PAGE 8 // WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 30, 2011
the pendulum
The Pendulum seeks to inspire, entertain and infornn the Elon
community by providing a voice for students and faculty as well as a
forum for the meaningful exchange of ideas.
Student body can’t ignore other ‘F-word’
Revising harassment policy will help, but students must share responsibility
The F-word is ugly. No, not
the four-letter one, but the
other one, a once harmless
British word meaning “bundle
of sticks.” If you’re waiting
to see it printed here, keep
looking because you won’t find
it. In today’s society, it is an
ugly, offensive term and should
be treated with the same level
of scrutiny as the N-word, and
fortunately for everyone out
there who feels the same way,
Elon University agrees.
Here at Elon, rumors are as
common as squirrels. When
there were whisperings about
students being punished by
the administration for the
use of the F-word, we jumped
on it. Why wasn’t the student
body made aware? Who decides
what’s worth sharing or not?
How do these incidents differ
from the racial slurs at the
beginning of the semester?
Smith Jackson, vice
president and dean of Student
Life, said students are alerted
about harassment or similar
incidents when they can
help apprehend the suspects
involved, like someone
shouting a racial epithet from
a moving car. An alert is also
put out when students need
to protect themselves, like if
a person wielding a gun was
spotted on campus, or if the
harassed student wants the
student body alerted.
In recent issues involving
the F-word, the victim didn’t
want the specifics shared, and
all judicial proceedings for
these types of issues happen
behind closed doors. Jackson
said this procedure prevents
“re-victimizing” students who
were the subject of any type of
attack, be it physical, sexual or
emotional.
The problem with these
steps is that many people in
the student body, and perhaps
even among the faculty
and staff, don’t know how
unacceptable
the F-word
is on this
campus.
That Not on
our Campus
slogan
doesn’t just
refer to the
N-word, or
at least it
shouldn’t
in the
minds of those who proudly
tout it. Instead, it should
stand for intolerance of any
disrespectful language or
behavior toward any group
of people based on who they
are or how they identify
themselves.
The university agrees,
which is why the harassment
policy is being amended. And
while the events from this
fall have been a catalyst for
speeding these changes up,
Jackson said this has been
under consideration since
last summer. He also said the
university was influenced by
Increased vigilance from
every corner of campus
about the F-word and any
other forms of disrespect
is surely the only way
we can battle this as a
community.
changes in federal statutes
and something called the
“Dear Colleague Letter”
from the Department of
Education, which discusses
the obligations schools have
when responding to sexual
harassment and sexual
violence under Title IX.
These changes will be
encompassed in a new website,
which will explicitly list what
is punishable and what that
punishment
is, according
to Jackson.
There will
also be
additional
training for
faculty and
staff and
the topic of
harassment
will be
addressed
at New Student Orientation.
In addition, two new
faculty positions are being
created to specifically deal
with discrimination and
harassment-related issues. And
these are great steps, as long
as Elon follows through and
enforces these punishments
equally across the board.
But the administration can
only do so much. At some
point, we have to remember
there are 5,000 undergraduate
students on this campus
with 5,000 different opinions
and 5,000 different ways of
expressing themselves, some
of which include offensive
language. We have to be
the ones to stand up to one
another and say, “No, this
is not OK.” As a cohort, we
have to police ourselves. If
we don’t, we run the risk of
becoming desensitized and
insulting scores of people
who don’t deserve to have
their way of life tarnished
with ignorance.
“Unfortunately, we don’t
get a lot of reports about (the
use of the F-word),” Jackson
said. He added, though, that
he’s sure it’s happening often,
and calls it “not OK” since
it isn’t necessary and can be
harmful.
Increased vigilance from
every corner of campus
about the F-word and any
other forms of disrespect is
surely the only way we can
battle this as a community.
Jackson said after this new
policy goes into effect, the
university will probably see
an increase in the number of
incidents that are reported,
but this doesn’t mean more
are actually occurring. It just
means less people are getting
away with it.
Next time you hear the
F-word or the N-word or
anything else you think
is offensive or cruel, say
something. The use of
offensive language that
is degrading to others is
unacceptable at Elon, and
that’s the way it should be.
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RACHEL SOUTHMAYD | Opinions Editor
What is harassment?
“The threatening of or verbal abuse directed
toward any member of the university community.
Offenses that occur in a classroom may result in
temporary or permanent suspension from a class,
pending the outcome of a hearing. Examples
include, but are not limited to: communication of a
threat, whether or not the person communicating
the threat demonstrates any intention to actualize
the threat; defamation of character, excessive
use of profanity, verbal assaults, indecent
language or images on a telephone or computer;
and derogatory, sexist or racist remarks or any
behavior that puts another member of the university
community in a state of tear or anxiety or might be
perceived as jeopardizing the physical, moral or
scholastic well-being of any individual.”
-2011-2012 Student Handbook
Letter to the Editor
The following was in response to "One more
time, Elon needs to pick a side" in the Nov. 16
edition.
I don't think there is anything ambiguous
about Elen's response to what Shuman tweeted.
The university obviously decided not to use him
as a poster boy for the issue. Sure, Shuman does
represent Elon as an athlete and is accountable,
but if he faced judicial sanctions for violating
other social policies, would we run that in the
paper?
The real problem with Shuman's tweets was
not racial epithets, but his frustration with his
coach and disregard for the university. Rappers
have been using the N-word for years. The
Pendulum is wrong on this issue. There is no
reason the university should publicly crucify
one of its own students to serve a PR objective
or promote dialogue. He violated the Elon Honor
Code, not the Global Experience.
John Tinkelenberg
Class of 2013
MORE ONLINE
"It is claimed by supporters that the return
to the pre-1967 borders is the best way to
achieve peace. President Barack Obama
believes this ideology, but as he does, Israel
is getting thrown under the bus.”
http://bit.ly/EPUSIsrael
MICHAEL GROSS
Guest Columnist
On the opinions podcast, “Topics,” we
discuss the power of words and how much
harm they can do and when the university
should tell students about incidents involving
harassment.
http://bit.ly/EPTopics11_28
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