGBTQ. It feels as though LGBTQ students were erased from the conversation. Why wasn't Guilford's LGBTQ coordinator, Parker Hurley, interviewed or a member of PRIDE or QPOC (Queer People of Color)? A conversation about homophobia is incomplete without these voices. What does this article do for athletes experiencing homophobia? The Guilfordian could better discuss this issue if it published a series of articles that took a critical look at anti-gay and heterosexist attitudes and behaviors within sports. Be responsible to avoid violence f BY SYDNEY HAWKINS SxwFWteim Violent crimes aren't common on campus because of our nonviolent Quaker heritage, but off campus, standards of nonviolence aren't upheld. Crimes tend to go unnoticed on Br, ' \ campus because ^ \ of the Guilford V ■ M bubble, which B V* ' M ™ allows students to P I jF JB feel safe. However, i ^ it is important to remember the world outside of campus. There are certain places off campus that I'm not comfortable going to anymore because of the violence that occurred there over the past semester. The Hodgins Retreat apartment complex is one of those places. Hearing about fights breaking out in a place so close to campus where some of my fiiends live is nerve-racking to me. The Greensboro area actually has high crime rates compared to other areas in North Carolina with the Guilford College zone being one of the niost dangerous in Greensboro. Crime rates in Greensboro have grown the past couple of years. The chance of being a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 171. "It's fiightening," said first-year Victoria Saraldi. "I want to feel safe where I go to college, and ifis easy to forget that it's still dangerous outside the Guilford bubble." Many students including myself feel safer staying on campus as opposed to going off campus for parties. I would rather deal with Public Safety than police if something were to happen wherever I was. I want to be able to go out downtown and not feel like I need to bring a guy friend to act like a body guard," said Saraldi. Being at a party where a fight broke out was a scary and unforgettable experience that changed my perspective. I didn't have control over what other people were doing, and I didn't know most of them becau^ they didn't go to Guilford. I figured I would be safe because I was still near campus and I always feel safe there, but I was wrong. My dad encourages me to carry pepper spray around and is constantly sending me articles about fights on campuses around the country. I used to think he was overreacting and that fights didn't happen at Guilford because it was such a small community. Since being here though, I have learned I should take my dad more seriously. Crimes can happen anywhere to anybody. If someone is under the influence, the chance of something happening is even more likely. It's easy to think, "Oh, it won't happen to me. I'm only walldng a little ways alone." In reality, it only takes one time. Although it is difficult to propose a way to fix crime rates, there are ways to be prepared. "You can't be responsible for other people; you can only be responsible for yourself," my dad always tells me. By taking necessary precautions such as always being with people you know when you go out, staying close to campus and using good sense, you can avoid dangerous situations. Os l ie Deviassn Violent Crimes /10,000 People 0.00- 183.00 183.01 - 284.92 284.93 - 373.40 1^5 373.41 -494.71 494.72 - 797.89 Courtesy of www.centerforcommunitysafety.org f.rmn 1 ms Let’s talk about Guilford housing prices Change is inevitable. Every five years, Guilford evaluates and amends its judicial system. The efficacy of its processes is analyzed and the system is changed to best meet the needs of the student body. It is this conscious reform that cultivated our curren^restorative justice approach. But what about those otiier on-campus systems that could benefit from re-evaluation? As it stands, campus meal swipes don't allow meals to roll over from breakfast to lunch or lunch to dinner. This all too often translates into meals that we have paid for, but are not permitted to access. A meal system that steals our money should be reformed. And what about the lagging Internet and BannerWeb crashes that plague class registration each semester? The school's tenure system is outdated. Can we please revise our pet policy (hedgehogs are awesome)? More than anything, though, we need to evaluate the housing process. Eyery year, students must choose an on-campus living arrangement. When enrollment was high, this was a non issue; costs were reasonable in conjunction with the price of tuition. However, as enrollment drops, the price tag on dorms and apartments rises. This has a direct effect on students who can no longer afford that price tag, and seek other living options. For example, a 2011-2012 student living in the Apartments paid $3,960 (North) and $4,090 (South) per semester. If this amount were broken down into rent payments, a student would have to pay a monthly balance of $792 for the North Apartments and $818 for the South Apartments. Let's compare these fees to those of an off-campus apartment, shall we? A two-bedroom, two-bathroom Westborough apartment averages $395 per month when split between two residents. For the ever-ritzy Legacy Apartments, two residents splitting the cost would pay about $430 each. What do all of these numbers mean? Living off campus is cheaper than living on campus. But Guilford College doesn t want us to have that option. Instead, students who wish to live off-campus must submit separate applications to Residence Life and meet one or more of these requirements: - 88 earned credit hours completed prior to the semester during which student is submitting the request to live off campus; - 21 years of age before the next semester begins; - Living with a parent or legal guardian within 50 miles of Guilford campus; - Married; - Custodial parent of a child living with you; - Part-time status (below 12 credit hours); - ADA accommodation And even if you meet one of these criteria, off-campus housing is not guaranteed. Residence Life made it clear in a campus-wide email that "very few off-campus applications will be approved this year, regardless of eligibility." For a school that prides itself on accommodating its students, making it harder to live off-campus seems unfair. And while we understand the need to fill on- campus housing or raise tuition, we ask for intentionality and transparency while we figure out how to best accommodate our needs and our lives. Reflecting Guilford College's core Quaker values, the topics and CONTENT OF StAFF EDITORIALS ARE CHOSEN THROUGH CONSENSUS OF ALL 14 EDITORS OF The Guilfordian's Editorial Board.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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March 8, 2013, edition 1
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